Employment Resources

A key component to reentry for a person who was formerly incarcerated is employment. The following online and print resources provide information and services aimed at assisting justice-involved individuals with locating employment. Check your local employment laws External for guidance on how to report a criminal history on employment applications.

Online Resources: Employment Opportunities

The following online resources reflect a mix of public and private programs and services addressing employment assistance for ex-offenders.

2nd Chances 4 Felons External
This website provides links to staffing agencies and companies that hire felons.
15+ Tips To Get A Job With A Criminal Record in 2023 External
Includes job search and application tips, resume and cover letter suggestions, industries that are hiring individuals with criminal records, as well as information on background checks and interviews.
American Job Centers (U.S. Department of Labor)
The Department of Labor Job Centers are designed to provide a full range of assistance to job seekers under one roof. Established under the Workforce Investment Act, and reauthorized in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act of 2014, the centers offer training referrals, career counseling, job listings, and similar employment-related services. Customers can visit a center in person or connect to the center's information online or through kiosk remote access.
Apprenticeship.gov (U.S. Department of Labor)
This site provides information on hands-on-career training or apprenticeship in such areas as construction, welding, and animal care.
CareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor)
Provides information on exploring careers, finding training, finding local help, and conducting a job search. Includes a section titled "Move past your criminal record," and links to an American Job Center Finder directory and temp agencies.
Career Planning for People with a Criminal Conviction External
Advice from Minnesota State CAREERwise on assessing yourself, exploring careers, crating a plan & setting goals, expanding skills, finding a job, and managing a career.
Disability and Employment (U.S. Department of Labor)
The Employment and Training Administration provides information on workplace accommodations or the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and information for disabled entrepreneurs.
Employment & Training Administration (U.S. Department of Labor)
This website provides information on apprenticeship programs, employment services, and grants. The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) administers federal government job training and worker dislocation programs, federal grants to states for public employment service programs, and unemployment insurance benefits.
Felony Record Hub External
This website provides information on industries that offer felon friendly careers, and provides advice to felons on getting employed again.
Goodwill External
Local Goodwill organizations can help connect people who need jobs, need better jobs, and need skills to launch careers with the training, support, and resources they require.
Jails to Jobs External
Jails to Jobs, a Section 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is an organization that gives ex-offenders the tools they need to find employment. On this website you'll find a step-by-step plan to follow as you carry out your job search. From researching potential employers and writing resumes to handling interviews and more—it's all here, with advice tailored to the special needs of those recently released from jail or prison.
Job Accommodation Network (JAN) External
JAN's Searchable Online Accommodation Resource (SOAR) system is designed to let users explore various accommodation options for people with disabilities in work and educational settings
National Reentry Resource Center (The Council of State Governments) External
Funded and administered by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), the National Reentry Resource Center (NRRC) is the nation’s primary source of information and guidance in reentry.
Reentry Employment Opportunities (U.S. Department of Labor) External
This program provides funding for justice-involved youth and young adults and adults who were formerly incarcerated.
Restoration Rights Project External
This project provides a 50-state comparison of criminal record in employment and licensing with links to analysis and legal citations.
Ticket to Work (Social Security Administration)
This program is a free and voluntary program that can help Social Security beneficiaries go to work, get a good job that may lead to a career, and become financially independent, all while they keep their Medicare or Medicaid. Individuals who receive Social Security benefits because of a disability and are age 18 through 64 probably already qualify for the program.
Veteran Readiness and Employment (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs)
Veterans may receive these services to help with job training, employment accommodations, resume development, and job seeking skills coaching.
Women's Prison Association External
Working with women at all stages of criminal justice involvement, this association provides assistance in finding safe and affordable housing, preparing for job interviews and employment, reunifying with children, addressing health concerns, obtaining peers support, and learning basic household budgeting and life skills.

Online Resources: Occupational Information

Employment opportunities for the justice-involved have been traditionally available in the following industries: trucking, construction, landscaping, fast food restaurants, drilling and oil, temporary agencies, newspaper delivery, computer and information technology, apprenticeship programs, as well as work at home/online careers.

Good Jobs That Pay Without a B.A. External
This report is from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW), a nonprofit research and policy institute affiliated with the Georgetown McCourt School of Public Policy that studies the link between education, career qualifications, and workforce demands.
O*NET Online (Department of Labor)
This site provides information on occupations as well as potential careers and jobs.
Occupational Outlook Handbook (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
The Handbook describes what workers do on the job, working conditions, the training and education needed, earnings, and expected job prospects in a wide range of occupations
Recovery: Job Growth and Education Requirements Through 2020 External
This Georgetown University report shows where the jobs will be by education level, occupation, and industry.

Selected Books on Employment for Ex-Offenders

The General Collections of the Library of Congress contain some materials on resources justice-involved individuals seeking employment opportunities. Many titles on this subject are printed by small and independent presses.

The following titles link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to additional online content are provided when available.

Quick Job Search for Ex-Offenders by J. Michael Farr; Stevens
Call Number: HF5382.7 .F375 2008
ISBN: 9781593574710
Published/Created: 2007
This book coaches ex-offenders through a job search, and addresses: meeting basic needs; establishing a support network; identifying and emphasizing transferable skills; setting realistic occupational goals; addressing incarceration in resumes, cover letters, job applications, and interviews and providing evidence of rehabilitation.
9 to 5 Beats Ten to Life by Mike Davis
Call Number: HV9288 .D38 1996
ISBN: 1569910413
Published/Created: 1996
This manual provides adult ex-offenders with practical information on employment, careers and community resources. Topics addressed include: how to prepare for a job while incarcerated; where to get career counseling; assessing your interests, and continuing your education or job training. Guidelines and tips are given for responding to ads, creating your resume, completing job applications and interviewing. Checklists and reference listings are provided as well as information on getting housing, clothing and health care.
From Prison to Paycheck by Pamela Hogan
Call Number: HV9288 .H64 2007
ISBN: 9780979429491
Published/Created: 2007
This book is a step-by-step guide written for job-seeking individuals who have a criminal past. The book outlines each step of the job hunting process, including how to create a strong resume with a limited work history and few marketable skills. There is a chapter dedicated to developing a functional resume and how to create an effective cover letter. The book describes what to expect in an interview, commonly asked questions and examples of ways to discuss one's conviction.
User Guide for Getting Ahead While Getting Out by Philip E. DeVol; Michelle R. Wood; Mitchell A. Libster
Call Number: HV9304 .D47 2015
ISBN: 9781938248573
Published/Created: 2015
This User Guide provides community facilitators with a model for assisting prisoners reentering the community, providing economic lessons, information on facilitating groups, and suggested lessons.
The New Scarlet Letter? by Steven Raphael
Call Number: HV9304 .R36 2014
ISBN: 9780880994798
Published/Created: 2014
This book explores the labor market prospects of the growing population of former prison inmates in the United States. It examines the challenges created by the characteristics of the justice-involved population and the common hiring and screening practices of employers. Future policy efforts are discussed to improve the employment prospects and limit the future criminal activity of former inmates either through improving the skills and qualifications of these job seekers or through the provision of hiring incentives to employers.

Search the Library of Congress Online Catalog

Expand your research by browsing for more materials in the Library of Congress Online Catalog using authorized subject headings. Each linked subject heading below will link directly to the online catalog and automatically locate all materials related to that topic. For assistance in locating other subject headings which relate to this subject, please Ask a Business Librarian.

Reentry and Employment Resources for Justice-Involved Individuals

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Employment Resources

Online Resources: Employment Opportunities

Online Resources: Occupational Information

Selected Books on Employment for Ex-Offenders

Search the Library of Congress Online Catalog