In this heartfelt episode, we hear from Chip Skowron, MD/PhD and former CEO of Prison Entrepreneurship Program, who takes us through the double life he lived since childhood and how he found peace with himself following the four years he spent in prison for insider trading. Emerging with a renewed sense of purpose, Chip shares how Vanessa's new book served as a poignant reminder of the power of community and healing that he experienced while in prison.
It's been 10 years since Emily O'Brien found herself in prison. "A lot of people think in prison that you have nothing," she says, "but if you reframe it as a place where you have everything, you can kind of create anything you want." Following that mindset, Emily created the idea for Comeback Snacks, Popcorn so good, it’s criminal, while incarcerated.
Quan Huynh spent 22 years of his life behind bars for murder. In the midst of a life sentence, he found his freedom from within and wishes to share that freedom with others. Quan wrote his book, “Sparrow In The Razor Wire” after being pushed by 4X NYT-bestselling author, Tucker Max. He shares how his childhood, his father, his mother, and other experiences shaped his lived perspectives of the world.
From drug dealer to case manager, Robert Gil Jr. showcases his journey through incarceration, including personal revelations, post-release anxieties, and his continued support for returning citizens as a case manager at Prison Entrepreneurship Program.
At the age of 15, Jason was incarcerated for a 1st degree felony (Aggravated Robbery) and given a 12-year sentence at a maximum security prison in Texas. Jason talks about his upbringing, trauma, and poverty as a contributing factor to mass incarceration of children -- and how all of this led to the launch of FreeWorld, equipping 26 million formerly incarcerated people across the nation with the tools, education, and the jobs they need in order to live positive, productive lives.
With over 2.11 million people incarcerated as of 2018, almost 600,000 people per year reenter society from incarceration with little re-integration support, leading to over 66% of formerly incarcerated people rearrested within three years of reentry.
Kylie Hwang saw this firsthand while working at a background check company, and noticed that most solutions focused on supporting formerly incarcerated individuals with employment, but ignored those who turned to entrepreneurship due to labour market discrimination.
Intrigued, Kylie pursued her Doctoral Studies. Now, an Assistant Professor at Kellogg School of Business, she recently co-published "Entrepreneurship as a Response to Labor Market Discrimination for Formerly Incarcerated People" in the American Journal of Sociology and documented a few outcomes:
- Formerly incarcerated individuals, particularly formerly incarcerated Black individuals, are more likely to become entrepreneurs compared to similar individuals who have never been incarcerated because of diminished employment opportunities.
- Entrepreneurship for formerly incarcerated individuals reducing the income gap and recidivism ("re-offending") rates.
- Entrepreneurship is an alternative way for formerly incarcerated lowers the likelihood of returning to prison, due to lack of employment opportunities.
- Black individuals who have been incarcerated face the highest employment barriers due to discrimination, and as a result seek entrepreneurship.
- Formerly incarcerated Black individuals reap the greatest advantages from entrepreneurship.
Kylie's research offers a look at how entrepreneurship can be a great option given labour market discrimination limiting formerly incarcerated individuals, and most importantly, how impact investors, researchers, and policymakers can help.
Tune into this episode of The Human Challenge, an Amazon Music x ACAST "Indie Podcast Amplifier 2023" to learn more about Kylie's journey, the implications, and how we can support -- and what she is looking at next!
Be invited to stay in touch with Vanessa on Instagram @vanessaferlaino or vanessaferlaino.com
Be welcome to learn more about Kylie Hwang at https://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/faculty/directory/hwang_kylie.aspx