1. Often, criminals, unable to get a job, fall right back into drugs or other crime to pay their court penalties and end up back in prison, in a vicious, hopeless cycle. Now, he’s returning the favor by employing over 100 ex-criminals and running a non-profit called Second Chance Employment dedicated to teaching other companies how to safely hire and rehabilitate hundreds more. Key Takeaway: A tight labor market and shifting cultural norms are leading more businesses to consider hiring workers with a criminal past or history of addiction. Heightened cultural awareness about those barriers is making second-chance employment more common. Dave Dahl, of Dave's Killer Bread fame, ... Dahl will speak about the benefits of hiring felons and giving second chances, but he also points out that there are certain characteristics to look for. “Dave’s Killer Bread” Employs Former “Criminals,” Giving Them a Second Chance at Life, 86% of federal prisoners are locked up for victimless crimes, The “Christmas Star” Is About to Reappear for the First Time in 800 Years, Man Uses a GPS Tracker to Turn His Bike Rides Into Gigantic Drawings, People are Painting Acorns to Make Them Cuter than Ever, New Glass-Domed Train Offers Breathtaking Views From Colorado Rockies to Utah’s Red Rocks, Sleeping Whales: Photographer Reveals What Whales Look Like When They Snooze, Study: THC Removes Toxic Protein that Causes Alzheimer’s From the Brain, This 400-Year-Old Bonsai Tree Survived Hiroshima and Is Still Thriving Today, “Is curing patients a sustainable business model?” Goldman Sachs asks shareholders. Employing ex-offenders — and buying grain from local farmers — has made Dave’s Killer Bread a favorite of local politicians and business groups. that prevent employers from asking about criminal history upfront in the job application process, giving an applicant with a record more of a chance of making it to the final round of a job interview before having a conversation about their past. And yet, research shows that the majority of employers largely remain reluctant to hire ex-convicts. ... shares how he went from the streets of New York City to felon to entrepreneur with a gym inside of Saks Fifth Avenue and a team […] Just remember that you need to be cautious and always willing to accept failure. “It feels good to finally be in a position where your work and your attitude speaks for itself; it’s not about your past,” says production supervisor Rahsaan. After initial success at local farmers' markets, stores began carrying the brand's products and by 2013, the company had employed over 300 people (approximately one third of whom were ex-felons) at its headquarters in Milwaukie, Oregon. Watson said that the company doesn’t distinguish between workers who have a record and those who don’t, so there are no special programs that require extra overhead. “Overall the ex-felons’ performance rating is slightly higher than non-felons,” CEO John Tucker told Fast Company. On November 14, 2013, just before 11:30 a.m. PT, an employee of Dave’s Killer Bread made a call to the police. Common hiring practices — asking an applicant about their criminal history, barring anyone with a record — keep almost 10 million people out of the workforce, according to a. . They put recruitment methods in place to screen applicants and try to discern which individuals are most likely to succeed in a work environment. “If I hadn’t gotten the job at Dave’s Killer Bread I probably wouldn’t have made it,” says a line lead and trainer named Heather. In the most recent issue of Modern Farmer (a relatively new food and farming publication), Lucas Adams tells the tale of Dave Dahl, a health bread baker.As the illustrated story unfolds, we learn about the challenging and sordid history of Dave's Killer Bread and the man behind it. She has 15 years of reporting experience, including covering Capitol Hill and reporting from South Asia. Flowers Foods “understands and appreciates the culture at Dave’s Killer Bread,” and “is deeply committed to its second-chance initiatives,” Paul Baltzer, a spokesman for the parent company, told Karma. Dave’s Killer Bread CEO says it just makes business sense. Because of this job I’m alive. Local bread company has plans to distribute bread nation-wide. Dave's is already in 25 states and plans to have nationwide distribution and baking plans in place by the end of 2014. Dave Dahl’s stated mission is “making the world a better place, one loaf of bread at a time,” a statement that appears on the back of the package of every loaf of DKB bread. “There has been a recent softening of attitudes toward hiring ex-felons,” he notes, and “some prisons are now more about positive reinforcement and accountability-based growth. So it became personal. A federal tax credit reimburses companies for up to 40 percent of the wages of felons hired within a year of their release — up to $2,400 per hire. “This is a growing field. Uncover why Dave's Killer Bread is the best company for you. “The people that I work with, that are in recovery like me, we’re helping each other feel encouraged and capable and tall. Still, it is wise to look at the companies that have hired felons in the past. The new program give ex-cons … The Dave's Killer Bread Foundation was created to power Second Chance Employment. Perez also requires employees to attend weekly workshops and pays them for it, so the restaurant, while profitable, is much more expensive to run than his others. Some employers have championed the hiring of people with criminal backgrounds, too. . If you live on the West Coast, you've no doubt heard of Dave's Killer Bread. “Because of this job, I can provide for my family, with extra to spare. 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