‘Everyone deserves a second chance’: Hampton Roads job fair connects previously incarcerated people to employers
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NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — A job fair is giving previously incarcerated individuals an opportunity to talk one-on-one with local employers.
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares said the biggest barrier after release is getting employment.
“I would visit some of Virginia’s prisons, and I would ask to meet with the inmates and get their perspective about both while they were incarcerated,” Miyares said. “Also, I would meet with those that were in the process of paying their debt and reentering society. The number one thing I kept hearing from these gentlemen was, ‘I made some bad choices in my life, but I’m ready to turn my life around.’ The number one anxiety was, ‘Can I find work?”
To help with that process, the Returning Citizens Career and Wellness Fair was born.
Miyares said the fair has been successful in other regions of Virginia, and now, there will be one in Hampton Roads.
“We want to make it easy and convenient for people that want to find work, that want to start that next chapter,” Miyares said, “to connect with employers that are anxious to find those that are ready to start that next chapter.”
The Urban League of Hampton Roads worked closely with Miyares. Its president and CEO Gil Brand said he hears the need for employees from employers. He said this is one way to connect potential candidates to various companies.
“I know that our economy needs workers in every aspect,” Brand said, “whether it’s vocational trades, the service industry, white-collar employment. We need good workers and folks who are deserving and want a second chance.”
The fair will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 13 at the Calvary Revival Church on Popular Drive.
“Revive’s mission is to remove barriers that prevent our communities from living a fulfilling life, simply put,” said Dr. B. Courtney McBath, president and CEO for Revive Community of Virginia, in a statement. “The Commonwealth of Virginia releases hundreds of thousands of incarcerated persons each year. Each and every single one of these individuals deserves to make a livable wage upon reentry into society. We are excited to partner with the ULHR and the Office of the Attorney General in a unified mission to change the narrative, remove the stigma, and remove the barriers preventing our family, friends and fellow citizens from a second chance at a fulfilling life.”
Miyares said 20 to 30 employers will be there ready to hire. The DMV, affordable housing, veteran and healthcare services will also be there.
“[It] means that they can go meet their potential and start this new chapter in their life,” Miyares said. “We’re behind you as you move forward.”
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