'2nd Chance Job Fair' helping formerly incarcerated
The goal of the event is to provide pathways to success for those re-entering society after serving time.
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The Fresno Regional Workforce Development Board is helping individuals who have been incarcerated find employment.
The "second chance job fair" was held at the Fresno Fairgrounds on Wednesday.
It connected hundreds of locals with criminal backgrounds with employers who are willing to give them a second chance.
More than 1,000 people signed up for the event, and a line formed out the door.
They were able to connect with 22 employers, including the City of Fresno, Saint Agnes, Caltrans and Foster Farms.
The goal of the event is to provide pathways to success for those re-entering society after serving time.
"Studies show they can decrease recidivism rate by 40% if they have a job after they've come out of jail or prison, so the goal is to reconnect them to the community, to make sure they have an opportunity to be able to have employment," says Martha Espinosa with the Fresno Regional Workforce Development Board.
Organizers of the event say incarceration rates in Fresno County have risen by 25 percent over the last five years.
