People returning from incarceration face a multitude of barriers. Employment, transportation, and housing are three of the greatest obstacles. Without adequate housing, transportation, and employment, people are less connected to their communities, and therefore far more likely to re-offend and return to incarceration. This cycle of incarceration creates communities that experience higher rates of crime, unemployment, and recidivism, which are all drains on the local tax base and overall economy.
According to a 2018 Prison Policy Initiative report, “formerly incarcerated people are almost five times more likely than the general public to be unemployed, and many who are employed remain relegated to the most insecure jobs.” Relatedly, approximately 68% of the formerly incarcerated are rearrested within 3 years according to the US Bureau of Justice Statistics 2018 Update on Prisoner Recidivism.
But here in Florida, there is HOPE for people who have paid their debt to society. For more than 20 years, the Jacksonville-based nonprofit Operation New Hope has been providing training and support to justice-involved individuals to reconnect them to the workforce, their families, and their community. The success of their work is evident in the transformation stories of their clients, enhanced hiring practices for employment partners, healthier communities and families, reduced recidivism, and better public safety.
Implementing a comprehensive 4-pronged approach (case management and mental health therapy, supportive services, job training, and job placement assistance), Operation New Hope’s Ready4Work program ensures each client succeeds. Working to destigmatize a criminal record by offering more second chances, Operation New Hope helps break the cycle of incarceration and poverty.
Miller Electric Company is committed to helping people make the most of their second chances and has partnered with Operation New Hope since 2012. Miller Electric has hired over a dozen of their Ready4Work graduates and appreciates the quality of the trained and vetted program participants. Providing second chances creates a more inclusive workplace and community, which allows our company and our surrounding communities to be the most successful we can be.
“I was released from prison the last time on April 26, 2016, and I came to Operation New Hope. I worked hard in the Ready4Work program and received an immediate offer from Miller Electric earning $8.55 per hour. I was so excited to have this opportunity to pursue a real career path and entered their apprenticeship program. I just completed my journeyman license, and I’m now making $25 per hour. Next year, I’ll earn another raise and be making $32 per hour. Miller is a great company. It makes me feel good that people see my hard work and make me feel appreciated.
People always ask me how I did it, and I tell them that I surround myself with good people who are the building blocks of success. Operation New Hope has given me a better outlook on life, and I’m so thankful.” - Miller Employee
Founded in 1928, Miller Electric Company is a family business that remains committed to its stewardship culture and reinvesting in the long-term health and sustainability of its communities. Our vision is to power possibilities of a more connected future, and we are doing that by connecting our Ready4Work graduates with opportunities. We understand our responsibility as corporate citizens and invest in the long-term health and sustainability of their industry, our community, and our world.
In addition to supporting Second Chance Hiring, Miller Electric is also a generous supporter of Operation New Hope’s mission. For the second year in a row, we are a proud sponsor of the nonprofit’s Mulligans for Hope Charity Golf Tournament. Funds raised during this tournament will be used to provide workforce training, mental health services, and job placement for people impacted by the criminal justice system.
Like in golf, the practice of granting a mulligan is a kind and humane gesture to make good on an otherwise woeful shot – an opportunity to correct. At Miller Electric, we believe that everyone deserves a mulligan and the support needed to rebuild their lives. We hope your company will join us and sponsor the Mulligans for Hope Charity Golf Tournament today!
For more information on how to hire Ready4Work graduates and participate in the Mulligans for Hope Charity Golf Tournament, please email [email protected].
MISSION: We create trusting relationships with our clients and employees that allow us to be a partner in their long-term success.
We provide innovative solutions and quality service that add value to our clients and allow us to earn a fair profit.
This gives us the freedom to create new opportunities, reinvest with our families and communities, and ensure the long-term sustainability of the company.
mecojax.com
Phone: 904-388-8000
6805 Southpoint Parkway
Jacksonville, FL 32216