Wave Staff and Wire Reports
LOS ANGELES — In honor of Second Chance Month, Los Angeles County officials are celebrating a program that has helped more than 2,500 formerly incarcerated individuals through a hiring campaign.
The county created its Fair Chance Hiring Campaign in 2019, an initiative to help formerly incarcerated individuals find employment or enter training programs. It also serves to mark Second Chance Month in April, which is a county-recognized observance of efforts that support formerly incarcerated, or so-called “justice-impacted,” individuals returning home through reentry programs and trauma-informed care.
The Department of Economic Opportunity oversees the county’s public workforce system with America’s Job Centers of California, as well as programs that provide targeted outreach, training, paid work experiences and jobs.
Part of this work includes a commitment to a more equitable economy.
“Second Chance Month is a powerful reminder that every person deserves the opportunity to rebuild their life with dignity, purpose, and hope,” County Supervisor Hilda Solis said in a statement. “I have advanced the Fair Chance Ordinance because justice-impacted individuals should not be defined by their past, and unnecessary barriers to employment must be removed if we are serious about building a truly fair economy.”
In 2024, the county approved Fair Chance Ordinances, which were introduced by Solis and Supervisor Holly Mitchell. The ordinances are aimed at reducing barriers to jobs for formerly incarcerated individuals, filling skill and labor gaps across sectors, and directing financial penalties for employers who fail to comply with the new laws.
State officials first passed the California Fair Chance Act in 2018.
“Every person returning home deserves a real shot at economic stability, and that starts with a fair chance to work,” Mitchell said in a statement. “The Fair Chance Ordinance that we enacted is already changing lives across L.A. County, with thousands of justice-impacted workers hired by employers who understand that second chances are good for business and good for our communities. This is how we build a county where everyone can thrive.”
“Through Los Angeles County’s investments in reentry and workforce programs, we are not just opening doors — we are creating real pathways to quality jobs, stable careers, and long-term opportunity,” Solis added. “When we invest in people, we strengthen families, grow our economy, and build safer, more just communities for all.”
Since July 2022, the Department of Economic Opportunity has supported 2,032 justice-impacted individuals in job training and 2,594 in access to employment, the county said.
“Through our Fair Chance Hiring Campaign, we are helping unlock potential that too often goes overlooked,” department director Kelly LoBianco said. “Alongside our broader workforce and reentry efforts, we are expanding access to opportunity for justice-impacted individuals, supporting businesses in meeting workforce demand while opening real pathways to stability, dignity, and long-term economic mobility across Los Angeles County.”
