Trump calls for new focus on hiring former prisoners

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WTVQ) — President Trump has called for a new focus on hiring former prisoners.

He deemed April as “Second Chance Month” for the second year in a row.

The white house says this month is about celebrating those who’ve exited the prison system and successfully reentered society, saying the key to that is maintaining family and community ties. And getting the opportunity to do so.

The Department of Corrections here in Kentucky agrees.

“As society we actually need to look at ya know this person has served their time and they have served that consequence and so it’s time to move on past that and provide second chances,” says director of the division of reentry services for the DOC, Kristin Harrod.

She says the division started just last year.

“All of those barriers that someone has when they’re released from incarceration,” says Harrod. “If we don’t help with that then they will be likely to reoffend.”

Jordan Greene spent almost a year in jail, and he says he used to be a drug addict.

He says filling his time with something other than drugs has helped keep him on track.

“Cause yeah if I got idle ya know and just didn’t do anything and didn’t contribute to society it probably wouldn’t help,” says Greene. “So yes, having a job is something that helps me to fill that time.”

He talks about his experience finding a job once he got out.

“I dealt with difficulties because I applied for things like CVS and they denied it based on my background,” says Greene. “Walmart’s not going to give me a job based on my background, Kroger’s not gonna give me a job based on my background.”

Greene says he didn’t think he deserved a second chance and it took the people around him to convince him otherwise.

“Probation, my family, people in the halfway house, the city of Lexington itself to show me you do deserve to be a productive member of society,” says Greene. “To be somebody that’s not labeled just based on their past.”

“If we were all known for the one bad thing we’ve ever done then how would that make you feel in society and that’s what our individuals are facing,” says Harrod about offenders she helps re-enter into society.

Trump says his goal is to cut the unemployment rate for ex-prisoners — which was close to 20% in February — to single digits within 5 years.