Creating Pathways to Opportunities with Eddie Bocanegra

Eddie Bocanegra brings a unique perspective to the conversation about violence prevention and criminal justice reform. He argues that formerly incarcerated persons can and should be given the opportunity to rejoin the workforce, and with the proper support, they have the potential to be great contributors to society. A former offender himself, Eddie now heads one of the largest anti violence programs in the country, READI Chicago (Rapid Employment and Development Initiative). Eddie joins Nancy Harris in this episode of The Intersection Podcast and challenges listeners to create a workplace where we can bring in those who have been previously incarcerated.Here are a few highlights from their riveting conversation.Eddie shares his life story, including why he was sentenced to prison, and how he changed direction afterwards.Eddie wanted to change how society perceives people like him. He wanted to prove that “we're more than capable of exceeding and meeting our deliverables, given the right tools.”READI Chicago’s mission is to serve those who are more likely to be a victim or offender of gun violence. Eddie describes the steps READI Chicago takes to support its clients to change negative behaviors and become more employable.Major progress has been made in the last two years. Eddie says that some hospitals and banks are now employing the formerly incarcerated.Companies should train their staff to be trauma informed.When you hire someone who was formerly incarcerated, and pay them well, you get a high return in terms of less turnover, and a longer commitment, Eddie says. Nancy comments that there is a lot of untapped talent out there, but are we willing to do the work?Eddie wants his legacy to be that he created pathways of opportunities.ResourcesHeartlandAlliance.org [email protected]