Re Entry Program Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

About Impact Justice

Impact Justice advances safety, justice, and opportunity through boundary-breaking work that honors and empowers people and is changing expectations about what we can accomplish together. We imagine, build, and scale innovations, leverage research and other knowledge to connect the desire for change with informed action, and work to shift the narrative so that decision-makers and the public understand what’s at stake and what’s possible.

About Growing Justice

Growing Justice is a first-of-its-kind reentry and workforce development program, blending vertical farming and classroom instruction with intensive reentry and job readiness support. Through partnerships with AmplifiedAg, Skout Strategy, and Agritecture, participants at institutions in California and South Carolina gain hands-on training, employment preparation, and wraparound support that positions them for success post-release.

Inspired by Impact Justice's 2020 series Eating Behind Bars, which documented the unhealthy and degrading quality of prison food nationwide, Growing Justice also reimagines food justice inside correctional facilities. Beginning in 2025, Impact Justice partnered with AmplifiedAg to establish a vertical farm on the grounds of Camille G. Graham Correctional Institution in Columbia (CGGCI), South Caroliana, producing an estimated 48,000 pounds of nutrient-rich leafy greens each year for residents, while serving as a living classroom where participants build marketable skills and pathways to sustainable careers.

In addition to the South Carolina site at CGGCI, Growing Justice is also launching two additional sites in 2026: one at the Central California Women's Facility in Chowchilla, CA, and another inside Impact Justice's office building in downtown Oakland, CA. Together, these sites expand the reach of Growing Justice, advancing food justice, workforce readiness, and reentry pathways nationwide.

Who You Are

You are passionate about supporting women impacted by incarceration and believe deeply in second chances. You bring experience in workforce development, job readiness training, employer engagement, or job placement, and you thrive on helping people set goals and achieve them. You balance empathy with accountability, and you know how to connect with diverse stakeholders, from program participants to correctional staff to employer partners.

That said, we know there are great candidates who may not think they fit into what we’ve described above or who have important skills we haven’t thought of. If that is you, don’t hesitate to apply and tell us about yourself! We know that there are great candidates who may not possess all of the skills that we have described. We would like to hear from you even if you have most (but not all) of the skills listed. We welcome all applicants, including formerly incarcerated individuals, those with family members that have been incarcerated, and persons with direct criminal or juvenile legal system experience.

What You Will Do

The anticipated start date for this position is in August 2026. You will report to the Director of Growing Justice. Your core responsibilities will be:

Participant Coaching & Career Planning

• Build strong, supportive relationships with participants through regular one-on-one meetings and structured intake assessments, using trauma-informed and strengths-based coaching practices that foster accountability, motivation, and personal growth.
• Develop and maintain individualized career development plans that align participant strengths and interests with realistic post-release employment goals.
• Empower participants to identify strengths, set realistic, achievable career goals for release, and track progress toward long-term economic stability.
• Coordinate with Growing Justice reentry staff to ensure career planning is integrated with broader reentry support around housing, transportation, healthcare, and family stability.
• Keep accurate case notes and update participant progress in the case management system.

Job Readiness Training & Skill Development

• Deliver an established job readiness curriculum and contribute to its ongoing refinement based on employer feedback and participant outcomes.
• Provide individualized coaching on resume development, application support, interview preparation, workplace communication, and professional skills.
• Conduct skills assessments to identify each participant's career readiness, strengths, and growth areas, and align preparation with target employment opportunities.
• Coach participants in exploring career pathways in controlled environment agriculture, food production, horticulture, and other agricultural fields, as well as transferable industries, while also preparing them for career opportunities beyond agriculture.

