Employment is key to a successful reentry, but securing a job can often be a slow process. Here are some suggestions to help with the job-seeking process: 

1. Industries to seek out: Some industries are more open to employing the formerly incarcerated than others. A few that are more available for reentry hires include hospitality, warehouses, restaurants, and call centers.
2. Create a Resume: When putting a resume together, there will be a gap due to the time they were incarcerated. It’s a good idea to fill that gap by listing any transferable skills they may have learned from jobs they had during incarceration.
3. Job Interviews: 
   • Secure appropriate clothes for interviews.
   • Your loved one should have an interview strategy regarding how to explain any gaps on their resume resulting from their time while incarcerated. They should know in advance how to talk about it and focus on skills that they may have learned while incarcerated. There is no need to be ashamed of work done while incarcerated, as it can be valuable and marketable experience for a job.
   • Your loved one should remember they don’t have to talk about being incarcerated if they don’t want to, so they should be prepared to say they would rather not discuss that time period. 
4. Volunteering: Taking an unpaid volunteer job can be a great way to get some immediate experience, and is also a nice way to give back to the community. 
   • Local churches, food pantries, animal shelters, community events, and inner city community centers are good places to look for volunteer opportunities.  
   • This work can inspire a sense of gratitude and community. It can give a person reentering a real sense of worth, in that they are now an asset to their community.  
   • It can change a formerly incarcerated person’s mindset by doing something positive for those in their local area. 
   • Also, it can even lead to meeting new people and possibly future paid work opportunities as well. 

Continuing an education is a great way for a formerly incarcerated person to start rebuilding their life. Getting their GED or a college degree can help them gain new skills and knowledge that can lead to work opportunities.

1. Student loans are available through the FAFSA program. 
2. It’s ideal to find a local community college first, starting slowly with 2-3 classes and then working up to more over time. 
3. When considering what to study, it’s best to seek out career areas that do not have a barrier to employment for formerly incarcerated individuals. For instance, medical study is not advised because many hospitals will not hire the formerly incarcerated. 

Some people who return from incarceration may have issues with addiction or substance abuse that will need to be addressed. There are free resources like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) available in most communities — visit their websites for information on meeting places and schedules.

According to counselors at Miles of Freedom, reentry is not always a smooth and easy process. Here are some warning signs that family and friends can look out for: 

1. Missing important meetings, like with a parole officer, job training or counseling
2. Returning to previous pre-incarceration people or places, running with their “old crowds”
3. A lack of communication and not returning calls/messages
4. Stopping positive activities (like recovery meetings, church services, volunteering)
5. Noticable changes in behavior and mood
6. Being in a big rush/hurry to do stuff (especially in the period immediately after release)
7. Change in posts on social media, and visiting former friends and old places

For more information on reentry, visit the website for the National Reentry Resource Center.