Standout Moments of Business Leadership from Fair Chance Month 2026

Every April, RBIJ commemorates #FairChanceMonth by spotlighting how the business community is breaking down employment barriers for people with criminal records. Here are a few of our favorite moments from Fair Chance Month 2026.

Exploring AI’s role in Fair Chance Hiring

RBIJ and Virgin Unite convened leaders in Washington, D.C. for a cross-sector roundtable on how AI is shaping employment opportunities for justice-impacted job seekers.

Elevating justice-impacted veterans as top talent

At the semi-annual Employing U.S. Vets Conference, RBIJ organized a fireside chat focused on strategies for hiring veterans with criminal records, featuring Caz Walcott, RBIJ’s Director of Inclusive Hiring, and Brigadier General David “Mac” MacEwen, Director of the Veterans Justice Commission at the Council on Criminal Justice.

Spotlighting stories of transformation and entrepreneurship

In the latest installment of our Rewriting Justice series, members of RBIJ's Workforce & Justice Alliance (WJA) convened for a powerful live dialogue between Jesse Crosson, author of "The Best Part of Prison: The Power of Second Chances and Reclaiming Life Out of Darkness," and founder of Night is Day LLC, alongside Joe Mason and Jessica Coz of Awake Window & Door Co., a proud fair-chance employer.

Advancing Fair Chance Hiring in Washington, D.C.

RBIJ and the Council for Court Excellence co-hosted "Building a D.C. Labor Force That Works" at the Deloitte office in Arlington, Virginia, bringing together local employers including JPMorganChase, Clean Decisions, WeFitDC, and the SHRM Foundation to explore why Fair Chance Hiring is a sound strategy for navigating the area's unique labor market.

Supporting the U.K.’s first Fair Chance Week

RBIJ was proud to support the Fair Chance Business Alliance in launching the first #FairChanceWeek in the U.K., featuring events hosted by Virgin Group, The Corbett Network, Key4Life, and KPMG London.

Next Week: RBIJ's Workforce & Justice Summit Returns to London

Next Thursday, May 14, RBIJ brings its flagship event back to London for the second time. The 2026 Workforce & Justice Summit will bring together 100 business leaders, policy experts, and justice reform advocates from the U.K. and U.S. to share insights, surface challenges, and identify actionable strategies for advancing justice across both countries’ economies and workforces. Register your interest.

Introducing New Advisory Council Members: Emily Livingston, Jazz Singh, and Noella Sudbury

We’re proud to welcome Emily Livingston, Senior Manager at Deloitte; Jazz Singh, Founder & CEO of EmpowerAbility; and Noella Sudbury, CEO and Founder of Rasa Legal Public Benefit Corporation to RBIJ’s Advisory Council. Meet all our Advisory Council members. 

Policy Win: Georgia Legislature Approves Bill to Expand Occupational Licensing Pathways for People with Records

In April, the Georgia state legislature passed bill SB 207 which will make it easier for the state’s 4.5 million justice-impacted residents to obtain occupational licenses and pursue careers in licensed industries. During the past four years campaigning in the state, RBIJ mobilized over 25 local businesses to support the measure. 

Mark Your Calendar: Upcoming Events 

May 8 | Virtual

Unlocking Massachusetts’ Untapped Talent: The Business Case for Clean Slate 

Massachusetts businesses are invited to join Jay Ash (President & CEO, Massachusetts Competitive Partnership) and Nan Gibson (Executive Director, JPMorganChase PolicyCenter) to learn more about the business case for automatic record sealing policies. Register here.

May 13 | London, U.K.

Business Roundtable: AI & Fair Chance Hiring (Invite Only)

RBIJ and Virgin Unite will bring together U.K. business leaders to explore what expanded AI adoption means for justice-impacted job seekers: is it breaking down barriers to employment or making them more entrenched than ever?

June 16-17 | White Plains, NY

Untapped Impact

Caz Walcott, Director of Inclusive Hiring, and Khaya Laidley, Special Assistant to the CEO, will host an RBIJ table at this national gathering organized by Workforce & Justice Alliance member Untapped Solutions. Register here.  

News Roundup: RBIJ and Partners in the Press 

FEATURED: "Brian Fabes and Maha Jweied: The Clean Slate Act is now Illinois law. Here’s why it matters to employers" — Chicago Tribune

The heads of RBIJ and the Corporate Coalition of Chicago explain why Illinois companies don’t have to wait for the state’s new automatic record sealing law to be fully implemented to strengthen their workforces with justice-impacted talent; they can start Fair Chance Hiring today. 

• Fast Company: "Why second chance hiring is smart business" — written by Tony Bedard, CEO of WJA member Frontier Co-op
• Newsweek: "I Served 7 Years in Prison. This Is What People Get Wrong About Second Chances" — written by RBIJ Advisory Council member Michelle Cirocco, Chief Impact Officer of WJA member Televerde
• Packaging Dive: "JBM Packaging celebrates first graduate of in-prison training program" — featuring WJA member JBM Packaging
• ABC 11: "Company employs, helps formerly incarcerated find work, get a second chance" — featuring WJA member D3 Delivery
• Newsweek: "Second Chances Cannot Be Reserved for the Privileged Few" — written by RBIJ Advisory Council member Ken Oliver, President & CEO of JUMP. 

RBIJ Welcomes New Businesses to the Workforce & Justice Alliance

RBIJ’s Workforce & Justice Alliance (WJA) is a pioneering network of businesses working to dismantle workforce barriers for people with records and drive justice reform across the country. Become a member today to join a community of justice-minded companies and access exclusive opportunities to lead. 

RBIJ is an independent nonprofit organization. Support from donations helps fund our work to improve the criminal justice system.