Second chance hiring is a long term strategy for businesses that understand that social good and good business are not mutually exclusive. Second chance hiring is not charity, it is a business proposition that can supply employers with an additional channel of good quality employees while at the same time it is a road back to being a productive member of society for those who have been incarcerated.
The economic arguments and benefits for second chance employment are made in the ground breaking book Untapped Talent by Jeff Korzenik which we highly recommend to anyone who is interested in being a part of second chance hiring.
Host and Panelists
Dwight Tostenson (Host) is the Co-Founder and CEO of The Redemption Project. He oversees the strategic direction of the organization with a particular emphasis on the Virtues for Success curriculum. Dwight has a strong passion for social justice and for providing second chances to former felons. He also brings over 20 years of executive management experience to the organization.
Paul Schnell is the Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Corrections and is part of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz's cabinet. The Minnesota Department of Corrections is an organization of more than 4400 men and women committed to serving the needs of people involved in the criminal justice system. The Department's goal is to reduce recidivism and reengage those they serve back into their communities. Paul holds a bachelor's degree in social work from the University of St. Thomas and a master's degree in organizational leadership from St. Catherine University.
Odell Wilson is our VP and COO. He was a Supervising U.S. Probation and Pre-trial Services Officer and member of The Redemption Project Board. He attended Penn State University on an athletic scholarship and was a member of the 1986 National Championship football team. In 1989 Odell graduated with a degree in rehabilitation education and then attended graduate school at Penn State University, where he received a master's degree in counselor education. He has been a Federal Probation Officer for 25 years and has served as a supervisor for the past six years.
Lorrie Janatopoulos is the CareerForce Director at the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). She works directly with sixteen local workforce development boards, their directors, and staff statewide to help ensure seamless workforce development services at a local level. CareerForce has approximately 150 staff across the state including job service staff delivering basic career skills through the employment services program and veterans staff working with veterans who have significant barriers to employment.
Jeremiah Carter is a Job Services Supervisor at DEED and oversees a number of projects including DEED’s special populations unit which focuses on justice-involved individuals or underrepresented populations. He leads a team that provides work readiness training for individuals that are transitioning out of correctional facilities and then provides direct services, job placement, and retention services for those that have significant barriers to employment and have backgrounds that may prohibit them from obtaining work in certain industries.
Watch the entire Webinar (approx. 47 min).
