Accelerate April 2021 Magazine

WAUKESHA COUNTY BUSINESS ALLIANCE, INC. | WAUKESHA.ORG How do you measure the power of a job? For many, it’s measured in dollars and cents—money needed to pay for everyday expenses like housing, food, education and insurance. For others, a job goes much farther than money. It’s about value and worth. It’s about confidence, empowerment and living with a purpose. Society functions best when people who can work, work. When we all have a sense of purpose and contribute to moving our society forward, we make the most progress. But despite thousands of open jobs in southeastern Wisconsin alone, there are barriers to employment existing today and prohibit individuals from obtaining jobs. In Wisconsin, nearly 1.4 million adults have a criminal record, including 42 percent of Milwaukee’s job seekers. Ex- offenders often experience “collateral consequences” that haunt them well after they have paid their debt to society. Many vocational licenses cannot be obtained by individuals with criminal records, yet those vocations are often the jobs for which ex- offenders are most qualified. Additionally, it is much harder for ex-offenders to get car and home loans, go to college or join the military. Without access to these building blocks of financial independence and stability, they become stuck in a cycle of recidivism and dependence on public assistance. According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, ex-offenders who are employed are three to five times less likely to reoffend. And the pathway to employment after release can start with expungement. Expungement means sealing a criminal record if the judge finds that the offender will benefit and society will not be harmed. When an eligible criminal record is expunged, it becomes sealed from public access records, such as Wisconsin Circuit Court Access, used by many employers to screen potential employees. This enables people with non-violent criminal backgrounds an opportunity after they’ve paid their debt to society. AMY LINDNER President & CEO, UnitedWay of Greater Milwaukee &Waukesha County ROBYN LUDTKE Vice President, Talent Development Waukesha County Business Alliance STEVE BAAS Sr. Vice President, Governmental Affairs, Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce MODERNIZING EXPUNGEMENT LAW IN WISCONSIN 6