Campaign Targets State Laws to Unlock Jobs for Formerly Incarcerated

NEW YORK, NY – January 21, 2026 – A major new legislative campaign is taking aim at the systemic barriers that prevent millions of Americans with criminal records from finding stable employment and rebuilding their lives. The Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) today launched its “More Than a Background” 2026 campaign, a coordinated, multi-state effort to enact policy changes across Michigan, Colorado, New York, Ohio, and Oklahoma.

Building on a previous public awareness initiative, the 2026 campaign shifts focus to concrete legislative action, advocating for reforms that would streamline access to identification and ensure fairer hiring practices. The initiative argues that these changes are critical not only for the individuals seeking a second chance but also for the economic health and safety of their communities.

“When people are given a fair chance to work, families stabilize, employers gain reliable workers, and communities grow stronger,” said Simone Price, Director of Organizing at CEO, in a statement announcing the launch. “Opportunity means that everyone who is working hard to rebuild after release, deserves a chance to participate in society.”

The Staggering Cost of a Criminal Record

The campaign is a direct response to the immense and well-documented challenges facing justice-impacted individuals. Nationally, the unemployment rate for formerly incarcerated people hovers above 27%—a figure higher than the U.S. unemployment rate during the Great Depression. Within their first year of release, up to 60% remain jobless, struggling to gain a foothold in the economy.

This lack of employment is a primary driver of recidivism. Studies show that individuals who cannot secure stable work are significantly more likely to be re-arrested. Conversely, maintaining employment for just one year can slash the three-year recidivism rate from 52% to just 16%.

The barriers begin the moment a person is released. A late 2025 survey conducted by CEO painted a stark picture of the immediate obstacles: 38% of over 650 formerly incarcerated individuals reported lacking essential identification like a driver's license or state ID. Without this basic document, nearly every aspect of reentry becomes impossible—from opening a bank account and securing housing to applying for a job or accessing social services.

The same survey found that 67% of respondents had lost job opportunities specifically because of their criminal record, with nearly one in five losing more than ten separate opportunities. This perpetual cycle of rejection not only harms individuals but also has a profound economic impact.

A Multi-State Legislative Battleground

To dismantle these barriers, the “More Than a Background” campaign is championing a slate of specific bills tailored to the needs and political landscapes of five key states.

The legislative agenda is organized around two core pillars: Vital Documents Reform and Fair Chance Employment.

In the realm of identification, the campaign supports:
* Colorado's “Reentry Readiness Act,” designed to close loopholes that allow government agencies to delay or deny access to ID cards for those reentering society.
* Michigan's “Prisoner ID Package,” which aims to create a streamlined process for replacing state IDs and other vital documents for individuals as they exit incarceration.
* New York's “Dept. of Corrections Proof of ID Bill,” intended to remove unnecessary documentation hurdles that prevent formerly incarcerated people from obtaining official identification.

On the federal level, the campaign is also backing the proposed U.S. Prisons Release Card ID Act, which would mandate the Board of Paroles to issue identification upon release and provide clear guidance for state-level coordination.

For fair hiring, the campaign is focusing its efforts on:
* Ohio: Supporting a statewide “Ban the Box” bill that would prohibit private employers from asking about criminal history on initial job applications, delaying the inquiry until later in the hiring process.
* Oklahoma: Championing a “Fair Chance Hiring Bill” to expand employment opportunities and a “Driver's License Reform” measure that would stop the use of background checks in the license reinstatement process.
* Michigan: Pushing to increase opportunities for expungement, which would allow more individuals to have their records sealed from public view, permanently removing a major barrier to employment.

The Economic Case for Second Chances

Beyond the moral imperative, advocates frame the campaign as a pragmatic economic strategy. In states facing persistent labor shortages, the justice-impacted population represents a vast and motivated, yet largely untapped, talent pool. In Michigan alone, there are over 200,000 open jobs that returning citizens could help fill.

The economic costs of exclusion are immense. A study in Ohio estimated that the state lost a staggering $3.4 billion in potential wages in a single year due to the underemployment of residents with felony convictions. In Oklahoma, which has one of the nation's highest incarceration rates, experts argue that barriers to reentry have actively constricted the state's economic growth by keeping willing workers on the sidelines.

By integrating this population into the workforce, states stand to gain significant tax revenue, reduce spending on public assistance programs, and lower the immense financial burden of recidivism and reincarceration on taxpayers. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has also noted that second-chance hiring can lead to business benefits like reduced employee turnover and access to dedicated, high-quality workers.

Navigating a Landscape of Hurdles

Despite the strong economic and social arguments, the path to legislative victory is fraught with challenges. The campaign must navigate deep-seated employer concerns about negligent hiring liability and workplace safety. While many “Ban the Box” laws have been passed for public sector jobs, extending them to private employers often faces stiff opposition from business lobbies concerned about regulatory overreach.

Furthermore, the policy landscape is incredibly complex. In Ohio, for example, even if a statewide “Ban the Box” law were passed, individuals would still face over 850 state laws and 1,600 administrative rules—known as “collateral consequences”—that can block or restrict access to specific jobs and occupational licenses.

Past reforms have shown that policy change alone is not always a silver bullet. Some research on “Ban the Box” initiatives suggests that while they remove the initial hurdle, some employers may still engage in discrimination later in the process once a background check is performed. This highlights the need for comprehensive solutions that go beyond a single policy fix.

The “More Than a Background” 2026 campaign, informed by the lived experiences of those it seeks to help, represents a strategic evolution from raising awareness to demanding systemic change. Its success across these five states could create a powerful model for the rest of the nation, potentially clearing the path for millions of Americans to secure not just a job, but a genuine opportunity to contribute and thrive.