Mission: Launch To Host Second Chance Month Post-Incarceration Employment Hackathon

1-in-2 working adults, or 100 million Americans, will have an arrest and/or conviction record by the year 2030. Public/private sector workforce and tech leaders convene at the "Bank on 100 Million: Future Ready Now" event to help remove barriers to successful reentry

WASHINGTON, April 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Teresa Hodge, President and CEO of Mission: Launch, in partnership with What's Next Washington, R3 Score, and other coalition partners, will gather April 12-13 at the Walter E. Washington DC Convention Center for a hackathon dedicated to identifying solutions to address post-incarceration or "fair chance" solutions in the United States. 1-in-2 working-aged working adults, or 100 million Americans, will have an arrest or conviction record by 2030. The Bank on 100 Million (Bo100M) platform speaks directly to people living with records first while engaging the public and private sectors as key stakeholders.

Aventiv Technologies, a leader in developing technology solutions to empower rehabilitative justice, is the event's presenting sponsor and will join other "hackers" as featured speakers and facilitators, including:

• U.S. Department of Labor Rapid Collaborative Working Groups led by the Women's Bureau. The US Department of Labor is joining the hackathon to hear from directly impacted people and experts on pathways to employment for people living with records.
• The Washington, D.C. Department of Employment Services will convene discussions focused on expanding the skilled professional jobs that could lead to homeownership. Modernizing employer engagement and cross-agency cross partnerships to expand opportunities for DC residents with arrest or conviction histories.
• Aventiv and R3 Score are preparing for the release of R3Up, which will provide everyone using Aventiv tablets in prisons and jails access to a job score app designed for their unique needs.

"America works best when all of us have a pathway to economic opportunity, including those of us living with an arrest or conviction. National Second Chance Month is a time to focus everyone's attention on ways to help those of us living with past records rejoin the workforce and restart our lives. This Hackathon is ground zero in the search for solutions," said Mission: Launch CEO Teresa Hodge. "By convening technology executives, federal and city governments, public and private workforce development leaders, and centering the voices of those of us with the lived experience of incarceration, we will identify scalable solutions that will make an impact in the lives of families and communities overrepresented in the criminal legal system."

The gathering is an accelerated design-thinking format with the intention of solving cross-sector problems and designing forward-thinking products to tap into qualified, yet often overlooked, talent and consumers.

As the Presenting Sponsor, Aventiv Technologies proudly engages in conversations like the hackathon led by directly impacted stakeholders around these pressing topics. "Reentry opportunities should be offered to everyone who moves into the justice system, at the date of entry, not the day of release. It is central to Aventiv's mission to be part of the community working together to provide technology solutions that close the digital divide. Second Chance Month gives us the opportunity to recognize the contributions of justice impacted community members in creating solutions to make reentry more successful for more people. We value the experience and insight they bring to help others," said Margita Thompson, Chief Communications and Community Engagement Officer at Aventiv Technologies.

Washington, DC, is the second city in just six months to host this latest Hackathon series. Seattle, WA, and Phoenix, AZ are on the 2023 roadmap of future convenings in other jurisdictions seeking to bring these conversations and best practices to life. The fourth location is still being decided.

SOURCE Mission: Launch