Formerly incarcerated Nebraskans face low wages, limited opportunities in job market

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - In a highly competitive job market, one group in Nebraska is having an especially hard time finding careers with livable wages: formerly incarcerated people.

“It doesn’t matter how many degrees you have, how much money you have, what your connections are. When you have that felony conviction it’s going to be difficult,” said LaVon Stennis-Williams.

Stennis-Williams was an attorney who went to federal prison and had difficulty finding employment after she was released. In 2012, she founded the Omaha non-profit ReConnect Success, which helps currently or formerly incarcerated people find careers.

“Many people call them second chances, but we don’t, because we realize that many people are going to their first chance,” said Stennis-Williams, the organization’s CEO.

She said her team’s work is currently more challenging than ever. With many companies laying off employees, her clients are competing with people who do not have felony convictions.

“We don’t sugarcoat anything. We let them know, you’re coming out of prison at a time when employers now could be more discerning,” said Stennis-Williams. “It doesn’t mean they’re judging you, they’re just saying, ‘If I have this person and this person, who do I want to pick?’”

Compared to 2023, Stennis-Williams said the number of their clients who have gotten a job within 30 days of release has gone down by 75 percent this year. The pay they’re being offered has also gone down.

“For the average person that comes out of prison and is looking for work, we’ve seen the salary drop from maybe a $19 an hour job to now $13-$14 an hour,” said Stennis-Williams.

She explained that this contributes to a cycle that is dangerous for both the individual and the community.

“They cannot get jobs that are paying them livable wages and it feeds into this pathway back into prison, because they either give up, or they find what I refer to as ‘underground economics,’” Stennis-Williams said. “They find ways to make ends meet that sometimes is not in their best interest or the community’s interest.”

Chris Nielsen, a reentry specialist for ReConnect Success, helps keep clients optimistic through what can be an arduous process.

“They’re very malleable and they obviously want to succeed,” Nielsen said. “So just having a conversation with them about expectations about presentation, about attitude a lot of times is very important to their employment.”

Since many haven’t used modern technology in years, or even decades, Nielsen said he vets the skills candidates possess and connects them directly with potential employers.

“We develop relationships with employers throughout the community to try and bring these people to them in a forward-facing position and set up an interview directly with the employer, instead of going through that rabbit hole of technology,” said Nielsen.

They also remind employers of the long-term benefits these clients can bring to their company.

“When you get a person coming out of prison, often times you have one of your best workers, because they have people who are so committed to doing well and getting back on their feet,” said Stennis-Williams.

Stennis-Williams also said she wants help from state and community leaders in spreading the word about the value of getting formerly incarcerated people into the workforce.

“If we want to make this community safer, if we want to make reentry a success, and we keep talking about how we want to lower recidivism,” Stennis-Williams said. “At some point the voices need to be higher than just the people who work with them.”