Alabama Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington will lead a panel discussion at Birmingham’s Woodlawn Theater on March 20 following the screening of the documentary “Being Free.”

The film follows three formerly incarcerated individuals on their journey to find careers after prison. The panel event, which also will feature discussion from Society for Human Resource Management CEO Johnny Taylor, Ken Oliver of Checkr, Birmingham City Councilor LaTonya Tate and Ronald McKeithen of Alabama Appleseed, is part of statewide efforts to reduce recidivism.

“Working to involve marginalized groups, such as those with previous incarcerations, is certainly one of Alabama’s goals to improve our economy,” Washington said in a release before the event. “Efforts such as this, along with collaborations between public, private, and non-profit organizations, are definitely valuable in increasing our state’s labor force participation rate. ADOL has long sponsored and championed events to include traditionally overlooked segments of the workforce, and we are proud to support this initiative.”

Alabama has a low labor force participation rate, with 38 workers per 100 open jobs. The state also has a high unemployment rate for formerly incarcerated individuals, over 27%, which is 10 times higher than the general population.

“Too often, policy and business leaders alike view fair chance hiring as a charitable cause, not a business and economic development strategy,” said Oliver, who served nearly 24 years in prison and now serves as VP of Corporate Social Responsibility and Executive Director of Checkr.org, Checkr’s philanthropic foundation. “Businesses in Alabama and across the country are proving what’s possible when you recognize and value the unique strengths that talent with records bring to the table.”

A 2023 report by the Society for Human Resource Management found that after HR professionals viewed “Being Free,” they were more likely to recognize the strengths of formerly incarcerated individuals and the benefits of hiring them. Tailored resources for both people re-entering the population after prison and for hiring professionals are needed, advocates said.

“Birmingham is a unique laboratory for innovation that helps people get back to work, and strengthens the region’s economy in the process,” said Ron McKeithen, a Reentry Coordinator at Alabama Appleseed who spent 37 years in prison before joining their team. “By elevating the work of local leaders who are already realizing the potential of fair chance hiring, we’re proving that hiring formerly incarcerated people can be a win-win for the economy and society.”