Edwins boasts a recidivism rate of 1%, but most of those released from prison aren’t so lucky.

According to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation & Correction, approximately 1 in 3 people released from prison will be reconvicted. Unless they find steady work, which cuts their recidivism rate in half. Thanks to the Ban the Box Campaign, in 2016 Ohio senate passed house bill 56 which prohibits public employers from considering felony status in the hiring process.

DISCRIMINATION REMAINS LEGAL IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR

The vast majority of felony friendly jobs — such as machine operation, construction labor, and mining — are extremely labor intensive, pay minimum wage, and offer very little opportunity for advancement.