Having a criminal record can make it hard to find a job. But, some Capital Region organizations and employers are hoping to change that.
The indoor gym at Trinity Alliance Church in Albany is buzzing with life – dozens of job seekers are perusing the handful of tables set up by prospective employers.
To the untrained eye, it’s just a job fair.
But it’s much more than that for Trent Griffin-Braaf, founder of Success Map Initiative.
“It makes my heart melt. So especially, you know, the very first one that we ever did in the region was just last year, and to go from having six people in total, to show up to like you just said, the door is open, and we've well exceeded that already. It just shows the momentum, but it also shows there's an actual need for this,” said Griffin-Braaf.
Griffin-Braaf calls it a “second-chance” career fair. It’s built to connect employers with job seekers who might otherwise struggle to make it through the selection process due to their criminal record.
“I originally had started just being in business, understanding how a lot of people aren't given second chances, some even a first chance. Myself, being that I was formerly incarcerated as a youth, I had a 4-to-12-year prison sentence. Came home and I worked my way up in the corporate world, from a janitor to eventually becoming a general manager in the hotel world, and then pivoting and starting my own business, I started to have relationships with other employers that helped me identify that there were a lot of blind spots when it came with working with youth, people with disabilities and individuals with criminal records, and my company was thriving with those same populations,” said Griffin-Braaf.
Success Map Initiative runs a number of programs throughout the year, having served more than 1,000 individuals in the Capital Region in 2025. Last year's success followed the 2024 implementation of New York’s Clean Slate Act, which seals certain misdemeanor and felony convictions on some background checks.
In addition to this job fair, Griffin-Braaf conducted the first ever job fair inside an Albany County Jail last year. He’s also run a number of forums to help educate employers to best support potential employees coming out of incarceration.
And, on top of all of that, Griffin-Braaf also leads a number of youth-outreach programs throughout the region.
“A lot of individuals who get caught in the criminal justice system start at a young age, so many of which have no work experience or literally none. And so, if they never had the first chance, you know, it's hard for them to even get a second chance. And so, the mindset with that is, again, goes back to what kind of development, what kind of workforce development is taking place while people are incarcerated, as well as pushing personal development in general. Because I feel like as the person grows, the opportunities change. You shift. You have different value systems, a different mission,” said Griffin-Braaf.
Among the seven employers present, Justin Augustus represents Janitronics, a commercial and residential cleaning company that operates throughout the Northeast.
“So, job fairs like this, you know, they're kind of looking for what schedules are, because some of them are doing, you know, other work. They're kind of trying to find schedules that fit what they're, you know, comfortable with. And I also tell them we have schedules that are during the day, schedules that are overnight. If you're looking for an hour we have some schedules that are just an hour a day. We have weekend work, you know, just, it's just more of trying to find, like, a comfortable setting for them,” said Augustus.
Eric Thompson is a success coach and helps coordinates the city of Albany’s Violence Prevention Taskforce.
He says formerly incarcerated individuals deserve to be given a chance at a bright future rather than being defined by their pasts.
“I think it's a shame that we use what a person may have done 10 years ago against them today, we recognize, I'm sure anyone that is hearing this is not the same person that they were 10 years ago, and so that's easily accessible to understand. We also got to take in mind the psychological impacts of not having a job. We also have to take in mind the psychological impacts of being incarcerated. So, we don't want our community members to be in that anxiety, depressed, stress space. We know with a job, it allows you to have a capacity to begin to see beyond the moment. It's not just about the goal, it's about the aspiration that we're trying to create right here,” said Thompson.
Thompson adds this is more than just a job fair.
“Let me say a career fair, because that's what it's all about. It's about giving people the opportunity to be the best they could be, to live out their fundamental truths and to make this community a better community by us doing so,” said Thompson.
Rasool Salaam is one of the many formerly incarcerated individuals looking to start a career.
“It's been hard, you know. I've been doing construction in warehouse and hospitality. And, you know, construction warehouse is kind of hard to, you know, maintain, but, um, I get through it, you know, I'm saying, take it day by day and, you know, and just look for better work and appointment that satisfies my, you know, helps my mental health was satisfies my own, my need for the work,” said Salaam.
He said he’s been out of prison since February and wants to start the next chapter of his life.
“It means a lot. I would like to be successful. I've been in college before, I went to Hudson Valley Community College, I didn't get to finish because of legal issues. But, I'm looking to become successful. I've had a lot of it in the past, but, you know, there's a future,” said Salaam.
Griffin-Braaf says one of the best ways to cut down on recidivism is employment.
He says its great to have laws like Clean Slate and Ban the Box, which prevents employers from asking about prior convictions in the initial stages of the hiring process.
Still, Griffin-Braaf adds more can be done.
“I would love to see money in the budget for housing. Housing is another huge issue that affects a lot of people who are returning back to society. I also think more money for actual training. And don't get me wrong, New York State kind of leads in terms of trainings and higher education in prisons, but then these individuals come home and still can't find a job in those select fields. And so, I would love to see a budget that allots for more trainings for employers,” said Griffin-Braaf.
