Walmart-backed scheme to tackle youth incarceration gets 2 new recruits

TheUnlock Potential scheme that counts companies such as Ben & Jerry's and Walmart among its members has welcomed two new companies into the fold in a bid to provide jobs for vulnerable youngsters and keep them out of jail.

Both American Family Insurance and Delta Airlines have announced their participation in the programme, which was founded by the Responsible Business Institute for Justice (RBIJ), which will see them adopt hiring policies designed to create meaningful career opportunities for young adults.

The consultation phase for the scheme end in October, after which all companies involved will begin a 12-month pilot where these young adults will be provided with career placements.

The RBIJ stresses successful candidates will be given significant opportunities for upward mobility within these companies as it seeks to inspire "the next generation of corporate leaders".

The announcement comes just days before millions in the US celebrate Juneteenth. This federal holiday commemorates the freeing of enslaved African-Americans following the end of the Civil War in 1865 and celebrates black culture.

At Industry Europe, we previously covered Ben & Jerry's entrance into the scheme, a company with a history of supporting civil rights.

“By widening the positive life choices available to the young adults who are most at-risk, we can tackle crime, imprisonment, inequality and poverty".

Every day, tens of thousands of people under 18 are jailed in the US. Numbers are decreasing every year, but it still remains a massive issue.

Meaningful employment could be critical in stopping youngsters with no other options for committing crimes. Poverty is among the leading causes of crime.

Due to the nature of having a criminal record, first-time incarceration could decrease lifetime earnings by more than 30%, according to one report. Unfortunately, black people are five times more likely to end up in prison than whites, owing to several factors, including discrimination in the justice system, and the effects of having a criminal record are apparently more damaging to black people, according to another report.

Many, but not all, American states expunge criminal records once people hit 18 in a bid to give them a second chance.

For now, the RBIJ's scheme will focus on a subset of youth who have experienced one or more of the following additional risk factors for justice system development:

• those with a parent already in prison

• victims of sex or human trafficking

• those involved in the juvenile justice system

• those in foster care

4.4 million Americans between the ages of 16-24 have been identified as "opportunity youth", which means they are currently not in any formal employment or education and are more likely to suffer negative outcomes like poverty or incarceration. In some areas, black and Latino youngsters are 4-6 times more likely to be in this category than their white peers.

This is over 1% of the population of the entire US. For reference, the prison population as of 2022 is estimated to be around 2.1 million - more than 20% of the world's total prison population.

“We know that having a diverse workforce builds a better and more innovative business,” said Keyra Lynn Johnson, Delta’s VP and Chief Diversity Officer. “This partnership builds a bridge to individuals who often don’t have connection and opportunities to careers at Delta, while at the same time broadening our access to untapped talent".