Louisiana Report Finds Only 44% of Formerly Incarcerated People Work in First Year
Updated
Updated · KATC News · Jul 30
Louisiana Report Finds Only 44% of Formerly Incarcerated People Work in First Year
3 articles · Updated · KATC News · Jul 30
Summary
Just 44% of formerly incarcerated Louisianans were formally employed in their first year after discharge, according to a new University of Louisiana at Lafayette policy center report.
Only about 12% to 13% stayed employed through all four quarters, showing that keeping stable work is a bigger hurdle than landing an initial job.
Researchers found employment was heavily concentrated in low-wage sectors such as food services and drinking places, limiting earnings and long-term stability for justice-involved workers.
The study, produced under the Louisiana Board of Regents' LA FIRST initiative, is meant to set a baseline for reentry and workforce policy in a state with a high incarceration rate.
Some Acadiana employers are already offering second-chance jobs, with Lafayette Marble and Granite saying those hires have helped workers rebuild their lives while meeting labor needs.
If Louisiana needs workers, why are justice-involved people still stuck in low-wage, unstable jobs after release?
Could better reentry training, employer support, and industry pathways turn Louisiana’s overlooked justice-involved population into a stable workforce?