This April, Second Chance Month, marks the Second Chance Business Coalition’s (SCBC) fifth anniversary. What began as a shared commitment among employers has grown into a national effort — expanding membership, strengthening partnerships and delivering measurable impact for people, businesses and communities. As we spend the year marking this milestone, we start by thanking our members and the larger field for advancing second chance employment across industries. We have come a long way, and there is much more to come.
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“In just five years, the Second Chance Business Coalition has grown from an idea into a growing network of 54 employers focused on the power of potential and skills,” said Jamie Dimon, Chairman and CEO of JPMorganChase and Founding Co‑Chair of the Second Chance Business Coalition. “By opening doors to the one in three Americans with a criminal record, we’re helping talented people support their families, fill in-demand jobs and contribute to the economy. This work is making a real difference, and we are just getting started.”
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SCBC Drives Forward
Over the last year, the SCBC has built momentum and deepened its impact.
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The SCBC welcomed two new partners — JUMP (Justice and Upward Mobility Project) and Resilience Education — bringing new expertise and perspective to advance the Coalition’s long‑term strategic impact.
- Membership grew to 54 companies, with US LBM and Flowers Foods joining an expanding roster of large employers across industries committed to second chance employment.
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The SCBC published case studies featuring JPMorganChase, Eaton and Radius Recycling, offering leadership insights, tools and best practices for advancing second chance employment.
- The SCBC Community Partners Map generated more than 15,000 searches, strengthening connections between employers and local reentry organizations nationwide.
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Partners Expand Opportunities
The SCBC and its partners continue to work with employers to advance second chances.
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The SCBC and its partners are co-hosting the fourth annual Second Chance Forum — Barriers to Breakthroughs: How Second Chances Are Driving Success — on April 9, 2026. This in-person event at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business will bring together employers, academics, thought leaders, policymakers and individuals with lived experience to explore how second chance employment is driving success for people, companies and communities.
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Speakers include executives from SCBC member companies JPMorganChase, Kelly Services, Lowe’s, National Basketball Association, Randstad, Total Wine & More and US LBM.
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Business Roundtable hosted the CEO Workforce Forum: Investing in U.S. Workers to explore how large employers are creating new pathways for talent. Jamie Dimon, Chairman and CEO of JPMorganChase, highlighted the business case for second chance employment and the origin story of the company’s commitment to hiring individuals with arrest or conviction records.
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Georgetown Pivot Program welcomed its eighth cohort of Pivot Fellows and invited DC-area employers and employers with remote operations to host a Pivot Fellow for a subsidized internship. Past employer partners have included SCBC members Accenture, Deloitte, DICK’S Sporting Goods, Eaton and Walmart.
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JUMP launched the JUMP Leadership Accelerator (JLA) with the National Basketball Social Justice Coalition and the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Clippers. The program matches young adults impacted by the justice system with NBA franchises and advocacy organizations, and recently convened participants in Washington, DC to engage with policymakers and organizations including JPMorganChase and Business Roundtable.
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Resilience Education taught Financial Capability and Business Law for Reentry to 60 incarcerated scholars, partnering with MBA and JD students from the University of Virginia and University of Pennsylvania. Scholars gain practical knowledge for reentry and career success, while the MBA and JD students develop into second chance employment advocates. The organization is also planning to launch its Resilient Professional Community's 12th mentorship program to provide one-on-one career support. Learn more about Employer Solutions and Mentorship.
- SHRM, with support from Business Roundtable, launched the Center for a Skills First Future — an online platform delivering the tools, guidance and shared language needed to help employers put skills-first and second chance strategies into practice.
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Stand Together published a series of blogs highlighting second chance opportunities, including one on how skills-first hiring can connect second chance talent with meaningful work and another on how accessible legal technology is helping people clear records and rebuild lives.
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Members Lead by Example
SCBC members continue to raise the bar for private sector leadership in second chance employment.
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SCBC member companies across industries — including Eaton, JPMorganChase, KeHE, Kelly Services, Flowers Foods’ subsidiary Dave’s Killer Bread, National Basketball Social Justice Coalition, US LBM and Xylem — are increasingly highlighting their second chance employment commitments through public webpages, job‑seeker resources and employee testimonials.
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JPMorganChase released the Record Clearance Clinic Playbook, a practical guide for launching pro bono clinics that help individuals navigate expungement, sealing or pardon processes. Since 2021, the company’s Legal Pro Bono Program has hosted clinics in Camden, New Jersey; Columbus, Ohio; Wilmington, Delaware; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
- Deloitte released a report outlining how employers, governments, educational institutions and community-based organizations can collaborate to strengthen the reentry ecosystem, with clear actions each sector can take.
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Kroger is an employer partner of Texas‑based nonprofit Unlocking Doors, connecting formerly incarcerated people to jobs and pathways to long‑term careers.
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Lowe's is supporting employment pathways for formerly incarcerated women through its Hometowns grant, backing Phoenix‑based nonprofit St. Joseph the Worker’s reentry housing and workforce programs.
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Microsoft shared how it is expanding access to second chances through its Pro Bono Program. Through partnerships with organizations like the Seattle Clemency Project, employees have contributed over 7,000 pro bono hours, supported the release of 16 cleared people and saved the state of Washington an estimated $12 million.
- Virgin’s nonprofit foundation, Virgin Unite, joined The Last Mile for a visit to the San Quentin Rehabilitation Center and a convening with business leaders, policymakers and advocates to discuss second chance employment.
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Building Momentum
As more employers put second chance employment into practice, the results are clear: stronger workforces, broader opportunity and measurable business impact.
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The Work Continues
The work is well underway — and we invite you to be a part of it.
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Visit the SCBC website to download the business case for second chance employment as well as other tools and resources to advance your own efforts, including:
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Follow the SCBC on LinkedIn and X (Twitter) for updates, including:
- A Talent Acquisition Guide focused on sourcing, evaluating and retaining second chance talent
- A Local Ecosystems Tool highlighting successful second chance ecosystems across the country
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