Can formerly incarcerated people fill the labor gap?

Connecticut Public Radio | By John Henry Smith

Published October 27, 2021 at 5:08 PM EDT

A hand holding a sign reading "Good Jobs." — File photo of a sign at a gathering attended by union members.

Many news outlets, this one included, have reported extensively on complaints from businesses that say they can’t find enough workers.

There are multiple reports that this labor shortage has led some of those operations to seek out the services of some of the nation's estimated 20 million formerly incarcerated individuals, some of whom are looking to get back into the workforce.

To talk more about this, we invited a person in her third decade of working to re-enter the formerly incarcerated into society.

She is Deb Rogala, the Director of Operations for Community Partners in Action (CPA).

Deb oversees CPA’s 12 adult and juvenile programs throughout Connecticut.

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John Henry Smith

John Henry Smith is Connecticut Public’s host of All Things Considered, its flagship afternoon news program. He's proud to be a part of the team that won a regional Emmy Award for The Vote: A Connecticut Conversation. In his 21st year as a professional broadcaster, he’s covered both news and sports.

See stories by John Henry Smith

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

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If that matters to you, now is the time to give. Join the 50,000+ members powering honest reporting and a more connected — and civil! — Connecticut.

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Connecticut Public’s journalism is made possible, in part by funding from Jeffrey Hoffman and Robert Jaeger.