Initiatives That Drive Change
Special Projects & Pilots Initiatives
Impact Equitable Justice leads innovative projects and pilot initiatives that advance workforce equity, expand fair-chance employment opportunities, and build the foundation for long-term systems transformation.
Justice Reform Work
Restoring Rights. Reimagining Systems.
We advocate for policies that reduce incarceration, expand reentry pathways, and promote restorative justice. Our work includes:
- Policy Advocacy: Collaborating with lawmakers to pass fair chance legislation
- Diversion Programs: Supporting alternatives to incarceration
- Reentry Navigation: Helping individuals access housing, healthcare, and legal aid post-release
- Community Education: Hosting forums and trainings to shift public perception
Career Pathways
From Barriers to Bridges.
We partner with employers, unions, and training providers to create inclusive pathways to employment. Our workforce programs include:
- Employer Partnerships: Building fair chance hiring pipelines across industries
- Work-Based Learning (WBL): Programs like internships, apprenticeships, and on-the-job training help individuals gain real-world experience while building skills and confidence.
- Healing Through Enterprise: Microgrants and mentorship for justice-impacted founders
Innovation Labs
Piloting What’s Possible.
We test bold ideas that challenge the status quo and scale what works. Current projects include:
- Data Equity Tools: Mapping justice and employment outcomes by zip code
- Tech for Reentry: Mobile apps that connect returning citizens to resources
- Employer Scorecards: Measuring inclusivity and retention in hiring practices.
Voices of Impact
Real Stories. Real Change.
Meet the people behind the numbers—individuals who’ve turned second chances into lasting success.
“This program didn’t just help me find a job. It helped me find myself.” — Jasmine, Program Graduate
Got your own second chance success story you would like to share? We'd love to feature it in our newsletter or on one of our social media pages. Share your story.
FamilyWorks Lab: Transforming Systems
for Justice-Impacted Parents
Stronger alignment, fairer policies, and a more equitable path to economic mobility for families.
The FamilyWorks Lab reimagines how workforce and family-serving systems support justice-impacted parents. Rather than focusing on job placement, this IEJI-led initiative pilots cross-system partnerships that align workforce, reentry, and family services to advance equity, flexibility, and family stability.
Justice-impacted parents especially-noncustodial mothers and fathers-often face overlapping challenges across employment, child support, and reentry systems. The Family Works Lab tackles those barriers at the systems level.
Through local demonstrations employer collaborations and policy learning partnerships IEJI and its partners test and refine new approaches that make work for systems more responsive to the realities of parenting and justice involvement.
Key focus areas:
- Systems change: Piloting policy and practice solutions that connect workforce, reentry, and family systems.
- Employer Engagement: Co-designing fair, family-flexible employment pathways for parents impacted by justice involvement.
- Community Alignment: Partnering with community organizations to bridge family stability and economic opportunity.
Equity. Inclusion. Opportunity. Collaboration.
Because Everyone Deserves a Next Chance
NextChance Alliance: A Corporate Social Responsibility Pilot
Impact Equitable Justice is piloting a new corporate social responsibility initiative uniting employers committed to equitable hiring and second-chance opportunities. The NextChance Alliance helps companies take measurable steps toward inclusion, align their CSR goals with workforce equity, and drive community impact. Let's build something meaningful together.
Reimagining Workforce Development Through a Healing-Centered & Restorative Justice Lens
Pathways to Healing and Employment: A Restorative Workforce Initiative
Justice-impacted individuals face systemic barriers to employment, housing, and community reintegration. Traditional workforce programs often focus narrowly on job placement, overlooking the trauma, stigma, and disconnection that many participants carry. Unlike traditional approaches, Impact Equitable Justice supports individuals not only in securing employment, but in reclaiming agency, repairing relationships, and transforming systems.
This initiative is modeled after promising trauma-informed research. It weaves in transformative approaches that break the cycle of trauma that shows up at work through undesirable workplace behaviors, promote accountability, and reinforce positive pro-social actions and attitudes.
We partner with employers to promote understanding and shift how we frame and respond to issues of harm and healing. We provide guidance and implementation support to help our employer partners improve workplace success and retention for their second chance employees with trauma backgrounds or experiencing Post Incarceration Syndrome (PICS).
Our Features
Healing Centered Labs
- Skill building
- Restorative Circles
- Storytelling
Employer Transformation
- RJ Onboarding
- Inclusive Supervision
- Second-chance Fellowships
Restorative Accountability
- Peer Pods
- Conflict Resolution
- Co-created Agreements
Community Contribution
- Service Projects
- Alumni Mentorship
- Public Storytelling Events
Let’s talk about your next project
Fill in the form for more information on any of our special initiatives and one of our project coordinators will contact you shortly.