Louisiana is rethinking how it prepares people for the workforce—and it’s paying off, especially with reentry programs for individuals leaving prisons.
At Right On Crime’s recent employer forum in Baton Rouge, Talent Unlocked: A Business Case for Second Chance Hiring, hosted by Right On Crime, we welcomed keynote speakers Secretary Gary Westcott and Assistant Secretary Renee DeLouche from Louisiana’s Department of Public Safety and Corrections.
“We have reentry coordinators at every single one of our probation and parole districts that reach out to employers to tell them about all the training, preparations, and opportunities to get ready to go home and find career-type jobs,” said Westcott.
With better data and cooperation across agencies, leaders could see if someone trained as a welder or carpenter is getting work in that field. If a program doesn’t produce results, it’s cut.
DeLouche told the audience of employers and HR managers, “If we’re teaching people how to do things and they are not getting employed in those things, then why are we teaching that? We are being more intentional on what we’re teaching, what we’re providing, and then we’re eliminating what’s not working and enhancing what is.”
One area of success is Baton Rouge’s reentry court model which combines job training with support from judges, probation officers, and community groups. The results are striking- participants are far more successful at holding jobs, finding careers, and staying out of prison.
“Through our reentry court program an employer employs a reentry court graduate, and then you have a judge who’s heavily involved, a probation officer, a case manager with the court, a reentry organization like parole project providing support to this person who just learned a technical skill in the Department of Corrections and is coming home,” said forum panelist Andrew Hundley with the Louisiana Parole Project.
Employers often discover that these workers are among the most reliable—they’ve learned discipline, they value opportunity, and they stick with a good job when they find one.
Susana (Susie) Schowen is Secretary of Louisiana Works, formerly the Louisiana Workforce Commission. Schowen said, “We want to tackle generational poverty by maximizing the labor force in Louisiana and ensuring that every individual in Louisiana who wants that pathway to self-sufficiency gets that pathway to self-sufficiency.”
From the panel, Schowen described the new Louisiana Works, formerly LA Workforce Commission, as the state’s single point of contact for workforce and assistance programs- cutting red tape and making it easier for people to move from poverty into self-sufficiency.
Schowen added, “Instead of forcing individuals to navigate a maze of disconnected agencies, employment counselors now help them address immediate needs—like housing, childcare, and transportation—while setting a long-term career path.”
Licensing has also been revamped to benefit employers and those former offenders applying to any state licensing board. New laws require boards to list any disqualifying convictions, but only those directly related to the work—like embezzlement for a CPA—not unrelated offenses. Now individuals won’t spend months training and paying fees only to find out at the last minute they don’t qualify because of their criminal record.
“I believe it’s one of the most powerful things that we can do in our state to really turn this around for individuals and for the long term economic health of our state. Everyone benefits- especially employers,” said forum panelist Erin Bendily with The Pelican Institute.
The second forum panel included facilitators from Life House and ISC Constructors LLC who discussed operational and cultural challenges employers face when implementing Second Chance hiring and the importance of mentorship from employers and community partners.
Conservatives often stress accountability, efficiency, and the dignity of work. Louisiana’s approach to educating employers to engage with this untapped workforce checks all three boxes. It saves money, reduces crime, and strengthens families by ensuring people can provide for themselves and contribute to their communities.
To see more from Talent Unlocked, click here.
If you would like more information about second chance hiring for employers, check out our Right On Crime Employer Handbook here.