Employer Engagement & Job Placement

• Build and steward a diverse pipeline of employer partners across controlled environment agriculture, food production, horticulture, and transferable industries, with a deliberate focus on fair-chance employers willing to hire individuals with justice system involvement.
• Identify, research, and cultivate new employer relationships through targeted outreach, industry events, employer convenings, and referrals from existing partners.
• Serve as the primary day-to-day point of contact for employer partners, coordinating site visits, hiring events, interview pipelines, and post-release placement logistics.
• Match individual participants to employment opportunities based on career goals, skills, geography, and employer requirements, and coordinate warm handoffs from program to job.
• Prepare participants for employer-specific interviews, walk employers through participant strengths, and advocate effectively on behalf of justice-impacted candidates.
• Collaborate with the Program Director to facilitate employer engagement inside the facility (e.g., guest speakers, workshops, hiring events) and prepare participants for interviews and job opportunities post-release.
• Provide post-hire retention support to placed graduates and their employers, troubleshooting issues that arise in the first months on the job.
• Track placement outcomes, employer satisfaction, and retention metrics to inform program improvement and demonstrate impact to funders.
• Document employer partner contacts, hiring needs, and placement history in the program's partner database.

Post-Release Follow-up & Employment Retention

• Provide individualized support and check-ins for up to 12 months post-release, including referrals, troubleshooting barriers, and connections that promote employment stability and retention.
• Monitor participants' progress in employment, housing, and other reentry goals to ensure continuity of care.
• Collaborate with the Program Director to connect graduates with employers, community partners, and supportive resources that promote retention and career growth.

Program Coordination & Reporting

• Assist with the delivery of workshops, employer visits, and program events that enhance participant learning and workforce readiness.
• Help maintain the program's partner database, ensuring accurate records of workforce and employer resources available to participants.
• Assist in preparing and distributing participant resources and workshop materials; support documentation that highlights participant progress.
• Track and report participant outcomes, successes, and challenges for review by the Program Director and program team.
• Contribute observations and recommendations that inform continuous program improvement and innovation.

Key Outcomes of the Role

• Participants develop and actively pursue individualized career plans that support successful community and employment integration.
• Strong relationships are established with employer partners committed to fair-chance hiring.
• Program graduates secure employment opportunities aligned with their goals, skills, and circumstances.
• Participant records, case notes, and outcome data are maintained accurately and consistently.
• Participants and employer partners report positive experiences with the program and support provided.

Required Qualifications

• A minimum of 4 years of experience in workforce development, employer engagement, job placement, or closely related social services.
• Experience operating within the criminal or juvenile legal systems, including a robust understanding of reentry processes and workforce resources throughout California.
• A critical perspective on and profound commitment to advancing a more humane, responsive, and restorative national system of justice.
• Proven success in coaching individuals for employment, particularly in resume development, interview preparation, and the cultivation of professional workplace skills.
• Demonstrated ability to steward employer relationships and coordinate successful job placements for program participants.
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, with a demonstrated ability to build trust while maintaining professional boundaries.
• Ability to work effectively with diverse stakeholders across race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, ability, age, class, and lived experience with the justice system.
• Comfort and professionalism working inside correctional facilities and engaging directly with participants currently in custody.
• Skilled in maintaining precise case notes, utilizing databases, and tracking participant outcomes.
• Highly organized and adaptable, with the capacity to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Proficiency with Google Suite, Microsoft Office, and case management systems, with a readiness to adapt to new technologies.
• Comfort collaborating with remote teams while maintaining consistent communication and accountability across locations.
• Ability to travel regularly between Impact Justice’s Oakland office and the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla, CA.

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional credentials in workforce development, such as Global Career Development Facilitator (GCDF), Certified Workforce Development Professional (CWDP), or an equivalent certification.
• Established partnerships with fair-chance employers across California, with a specific focus on the agricultural, food production, or related transferable sectors.
• Experience working within correctional facilities, reentry programs, or justice-impacted communities.
• Direct experience supporting justice-impacted women or facilitating specialized women's reentry programming.
• Practical knowledge of motivational interviewing, trauma-informed de-escalation, and restorative conflict resolution practices.