Community Safety and Smart Justice Event Recap

At this year’s ACCE Convention, a group of attendees had the opportunity to participate in a Community Safety and Smart Justice deep-dive. Chamber CEOs and staff professionals focused on workforce development, government affairs, and diversity, equity and inclusion gathered to hear from industry experts and peers doing exceptional work in smart justice. The discussion focused on the role the business community can play in smart justice and practical strategies for implementation. We are grateful for the support of the Just Trust for making this opportunity possible. 

The first panel was moderated by Jolene Foreman, chief program officer at the Just Trust, and featured: 

• David Emerick, executive director of state and local government affairs at JP Morgan Chase 
• Daniela Gilbert, director, redefining public safety at the VERA Institute of Justice 
• Paolo Sy, corporate counsel and senior project manager at Microsoft 

Panelists talked about data on public safety and tactics that JP Morgan Chase and Microsoft are using to lead at the company and systemic levels. Panelists talked about strategies like summer youth employment to reduce violent crime, automatic record expungement and how communities can incorporate additional community response services to free up police and first responders for serious emergencies. 

On the topic of retail theft, panelists suggested working with state attorney generals, many of whom have stood up retail crime taskforces. Some communities are looking at increasing penalties for specific types of crimes, while others are looking at alternatives to prosecution. A recent Forbes Advisor report explored state-level retail theft data and surveyed small retailers with brick-and-mortar stores to understand how they are responding. 

The convening also offered an opportunity to hear from Amy Cloud, executive director of Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Executives and Lee Copeland, director of talent and business growth at the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber. The panelists shared that employers may need support navigating new and different hiring processes that open opportunities for those who have been incarcerated. Chambers are well-positioned to think strategically about building coalitions that are committed to addressing barriers to re-entry and ensuring that employers have access to this large pool of talent. These chambers have taken on work to help inform both employers and nonprofit partners about things that keep justice-involved individuals from gaining employment. This allows everyone in the ecosystem to work towards solutions. 

Panelists and participants shared some great examples and resources, including: 

• Second Chance Business Coalition - a group of employers committed to change and can be a starting point for employers 
• Kentucky Transformational Employment Program (KTEP) - a pathway for businesses and employers to help more Kentuckians reach long-term recovery while supporting fair chance employment 
• Texas Second Chance Employers Coalition - a network of businesses engaging in and motivating other businesses to participate in second chance hiring 
• Capital Region Youth Employment program - a summer youth employment initiative run by the city where the Capital Region Chamber makes connections to businesses who can accept youth for skills-building and apprenticeships 
• Untapped Talent, How Second Chance Hiring Works for Your Business and the Community by Jeffrey D. Korzenik 
• Fair Chance Academy - training for employers on how to become a Fair Chance employer for those in active recovery and returning citizens 
• ReEntry - an E-learning platform developed by formerly incarcerated people to increase understanding of barriers encountered by returning citizens 

As talent remains a key issue for chambers across the country, the ACCE Foundation will continue to offer support for chambers interested in pursuing smart justice strategies. To stay up to date on our offerings, please visit our Championing Smart Justice Reform page. Please email Ash Nichols ([email protected]) to be added to ACCE’s Smart Justice Roundtable.