C4S2: "ACE" the Employment Transition

Your in-prison mentoring is coming to a close, but don’t think your role is over or any less important. As Jeff Korzenik paints in his book Untapped Talent, successful second chance hiring is not random—there is a right way and wrong way to do it. Your diligent support of your Mentee-now-Employee is going to be a major factor in steering things in the right direction.

 
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“ACE” the Transition

Remember our acronym “ACE” (Available, Committed, Empathetic)? Well, it becomes especially handy as your Mentee makes the transition to become your Employee. At this time, your new Employee is likely going through on-site company orientation and starting work. Staying personally Available to them is critical to supporting a successful transition. Checking in often to say “hi”, answer questions, or have lunch, can make a big difference in your Employee’s sense of belonging. It shows that you still care about them and are Committed to their success outside prison walls. Remember, you will be the most familiar face in their new working environment. Having your visible and vocal support will mean more to them than you can imagine.

Empathy Everywhere

But what about the “E” of “ACE”, Empathetic? Where does that come in?

Reentering society after prison is hard, complicated, and sometimes quite discriminatory. From checking in on them at work to learning more about their parole/release requirements to simply saying “[Their name], you’re doing a good job. I’m happy you’re here.”, empathy is needed and beneficial everywhere you can think to use it. Many formerly incarcerated people feel guilt and shame about having been in prison which can translate to them feeling like a burden on their employers or fellow employees. Additionally, they may be facing extremely difficult personal circumstances which can adversely wear on their self-esteem. Again, your visible and vocal support is powerful, needed, and will matter immensely to them.

As we shared earlier in this Guide, being empathetic is not to be confused with lowering expectations or providing excessive accommodations for your new employee. Your empathy can and should have healthy boundaries. During the transition to employment, it’s largely about being mindful of the unique and challenging situations these individuals are facing and giving them a fair chance to get a handle on them as they begin work.

Practically speaking, this may mean understanding a bit more about what their living situation is (we’ll help with this) and knowing that if it’s a halfway house or home confinement, being home at a specific time is mandatory. These requirements may impact how you schedule their hours. If they need to meet with their parole officer, an accommodation might be having a quiet and private place available at your business for them to talk. In many cases, it’ll mean having extra patience. For example, they may have completely missed certain advances in technology while incarcerated, so adding some extra detail and time for questions when training on an app or piece of equipment may be needed. Situations will be unique and vary, but all will benefit from your empathy.

Transition Takes Time

Starting a new job can be stressful for anyone. New people to meet. New skills to learn. New rules to follow. For your new employee, their first weeks of post-prison life are going to be spent doing those “new job things” plus tasks like securing housing, transportation, getting IDs, getting a phone, parenting, and meeting with their parole officer. These TRP Fellows are up for the challenges ahead of them, but it’s prudent to understand and expect that a successful transition to post-prison life and employment will take some time.


Chapter FourEthan Cook