Responsible Business Initiative for Justice

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Responsible Business Initiative for Justice

RBIJ works with companies, employers and investors to create fairer and more equal systems of punishment and incarceration.

Issues include death penalty, fair chance hiring, criminal, record sealing, juvenile sentencing, bail reform and more.

06/06/2025

Members of our Policy & Advocacy team, Maggie O’Donnell and Morgan Southers, had a blast at ’s 2025 Convening this week. What an inspiring event celebrating the power of community, automated record sealing, and second chances!

We’re proud to partner with this incredible organization to advocate for laws across the country and at the federal level. Thanks for welcoming RBIJ to present on our work engaging businesses in support of commonsense justice reforms like Clean Slate.

Well done to the full CSI team and congratulations on five years of impact — here’s to many more!

06/02/2025

“There’s not a shortage on talent; only a shortage on systems built to recognize it.”

Innovation was a key theme at this year’s . Many businesses don’t know where to start improving their internal systems to recruit justice-impacted talent.

That’s where seasoned second-chance employers come in. The featured panelists from “Quick Fire Round: Businesses Advancing Justice Through Corporate Policy” shared innovative programs their companies have implemented to break down employment barriers for individuals with criminal records, including:

🔵Digital literacy skills training and mentorship –
🔵Childcare support –
🔵Transportation services –
🔵Structured career pathways – Next Chapter
🔵Innovative business insurance models – NLADA Mutual Insurance Co.

Thank you to our speakers; Christina Louie Dyer, Amanda Hall, Kenyatta Leal, Alicia Simmons, and Jo-Ann Wallace for sharing your expertise on fair corporate policies.

Photos: Zachary C. Person

05/30/2025

About 41% of people in state and federal prisons in the U.S. report a history of mental health challenges.

Those struggles don’t just disappear when a person’s sentence ends. In fact, the stress of reentry — finding a job, securing housing, rebuilding a life — can make them even harder to manage.

This , we’re highlighting how employers can play a powerful role in supporting their workers, with or without criminal records, by offering:

✅ Mental health resources
✅ Flexible scheduling for therapy or treatment
✅ Peer support programs
✅ Trauma-informed training for managers

These aren’t just perks. They’re smart, inclusive practices that benefit the entire workplace — and strengthen teams and companies as a result.

05/28/2025

Clean Slate Illinois has been introduced and moving through the state Legislature! 🎉

Championed by Deputy Majority Leader / Speaker Pro Tempore Rep. Jehan Gordon Booth (), would automatically seal eligible past criminal records and provide real second chances to millions of Illinoisans.

Clean Slate Illinois will also benefit businesses and communities. Right now, an estimated $4.7 billion is lost annually by excluding people with records from the workforce.

Automatic record sealing opens up a new, qualified talent pool of justice-impacted individuals who are ready to build careers.

Let’s get passed — learn more at ➡️ CleanSlateIllinois.Org

05/23/2025

What makes a company a Great Place to Work?

At our , leaders discussed why pulling from diverse talent pools — including candidates with criminal records — can enhance workplace culture and differentiate your company as an employer of choice.

Our featured speakers shared key lessons on implementing in their workplaces:

1️⃣ Ground yourself in your mission and values — top-tier talent is drawn to companies that lead with fairness.

2️⃣️ Revisit internal hiring policies and explore solutions to remove barriers for qualified candidates.

2️⃣ Emphasize both the moral and business case for inclusive recruitment strategies — it’s essential to changing hearts, minds, and systems.

Thank you to our incredible moderator, Julian Lute of Great Place to Work and to our panelists for your insights: Keith Brown, Randstad North America ; Margaret diZerega, Vera Institute of Justice ; and Marvin Figaro, Kelly .

Let’s keep the conversation going on how to build inclusive workplaces that unlock opportunity for all 🔗 rbij.org/contact

Photos: Zachary C. Person

05/10/2025

When businesses challenge the status quo, the world sees what’s possible. Hear from business leaders who are driving meaningful policy reform and learn how you can leverage your voice to do the same.

