The Los Angeles Times reported that Los Angeles County supervisors are looking at a new way to reduce recidivism. Businesses that have, or want, a contract to provide goods or services to L.A. County will receive preference if they have a history of hiring people with a criminal past. The measure, if enacted, is expected to save millions of dollars by keeping people out of prison and cutting back on services people reintegrating back into the community need while they are unemployed.
The LA Times wrote:
Los Angeles County supervisors agreed Tuesday to consider giving an edge on county contracts to companies that hire former jail or prison inmates.
The county already seeks to award 25% of its contracts to businesses owned by women, minorities and disabled veterans, and last year passed a policy requiring contractors to make a "good faith" effort to hire veterans.
Under the proposal passed unanimously Tuesday, the county will also study giving preference in county contracts to "nonprofit and for-profit social enterprises that have a history of employing men and women recently released from incarceration."
"Research shows that having a job is critical to keeping formerly incarcerated men and women from committing future crimes," Supervisors Hilda Solis and Don Knabe wrote in proposing the initiative. "But the formerly incarcerated face extremely high barriers to employment."
The two supervisors also noted that expanding job opportunities for people convicted of crimes would decrease their reliance on social services and save taxpayers money.
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