Formerly Incarcerated/Ex-Offender Employment Opportunity Act

WHEREAS, the Prison Policy Initiative has released a report entitled "Out of Prison & Out of Work" that calculates the unemployment rate for formerly incarcerated ex-offenders to be 27 percent above the national average; and

WHEREAS, formerly incarcerated Black male unemployment rate is 35.2% whereas for non­ offender Black male unemployment is 7.7%; and

WHEREAS, formerly incarcerated Black female unemployment rate is 43.6%; and

WHEREAS, formerly incarcerated people want to work, but face structural barriers to securing employment, particularly within the period immediately following release.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the NAACP reaffirms its efforts under the Million Jobs Campaign and urge all units to work toward the objectives of the Million Job Campaign.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NAACP encourages all businesses that contract with federal, state, and local correctional facilities in all 50 states to provide any goods and/or services shall be required pursuant to the federal, state or municipal procurement contract that is entered into by the business to provide detailed reporting on its recruitment and hiring of formerly incarcerated individuals.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that each State Conference is hereby requested to put forth its best efforts to introduce legislation to accomplish these objectives.

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the closure of private prisons shall be a legislative priority for the NAACP before Congress and all state Legislatures.