Eliminating Barriers to Employment

Who We Are

Better Futures Minnesota embraces (primarily Black) men living in chronic poverty with histories of persistent unemployment, untreated mental illness, addiction, incarceration, and homelessness who are locked out of our society.

This year, our Give to the Max campaign is focused on breaking down barriers for employment to keep a vulnerable population working and productive. The men we serve receive job skill training and secure transitional employment within the first weeks of being in our program. Job training and work rotations provides the participants with a variety of skills and a choice in their direction of future work. 

By providing the men with meaningful work experience and connections, we are building their foundation for success so that they can provide for their children, families, and community. We also serve fathers and their children together through our TwoGen model, which seeks to disrupt generational cycles.

Not only do our participants achieve employment, but stable housing, mental and physical health support and most important, a personalized plan to re-enter the community, fully supported.

You can triple the impact of your donation thanks to an anonymous matching donation! 

Why We Need Your Help

The stigma of a felony conviction and incarceration follows people long after their court mandated “debt to society” has been paid. In many ways, a felony conviction is like a scarlet letter that can severely limit and prevent a person’s ability to find housing, employment, or to receive student loans or aid from social benefit programs.

The most important factor in determining recidivism (or a relapse into criminal behavior) rates is the ability to find employment. If a formerly incarcerated person is unable to find employment after eight months, there is a 33% chance they will commit another crime landing them back behind bars. This increases to 50% after one year of unemployment and 70% after three years. Although it is clear that finding employment is essential for formerly incarcerated people to stay out of prison, only 12% of companies openly hire people with a felony conviction on their record. In fact, because 60% of inmates released from prison are unable to find employment within one year, nearly one out of every three people released from prison will commit a crime landing them back in prison within one year of their release.

Formerly incarcerated individuals who are lucky enough to find employment hardly ever make a living wage. On average, they make 11% less than their counterparts without a criminal record for doing the same job, and work 12% fewer hours per week. It is estimated that discrimination against formerly incarcerated people results in earnings losses from 10-40%.

This fall, we invite you to partner with us as we create re-entry points for formerly incarcerated Minnesotans.