A most pertinent issue to society in the United States is its high recidivism rate. More than half of inmates are rearrested within 3-5 years upon release. The pressure to re-assimilate to civilian life after release is stressful. In fact, the biggest complaint among former inmates is how hard it is to find employment when disclosing their charges. Employers are not to be blamed here. Instead they should be incentivized to employ the promising former inmates. Currently there are no incentives for employers to hire a person with a criminal past over the average non-offenders. However, a state-sponsored initiative could entice employers into doing their part in reforming the members of their community. Simple jobs such as cashier, receptionist, fry-cook, table waiting, and bartending are perfect for reforming the former inmate without extensive training and education. The former inmates will then be paid the same wage as if they were any other member of the community.

This initiative (currently unrefined) can offer employers the following incentives (but not limited to); tax benefits, promotion to business, and recognition for community service by the state. In order to mitigate the expected uneasiness for employers and other members of community, the inmates eligible for this program should be verified based on their criminal background, behavior during incarceration and other indicators that shows openness to reform. The eligible inmate would then be sponsored by the state and introduced to participating employers. This way, the employers can play an active role in reforming the members of their community who once make mistakes into valuable productive men and women with the past behind them. Meanwhile, law enforcement and parole officers can also steer the reform process in the right path through warm encouraging interactions while coordinating with employers to keep the peace. After one year of work, the reformed former inmate would be given a certification of completion to show they are able to complete the program which could very well show future employers (if they were to move on) that they can put the past behind them to offer valuable high quality work. The certification of their effort after one year could also be something to be celebrated, whether with friends and families or with employers and employees.

Tackling recidivism rates with this new approach to correctional reform will be more effective and ethical than the current system in the United States. It is also more financially responsible in the long-run. In theory, having an active effort to transition the former inmates into society should ease the feeling of hopelessness and discrimination that turned former offenders into repeat offenders. With the recidivism rate alleviated, the costs that come with incarceration will decrease. There will be no cost in trials, guaranteed representation in trials, and confinement if the former inmate never repeats his or her mistake. More importantly, there will be no cost in property damage, injuries or even loss of lives if there are fewer repeat offenders.