Today, the Progressive Policy Institute’s Metro Federalism Caucus and the Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO) released a new report highlighting the supports United States federal and local policymakers can implement to help returning citizens — those who were previously incarcerated — find new opportunities through entrepreneurship. The release of the report will be highlighted at a Capitol Hill briefing, featuring Senator Ben Cardin, who has been a longtime leader of entrepreneurship opportunities for returning citizens.
The report is titled “From Prison to Business: Entrepreneurship as a Reentry Strategy” and is authored by Ann Nguyen, Sidney Gavel, and Manu Delgado-Medrano of AEO.
“Returning citizens in the U.S. face significant barriers to economic security and reintegration into their communities. However, there are opportunities for U.S. government, civic, and business leaders to help the stream of returning citizens find good jobs, achieve financial stability and, if they have the aptitude and inclination, go into business for themselves,” write the report authors. “Our challenge now is to extend that opportunity to more people and scale up proven initiatives…”
This report highlights two entrepreneurship training programs — Aspire to Entrepreneurship in Washington, D.C., and ASPIRE MO in Missouri — which help returning citizens overcome the natural hurdles new entrepreneurs and small business owners face.
The U.S. has the highest incarceration rate in the world, and those who have a history of involvement with the justice system face barriers to economic security and reintegration into their communities. Entrepreneurship can be a way out of this cycle, but local and federal support is vital for success. The report suggests four ways federal and local policymakers could work together:
Read and download the paper here:
The Progressive Policy Institute, in partnership with the Kauffman Foundation, has launched the Metro Federalism Caucus to advocate for a more direct and empowering relationship between national and local government leaders. The Caucus consists of former local officials who now serve in Congress, as well as accomplished mayors and former mayors from around the country, whose governing experience and insights can help U.S. policymakers reimagine the division of labor among national, state, and local governments. Its mission is to open a direct channel of communication that does not run through state governments, aimed at forging a stronger partnership between Washington and metro leaders. Organized and supported by PPI and Co-Chaired by Representative Marilyn Strickland (WA-10) and former Mayor of Kansas City Sly James, the Caucus will champion a new approach to federalism that channels resources and decision making directly to metro leaders. PPI calls this decentralizing dynamic “Metro Federalism.”
The Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) is a catalyst for policy innovation and political reform based in Washington, D.C. Its mission is to create radically pragmatic ideas for moving America beyond ideological and partisan deadlock. Learn more about PPI by visiting progressivepolicy.org. Find an expert at PPI and follow us on twitter.
For more than 30 years, Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO) and its over 2,700 member and partner organizations have helped millions of underserved entrepreneurs in starting, sustaining, and growing their businesses. Together, AEO is working to change the way that capital and services flow to underserved entrepreneurs so that they can create jobs and opportunities for all.
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Media Contact: Tommy Kaelin; tkaelin@ppionline.org
