New city program encouraging Louisville employers to hire former felons

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A new city program is encouraging Louisville businesses to hire former felons.

The initiative is called The Second Chance Supporting Business Certification. To be eligible, 10% of a company's employees must be formerly incarcerated.

John Doublin knows how hard it is to get a job out of prison.

"Every company I would try to talk to they said no, I reached out to 50, 60 companies," Doublin said.

His drug addiction started as a teenager.

"I was 16 years old I tried methamphetamine, it just took off from there," he said.

By 18, Doublin was an IV user and eventually his addiction drove him to dealing.

"Selling meth is what put me in prison," he said. "I was only selling it to pay for my own usage of it."

In August, he'll mark four years of sobriety, which he attributes to the stability a job provides.

Doublin drives a semitruck, largely due to the help from CEO — the Center for Employment Opportunities. The organization helps people find work out of prison. He attended CDL training through the Driver Resource Center.

"Whether they've been incarcerated five weeks, five years, or 50 years, a lot of things change in the workforce," Ray Mansfield, CEO's Louisville site director, said.

CEO gives participants a transitional job working for a partner organization. Once the growing pains are up, it helps participants find a stable job.

"There is an untapped pool of talent here that is ready and willing to go to work with the right opportunity," said Mansfield.

That's what the The Second Chance Supporting Business Certification is encouraging employers to do. If a company is certified, they're more likely to get hired for a project with the city of Louisville.

With Doublin's life back on track, he's reconnected with his son and is a soon to be grandpa. A moment he likely wouldn't have been there for without a job.