Four States Join National Effort to Expand Education and Workforce Pathways for Justice-Impacted Individuals

 Kansas, Maine, North Carolina, and Oregon will receive up to $2.1M in funding through Jobs for the Future initiative to increase access to education and training in correctional facilities

BOSTON, Jan. 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Jobs for the Future (JFF), a national nonprofit focused on transforming the U.S. education and workforce systems, today announced the inaugural cohort of its Fair Chance to Advance (FC2A) State Action Networks, a new initiative to help states expand high-quality postsecondary education and workforce pathways for individuals with histories of incarceration. As the first four members of the effort, state leaders in Kansas, Maine, North Carolina, and Oregon will work with JFF's Center for Justice & Economic Advancement to address persistent barriers—including discriminatory hiring practices and legal restrictions, often exacerbated by misaligned systems—that limit economic opportunities for many of the more than 70 million people in the United States with records of arrest, conviction, or incarceration.

"These four states are leading the way in showing what is possible when education, workforce, and corrections systems work together toward a shared vision for economic mobility," said Rebecca Villarreal, Senior Director, Center for Justice & Economic Advancement at JFF. "Fair Chance to Advance is about building aligned systems rooted in dignity, opportunity, and the belief that people with records deserve real pathways to quality jobs—and that investing in justice-impacted workers can be a meaningful driver of economic growth at the state level."

The launch of the State Action Networks represents the latest phase of the FC2A initiative, initially launched in 2024 with support from Ascendium Education Group. JFF selected the four cohort states from among more than 30 applicants based on their existing efforts to expand economic mobility for individuals with records, their commitment to bringing together a range of leaders across state agencies, and their clear articulation for how participating in the cohort would catalyze long-term change in their states:

• North Carolina plans to expand education, apprenticeships, and work-release opportunities and deepen data integration through its participation in the State Action Networks.
   
• Maine aims to leverage the State Action Networks to scale employer-connected pathways, strengthen cross-agency alignment, and expand data capacity to track outcomes.
   
• Kansas will use its cohort membership to formalize channels for collaboration among state leaders, strengthen reentry metrics, and expand employer engagement amid significant statewide job growth.
   
• Oregon plans to unify inter-agency data systems to help guide decisions, strengthen reporting, and scale up education-to-employment pathways, including sustaining and expanding in-prison WorkSource Oregon Reentry Centers as a core bridge from custody to community.

"We were inspired by the level of interest from states across the country and encouraged by the clear momentum toward systems change," said Molly Lasagna, Senior Strategy Officer at Ascendium. "The four states selected are ready to lead—each demonstrating a strong commitment to coordination, data sharing, and expanding educational opportunities for learners with a history of incarceration."

Over the next four years, each state will receive up to $2.1M in funding and technical assistance valued at $1.8M from JFF and the Coleridge Initiative, a nonprofit organization working with governments to ensure that data are more effectively used for public decision-making. States will gain access to a secure data-sharing platform to improve coordination between partner agencies, and participate in a national learning network designed to accelerate reforms across corrections, postsecondary education, workforce development, and fair chance employment.

Throughout the initiative, the FC2A State Action Networks will closely engage people with histories of incarceration as advisors and co-designers. Mathematica will serve as the third-party evaluator to document lessons learned and share insights with the field. States that are interested in learning more and joining a broad coalition of leaders working to build pathways from incarceration to careers can subscribe here for updates.

About Jobs for the Future

Jobs for the Future (JFF) transforms U.S. education and workforce systems to drive economic success for all. We design innovative solutions, scale best practices, influence policy, and invest in systems change to create pathways to advancement and economic mobility. jff.org

About Ascendium Education Group

Ascendium Education Group® is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit committed to helping learners from low-income backgrounds achieve upward mobility. Its philanthropy invests in solutions that expand opportunity, support learner success, and connect and align systems across postsecondary education and workforce development.

Contact:
Yveneka Lestin
[email protected]
929-732-0764

SOURCE JOBS FOR THE FUTURE INC