Formerly incarcerated Minnesotans meet employers willing to hire beyond criminal records at "second chance" fair

Inside Goodwill-Easter Seals, hiring decision makers are meeting face-to-face with candidates searching for work after incarceration.

More than 20 fair-chance employers gathered to hire those who were once incarcerated. The one-on-one meetings often lead to meaningful second chances, organizers said.

For job seeker Willie Brewer, that chance could mean stability.

"I don't want much. I just want a decent 40-hour-a-week job," Brewer said.

He knows the past can follow people long after they served their time.

"I admit that I did a crime, but I did my time and I moved on with my life," Brewer said.

The partnership between the Minnesota Department of Corrections and Goodwill-Easter Seals is meant to reduce recidivism by providing participants with tools to locate, gain and retain employment.

Organizations at the fair say opportunity is often the missing piece for those trying to rebuild their lives.

"They learn from their mistakes and most of them are just looking to do something different and they need that opportunity to make that change for their life," said Tosheed Thompson of Small Sums, a nonprofit that provides individuals the required work items needed to start and keep a new job.

"They don't really care where they start, they just want someone to give them a chance and believe in them and continue that support with them," said Mari Anderson, a recruiter at On Site Companies.

Employers at the fair say giving someone that chance is the right thing to do.

"But I don't do it for that reason, I do it because it's smart," said Mike Hilborn, president of RTD Services.

Hilborn says some of his best employees have come from over a decade of second-chance hiring.

"I find guys that you would not normally find in regular programs. I mean I have found some of the most talented men and women that you can imagine," Hilborn said.

For Brewer, it's simple. He just wants the opportunity to prove himself.

"I'm a very hard worker. I just need somebody to give me a second chance at a job," Brewer said.

The Minnesota Department of Corrections says 95% of all incarcerated individuals will eventually be released from prison. The DOC says it does all it can to help people transition back into the community as productive citizens.