The Cincinnati region is home to a wide array of community-based organizations who work every day to support returning citizens rebuild their lives after incarceration. Often, these individuals face considerable barriers to success across a variety of needs from housing and transportation to legal assistance and employment.
Over the past year, we have convened a small group of providers who connect returning citizens to needed supports and help them overcome the barriers that they face. We call this consortium the Fair Chance Work Group, and our aim is to collaborate on strategies for expanding opportunity and reducing barriers for returning citizens.
As we continue to advance our work supporting returning citizens in the region, we are featuring each of the group’s founding member organizations to help job seekers, employers, and other community partners get to know their work and understand how they are supporting returning citizens in rebuilding successful careers and lives.
Beacon of Hope Business Alliance (BoHBA)
The Beacon of Hope Business Alliance works to expand sustainable Second Chance employment by helping Greater Cincinnati employers build the knowledge, practices, and internal infrastructure needed to successfully hire and retain people with criminal records. Founded by Nehemiah Manufacturing, BoHBA combines the lessons of a nationally recognized Second Chance employer with practical tools, employer education, peer learning, and implementation support.
Rather than serving as a traditional workforce development provider, BoHBA works alongside trusted reentry and workforce partners who prepare and refer job seekers, while helping employers examine barriers in their hiring practices, strengthen onboarding and supervision, identify appropriate employment opportunities, and create workplaces where returning citizens have a meaningful opportunity to succeed. Through this employer-centered approach, BoHBA seeks to move Second Chance hiring beyond individual placements and toward lasting systems change, creating stronger businesses, a more inclusive regional workforce, and greater pathways to economic stability for people returning to the community.
Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio
The workforce development programs of the Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio are designed to meet people where they are at all stages of their career journey. From those who are unemployed or underemployed to those looking for a new career path. Urban League programs also reach a valuable but often overlooked talent pool, Returning Citizens – individuals who have served their time and are ready to restart their lives and positively contribute to the community.
Through partnerships with the Hamilton County Public Defender’s Office and the Ohio Justice Bus, the Urban League’s Urban Expungement Project helps eligible individuals clear their records, improving access to employment and long-term stability. With an average of 18,000 people released from Ohio prisons each year, this work connects employers to a motivated, often overlooked talent pool while reducing recidivism and strengthening communities.
The Urban League offers a strong portfolio of career programs. The SOAR (Solid Opportunities for Advancement & Retention) program provides job readiness training and career counseling to connect individuals to meaningful employment. Building Futures is a 12-week pre-apprenticeship program that prepares individuals for registered apprenticeships and careers in the building and construction trades. The Urban Tech Collective provides certifications in six different areas, preparing individuals for various technology roles.
Ultimately, our goal is to transform lives by placing individuals in positions that offer thriving wages, opportunities for career advancement, and sustainable retirement options, breaking the cycle of economic instability and lifting families out of poverty, setting them on a path to economic self-sufficiency. This in turn strengthens the region by cultivating a more stable, financially empowered community leading to higher productivity, lower crime rates, greater civic engagement, and stronger neighborhoods where businesses and families can thrive.
Talbert House
Talbert House helps returning citizens take important steps toward stability and successful reintegration, with employment serving as a key part of that process. Through Employment Support Professionals, Talbert House connects clients with jobs that align with their skills, interests, and goals while providing ongoing support to help them maintain employment. Last fiscal year, these vocational services helped 211 clients secure jobs. Clients also build workplace skills through structured routines, career guidance, GED completion, and certifications such as OSHA 10, forklift operation, and food safety.
For employers, partnering with Talbert House provides access to motivated candidates while supporting individuals as they rebuild their lives and careers. Many clients pursue opportunities in manufacturing, warehousing, food service, landscaping, housekeeping, and janitorial work. With the right support and opportunity, employment can provide returning citizens with greater stability, financial independence, and a pathway to contribute to their families, workplaces, and communities.
