Chattanooga Endeavors

10/12/2026

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has submitted a draft final action to the White House that would rescind its 2012 guidance on employers' use of arrest and conviction records.
That guidance has discouraged blanket criminal-record exclusions and encouraged employers to consider the offense, time elapsed and relevance to the position.
The proposal is undergoing White House review; it has not yet taken effect.
This could be one of the most significant federal policy reversals affecting second-chance hiring in years. And would put the burden back on second chance organizations to persuade employers through business performance, workforce development and retention rather than relying primarily on regulatory pressure.

The EEOC sent to the White House for review plans to scrap Obama-era guidance that dissuades employers from using arrest and criminal records in making hiring decisions, part of its broader rejection of unintentional bias claims.

10/07/2026

Thank you Bad Wraps Incarcerated Bryan Slaton for helping with our Second Chances Employer Academy video this afternoon.

08/14/2026

While updating records for our Card Drive this afternoon, we learned of the deaths of several people from Hamilton County who were in prison and on our Stephen’s Table list.

Please remember in your prayers Jamichael, Brandon, Rodney, Richmond, Ronald, Emily, Michael, Jeremy, Daniel, and Daniel—as well as Anthony Darrell Hines, who died yesterday by lethal injection at Riverbend Prison for the 1985 murder of Catherine Jean Jackson Jenkins.

As we pray for those who have died, let us also remember their families, and all those who may have been harmed by their actions.

Eternal rest give unto them. And let perpetual light shine upon them.

Call now to connect with business.

08/13/2026

Chattanooga Autism Center, Inc will have its 2026 annual conference on Sep 11.

There is hardly any research on the concentration of individuals on the spectrum who are also incarcerated in the US. But you can assume that it follows in proximity with the more general research on disability and incarceration.

38% of state and federal prisoners report at least one disability, compared with about 15% of adults in the general population.

And when we look specifically at cognitive disabilities, national studies have found them among 19% of prisoners and 31% of jail inmates, compared with about 5% of the general population.

These categories can include autism, intellectual and learning disabilities, ADHD, traumatic brain injury, and other cognitive conditions. Autism itself is not adequately tracked in national prison statistics to say anything more specific about it.

Why are people with developmental and learning differences so disproportionately represented in our criminal justice system? It's just another indication that there is work to be done in the spaces where our brothers and sisters are reaching out for help.

This September, our local Autism Conference gives us an opportunity to learn, connect, and have important conversations that can make a difference.

Join 700+ families, educators, clinicians, autistic adults, and providers for a full day of learning and connection. The conference features 30 workshops , six learning pathways/tracks (including our new Medical pathway with CME credits), and 80+ exhibitors offering resources and services. CEUs avai...

08/13/2026

Amid claims of ineffectiveness of initiatives like Ban-the-Box and broader Fair Chance hiring laws, a new Harvard Law & Policy Review article argues for better design—not abandonment.

You can read the report at https://bit.ly/3Uh76F7

The authors say that the claims of ineffectiveness are inconclusive and what's needed is meaningful employer incentives such as tax credits, liability insurance and federal-contract preferences along with employer education and better employer implementation.

This moves the policy conversation toward the infrastructure employers actually need to hire people with records successfully.

That supports the actionable approach we have taken with our Second Chances Employer Academy. https://chattanoogaendeavors.org/academy

Keep an eye out for more information on our micro-sessions, executive briefings, and annual Academy.

05/01/2026

Next Tuesday, we’re launching an important new component of our response to a rapidly changing reentry landscape: the Second Chances Employer Academy.

For more than 35 years, Chattanooga Endeavors has helped individuals overcome barriers after incarceration. Now, we’re bringing that experience directly to employers—those who need dependable, high-performing talent and a hiring strategy that works in the real world.

This inaugural training is the first step in a broader, employer-driven approach designed to align business needs with a capable—and often overlooked—talent pool.

At the core, we believe second chance hiring only works when it works for the employer. Our approach is practical and disciplined—focused on retention, performance, and building a reliable workforce pipeline without turning your operation into a social service program.

This cornerstone training will be followed by additional sessions that dive deeper into specific elements of successful second chance employment to support long-term success.

Watch for a dedicated page for the Academy soon, but for now, you can learn more and register here:
https://chattanoogaendeavors.org/academy

Second Chances Employer Academy Building Business Value Through Purposeful Second Chances. REGISTER TO ATTEND Find us Here Chambliss, Bahner, & Stophel, P.C. 605 Chestnut St.Chattanooga, TN 37450 Get In touch David Chalker+1 202 [email protected] Schedule Tuesday, May 5, 2026...