A job and resource fair at Wilmington University on Tuesday connected former offenders with employers and support services aimed at helping them get a second chance.
The event featured employers looking to hire, a record expungement clinic and organizations that help people returning from prison prepare to reenter the workforce.
Larry Barnhill, who works with the Wilmington Alliance, knows the challenges firsthand.
A former executive, Barnhill served more than two decades in federal prison after being convicted as part of the “Morning Glory Gang” bank robberies in Atlanta. He now helps recently released offenders find and keep jobs.
“My experience was to reinvent myself. I knew I made a mistake and I didn’t want to blame anyone because what I was involved with, I’m definitely culpable for that action,” Barnhill said.
The event was sponsored by ReEntry Delaware, a nonprofit founded by Air Force veteran Malone Harmon.
The organization helps veterans and former offenders prepare for employment by providing education, job training and psychological support.
“We build a profile around them and provide additional education and training for them, and then we also work with their employer to see what their needs are and that they’re sensitive to that returning citizen,” Harmon said.
ReEntry Delaware also works to identify employers willing to hire people with criminal records. One of those companies is New Castle-based Eastern Industrial Services, which says the approach has led to success.
“It’s about leadership and mentorship when they enter the workforce, particularly at Eastern Industrial, whether they’re from incarceration or non-incarceration,” John Cosgrove of Eastern Industrial Services said.
Cosgrove said the company’s culture is built on understanding that people deserve another opportunity.
“I think the culture in our business is that we try to understand first, is that people are people and everyone deserves a second chance,” Cosgrove said.
This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC Philadelphia. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC Philadelphia journalist edited the article for publication.