🔵Moderator: Dr. Sheena Meade, Chief Executive Officer,
🔵Muhammad Abdul-Hadi, Owner & Founder, ; Founder,
🔵Jodi Anderson Jr., Co-Founder and CEO, Rézme
🔵Stephanie Ferguson Melhorn, Executive Director, Workforce & International Labor Policy,
🔵Nan Gibson, Executive Director, PolicyCenter

This section will include an interactive Q&A. Join us and ask your questions about advocacy at the 2025 Workforce & Justice Summit from May 13-14 in Seattle. Learn more ➡️ https://www.workforcejusticesummit.org/

05/09/2025

Good news! Washington state Governor Bob Ferguson recently signed a Fair Chance Hiring law that expands protections for people with criminal records both during and after the hiring process. 👏

It restricts how employers can use criminal background checks, including:

🕐 Delaying a background check until after a conditional job offer is made.

❌ Prohibiting employers from rescinding a job offer based on an arrest or juvenile record.

✅ Bolstering protections against adverse actions.

We’re looking forward to more conversations about Fair Chance Hiring in a state that is leading the nation in hiring reforms. RBIJ is heading to Washington next week for our 2025 Workforce & Justice Summit in Seattle. Learn more: https://www.workforcejusticesummit.org/

05/05/2025

We were honored to join the and stand alongside our coalition partners to support and celebrate the reintroduction of the Clean Slate Act and Fresh Start Act! 🎉

Passing these two federal bills is a critical step toward bringing long-overdue fairness to the broken expungement system by:

✍🏼Creating a formal federal process for sealing non-violent offenses.

💻Helping states with Clean Slate Laws modernize outdated record systems.

Americans agree across the aisle: it’s time to give justice-impacted individuals a fair chance at a successful reentry.

Thank you to the bill sponsors: senators Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) , Rand Paul (R-KY) , and representatives Lucy McBath (D-GA-6) , Nathaniel Moran (R-TX-1) , Laurel Lee (R-FL-15) , and Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA-37) .

We look forward to continuing our work with partners to get these two bills across the finish line and signed into law!

Read more about the bills ➡️ cleanslateinitiative.org/federal

04/25/2025

A job is more than a paycheck, it’s an opportunity to build a career and give back to your community.

At , justice-impacted employees see firsthand their impact in communities while providing short-term traffic control. As a dedicated second-chance employer and member of RBIJ’s Workforce & Justice Alliance, Flagger Force offers resources and programs to help returning citizens thrive in their roles.

The above quote from one of their team member says it all — second chances change lives.

Want to explore how your organization can implement Second Chance Hiring? Reach out to RBIJ’s Inclusive Hiring team for a free consultation at the 🔗 in bio.

04/22/2025

Great news! Maryland signed the Expungement Reform Act of 2025 into law — making it easier for individuals convicted of certain crimes to get their record cleared years later.

In a major victory for justice, this legislation expands eligibility for expungement, promotes fairness, and ensures that people who have paid their debt to society have a fair chance to rebuild their lives. In the Governor’s own words, “Not every sentence needs to be a life sentence.”

We celebrate the governor, lawmakers, advocates, and local leaders who made this win possible. 👏 Together, let’s build on this progress and continue pushing for the passage of or automatic record sealing laws — reforms that would further streamline the process and remove barriers to record relief for thousands of Marylanders.

📰 Article link in bio

➡️ Learn more at cleanslatemaryland.org/ &

04/16/2025

📰 NEW in the : Yvonne Deadwyler, President of the New Castle County Chamber of Commerce (), encourages local businesses to embrace innovative hiring strategies and tap into the power Delaware’s overlooked talent pool.

Outdated screening practices, limited access to skills training, and persistent stigma continue to sideline capable job seekers. Workforce development programs like the Delaware Equitable Hiring Initiative (EHI) are bridging the gap — connecting employers with overlooked talent and equipping businesses with tools to strengthen their talent pipelines.

Read the full op-ed ⏩ (link in bio)

08/05/2022

Let’s learn about bail reform:

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