We’re less than one week away from RBIJ’s 2025 Workforce & Justice Summit! Our flagship gathering — hosted this year by Microsoft on May 13-14 at the Seattle Convention Center — will bring together business leaders, policy experts, and justice advocates to explore how corporate action on justice reform can make the workforce more resilient and ready for the future.
This is the first time we’re taking the Summit to the West Coast and we’re thrilled to be coming to Washington State just a few weeks after Governor Bob Ferguson signed a bill expanding the state’s Fair Chance Act. This moment of progress sets the stage for powerful conversations about how companies across Washington — and across the country — are breaking down employment barriers for justice-impacted individuals, strengthening their communities, and elevating the state’s workforce.
If you can’t join us in person this year, we hope you’ll follow along on social media on May 13, 14, and beyond. We’ll be sharing highlights, insights from our speakers, and bold ideas shaping the future of work and justice.
Let's make justice our business,
Maha Jweied
CEO
Justice Champion Spotlight: U.S. Chamber of Commerce
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce — the world’s largest business organization — works with companies across the country to address today’s most pressing workforce challenges. Hear from Stephanie Ferguson Melhorn, Executive Director of Workforce & International Labor Policy, about how the Chamber is empowering businesses to champion policy reforms and Second Chance Hiring strategies that not only strengthen their organizations, but expand opportunities for justice-impacted workers. Read the Q&A.
Celebrate U.S. National Small Business Week with the Workforce & Justice Alliance
This National Small Business Week (May 4–10), we’re celebrating the entrepreneurs and small business owners who are breaking down barriers and building a more inclusive workforce — especially for people impacted by the justice system. At RBIJ, we know that small businesses are often the boldest leaders. In fact, 80% of the companies in our Workforce & Justice Alliance are small businesses. Join today to get connected to this network of employers committed to fair chances and smart justice reform.
INCLUSIVE HIRING UPDATES
Washington D.C. Businesses Back Second Chances and a Stronger Workforce
Every year, thousands of D.C. residents return home from incarceration — while local employers continue to face persistent workforce gaps. Second Chance Hiring offers a powerful solution to both challenges, and more D.C. businesses are stepping up. To close out Second Chance Month, RBIJ co-hosted “Talent Beyond Barriers: A Business Exchange on Second Chance Hiring” with the Second Chance Hiring Alliance, the Council for Court Excellence, and the Greater Washington D.C. Black Chamber of Commerce. The event brought together business leaders, D.C. officials, and workforce experts to spotlight Second Chance Hiring as an important business and public safety strategy. Ahead of the gathering, Chamber President Aisha Bond spotlighted the importance of this work in a Washington Informer op-ed, emphasizing how Second Chance Hiring supports Black entrepreneurship in the District. If your business operates in D.C., now is the time to get involved. Join the Second Chance Hiring Alliance.
Delaware Business Leader: “Amid Severe Labor Shortages, Delaware Businesses Must Tap into Our Hidden Workforce”
In a new Delaware Business Times op-ed, Yvonne Deadwyler, President of the New Castle County Chamber of Commerce, urges employers throughout the state to embrace overlooked talent pools as a smart solution to persistent workforce shortages. She highlights the Delaware Equitable Hiring Initiative as a strategic first step for employers looking to get started. Read the full op-ed.
POLICY & ADVOCACY UPDATES
Alabama Passes Occupational Licensing Reform with Support from Business Leaders
Alabama has passed a bipartisan bill to reform the state’s occupational licensing laws, allowing justice-impacted individuals to apply for licenses instead of being automatically disqualified. We are grateful for the support from Alabama business leaders — including LunarLab Co-Founder Elizabeth Anderson, who supported the bill’s passage in an Alabama Political Reporter op-ed — and the state’s Bureau of Pardons and Paroles for their critical support in helping move this legislation forward.
Federal Clean Slate Bills Reintroduced on Capitol Hill
RBIJ was honored to join The Clean Slate Initiative and coalition partners to support the reintroduction of the Clean Slate Act and the Fresh Start Act. These bipartisan bills would automatically seal federal low-level convictions — unlocking overlooked talent for employers nationwide — and help states with Clean Slate laws modernize their criminal record systems. Learn more.
Business Leaders Advocate for Clean Slate Reforms in States Across the U.S.
From Massachusetts to Missouri, business leaders are calling for automatic record sealing policies that expand access to talent and strengthen local economies.
In Massachusetts, Jay Ash, President & CEO of the Massachusetts Competitive Partnership, penned an op-ed in the Boston Business Journalcalling for automatic record sealing, an effort that could open up job opportunities for over 600,000 Bay Staters and help employers fill persistent labor gaps.
Maryland passed the Expungement Reform Act of 2025, removing barriers that previously blocked people with past probation violations from being indefinitely ineligible for record sealing. This bill marks a major step towards making Clean Slate automatic record clearance available to all Marylanders. Thank you to our six business leaders who testified in support of Clean Slate and are committed to advancing workforce reforms.
James Repenning, CEO of Colorado-based barbershop and Workforce & Justice Alliance business R&R Head Labs, spoke at “Clean Slate Champions: A Community Call for Second Chances,” sharing how welcoming justice-impacted workers into his talent pool has helped his business thrive and why Clean Slate would allow more employers to follow suit.
Jackie Huebbe, Owner of SugarBot Sweet Shop in Missouri, shares why Second Chance Hiring has been integral to her business’s growth and why she supports Clean Slate Missouri. Watch the video.
Watch the Recording: Breaking Barriers: The Fight for Fair Occupational Licensure
Maggie O’Donnell, RBIJ’s Director of Policy & Advocacy, joined Noah Bein from Jobs for the Future and Lisa Lipton, LMFT, Professor of Forensic Psychology at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, to discuss how outdated occupational licensing laws create barriers to employment for skilled workers with records. Watch the event recording.
RBIJ Director of Policy & Advocacy Maggie O’Donnell will join our partner, The Clean Slate Initiative, at their annual convening to talk about how automatic record sealing benefits businesses. Register here.
RBIJ CEO Maha Jweied will speak on the panel, "Fruits of Labor: Building Pathways from Prison to Prosperity through Trade Unions and Employer," at this first-of-its-kind event that brings together key changemakers and justice-impacted individuals. Register here.
RBIJ Director of Inclusive Hiring Caz Walcott will join the panel, "Humanizing Data: Measuring the Power & Impact of Fair Chance Hiring Policies to Advance Equity," to discuss how Fair Chance Hiring policies fuel workforce development, business innovation, and sustainable growth. RBIJ Strategic Engagement Associate Heather Guglietti will also join as one of JFF’s 2025 Horizon Ambassadors. Register here.
Join us in welcoming Jaye Knight to RBIJ’s Strategic Business Engagement team as an academic intern. A fellow with Georgetown University’s Pivot Program, Jaye brings a deep commitment to empowering justice-impacted individuals through storytelling, entrepreneurship, and advocacy. Connect with Jaye.
RBIJ is an independent nonprofit organization. Support from donations helps fund our work to improve the criminal justice system.
.png?upscale=true&width=1120&upscale=true&name=May%202025%20Newsletter%20Graphics%20(1).png)
.png?upscale=true&width=1080&upscale=true&name=May%202025%20Newsletter%20Graphics%20(2).png)
