Ben & Jerry’s to Participate in Hiring Program for At-Risk Youth

On Tuesday, Ben & Jerry’s announced its participation in Unlock Potential, a groundbreaking, targeted employment initiative for young people at risk of incarceration.

Employers hope to leverage hiring to improve racial justice, recruit the next generation of business leaders, and break the poverty-to-prison pipeline through Unlock Potential.

“The importance of second-chance employment efforts cannot be overstated. But hiring individuals when they’re released from prison isn’t enough – we have to be taking steps to stop them from ending up there in the first place,” said Matthew McCarthy, CEO of Ben & Jerry’s.

“Data show that meaningful employment opportunities are one of the most impactful ways to prevent future incarceration. Unlock Potential will create those first chances.”

The Unlock Potential program, supported by Walmart.org’s Center for Racial Equity, addresses the profound racial disparity and economic immobility caused by engagement with the legal system.

For example, first-time incarceration can result in a 30 percent decline in lifetime wages. BIPOC communities are disproportionately affected by these barriers.

Black Americans are incarcerated at over five times the rate of whites, and studies show that having a criminal record has a 40% greater negative impact on employment for Black men.

Unlock Potential can decrease economic exclusion and assist break intergenerational poverty cycles by preventing incarceration before it occurs.

The program will also assist businesses in dealing with an extraordinary labor scarcity, the growing need to invest in future leaders, and their commitments to a more just and equitable society.

“Unlock Potential is a critical component in advancing our Racial Equity work,” said Allie Reid, Ben & Jerry’s Sr. Retail Racial Equity and Inclusion Manager. “Creating meaningful career opportunities for Black and Brown at-risk youth supports skill development and economic mobility in the communities we serve and exist in.”

The program will focus on the 4.4 million “disconnected youth” in the United States between the ages of 16 and 24 who are not enrolled in school or working. Adverse outcomes such as poverty and jail are significantly more likely for these young adults than their peers.

Unlock Potential will concentrate on a portion of individuals who have had one or more of the following additional incarceration risk factors: an incarcerated parent, sex or human trafficking, the juvenile justice system, or the foster care system.

Participating employers can address the core causes of mass imprisonment by providing economic possibilities for these individuals.

Unlock Potential will launch a 12-month pilot program after the design consultation phase, which will end in October.

A number of Ben & Jerry’s franchised Scoop Shops will be linked with prospective workers with the help of the Responsible Business Initiative for Justice – cofounders of Unlock Potential – to give careers with real opportunity for progress.

To ensure their success, participants will be connected with local wraparound support services through the national non-profit Persevere.

Visit www.unlock-potential.org to learn more about the initiative.