Workforce & Justice Alliance.

The Workforce & Justice Alliance (WJA) is a community of businesses committed to using their platforms, networks, and leverage to advance systemic change in the justice system, to share best practices with their peers, and to increase the number of companies taking steps to remove workforce barriers for justice-impacted individuals.

Meet the Members.

Principles.

The WJA is based on the following principles that members subscribe to:

  • Systems of criminal justice should not create unnecessary obstacles to employment.

  • No one should permanently lose the right to access meaningful economic mobility because of a criminal record, incarceration, or the incarceration of their family members.

  • People of color are disproportionately affected and economically disenfranchised by the justice system. Redressing systemic failures in the justice system is essential to advancing workforce diversity, economic inclusion, and racial equity.

  • We will use our platforms to support policies, legislative change, communications campaigns, and other initiatives that are designed to remove unnecessary barriers to employment and other services for justice-impacted individuals.

  • We will also use our voices to educate our peers about the barriers and inequity created by our justice system and encourage them to join this campaign.

By joining the Workforce and Justice Alliance, members will align themselves with other companies committed to creating a fairer, more inclusive, and more productive workforce.

About the WJA.

  • The WJA is designed to:

    Lift the public narrative that businesses are committed to creating inclusivity in the workplace, including advocating for systemic changes that remove barriers for justice-impacted individuals. Ensure business advocacy is closely tied to the community’s needs via consultation and direct dialogue with members of the justice reform movement and those with lived experience of the justice system, thereby improving the effectiveness and value of business interventions.

    Encourage sustained activity by businesses, rather than one-off statements.

    Increase the number of businesses committed to removing workforce barriers for the formerly incarcerated through peer inspiration.

    Create a space for like-minded businesses to connect and network.

  • One in three adults in the US has some form of criminal record – more than 70 million people. For many this creates huge barriers to employment – even for those who have minor convictions or only an arrest record. Mass incarceration is one of the biggest drivers of social inequality: the justice system disproportionately impacts people of color, as well as those suffering from mental illness and poverty. This impact is borne out in the community: those who have experienced the justice system are more likely to be unemployed, experience homelessness, and end up back behind bars.

  • We recognize that businesses have exceptionally influential voices when it comes to educating and changing the perspectives of those in power. They also have communications platforms that can be effectively used to educate the public and challenge existing public narratives around formerly incarcerated individuals.

    As the economy continues to recover, many employers are struggling to find enough workers to meet growing demand. Removing barriers for formerly incarcerated people is a “win win.” Furthermore, with meaningful commitments to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion becoming existential for businesses, creating opportunities for people with records can provide a critical source of talent diversity. In addition. There is a growing expectation that companies will not only take internal actions to tackle racial inequality, but they will also take an active role in advocating externally for policy and systemic changes to combat it. Through the WJA, companies can strike a significant blow against systemic racism.

  • Not an obligation but an ask. Although there is no membership fee or financial commitment for joining WJA, RBIJ is a nonprofit organization, and we ask members to consider making a donation to support the activities of RBIJ and the WJA. We can work with you directly to determine the best way to structure such a donation to ensure it fits within your existing corporate giving strategy. In addition, you can make a donation directly through our website here.

  • No. The WJA is a group of individual companies who can make their own determinations about endorsements, activities, and campaigns. Opportunities will be brought to WJA members, but engagement will always be on an opt-in basis. We simply ask that you allow us to identify you as a WJA member for as long as you remain part of the Alliance.

  • You can withdraw your company membership at any time by notifying the RBIJ team.