Community Event To Focus On Ex-Offender Employment

The Cedar Rapids Civil Rights Commission is partnering with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa, and other local agencies, in hosting “The Overlooked Workforce: A Community Discussion” on June 29, 2017 from 9:30 a.m. through 2:30 p.m., at the downtown library. The United States Attorney’s Office will facilitate a reentry simulation activity beginning at 1:00 p.m.

The simulation activity provides participants with the opportunity to “step inside the shoes” of someone being released from prison, to allow them to see the obstacles that exist in an ex-offender’s transition from prison back to the community. In addition to the simulation, the event will also feature panel discussions featuring ex-offenders who are returning to the community and employers who have successfully utilized this largely untapped workforce.

LaSheila Yates, the Executive Director of the Cedar Rapids Civil Rights Commission, and the City’s Chief Diversity Officer, encouraged employers and other interested community members to attend. “We have been afforded an opportunity to host a community storytelling event surrounding thought provoking experiences of ex-offenders seeking employment. We also have the rare occasion to hear from employers that saw past an individual’s background and successfully hired them. Through these dialogues, we hope to foster a safe learning environment where employers, housing providers, and community members can examine an area of diversity and inclusion in the workplace that is commonly overlooked,” Yates said.

Acting United States Attorney Sean Berry indicated that the United States Attorney’s Office continues to be supportive of community reentry efforts, noting that, “It is great to see so many local agencies partnering together to host such an important event. Employment is one of the primary indicators of whether someone coming out of prison will recidivate. Assisting in the transition from prison back to the community can have a direct positive impact on public safety.”

The event is sponsored by the Cedar Rapids Civil Rights Commission. In addition to the United States Attorney’s Office, other partners include the City of Cedar Rapids, IowaWORKS, America’s Job Honor Awards, the RISE program, the Adult Mentoring Program, and the Sixth Judicial District Department of Correctional Services.

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