In January 2019, Los Angeles leaders and community members convened around the Prison to Employment (P2E) initiative, focused on improving workforce outcomes for formerly incarcerated and justice-involved individuals.

The California program was designed to strengthen pathways to employment by supporting career coaching, interview preparation, on-the-job training, and wraparound services that address barriers such as housing instability, educational gaps, substance use, and mental health needs.

The conversations centered on regional planning, implementation strategies, supportive services, and earn-and-learn opportunities identified as priorities by workforce providers and communities.

Reentry is rarely shaped solely by employment. Long-term stability often depends on whether systems coordinate around the broader conditions influencing opportunity.

Much of this work happens outside public recognition, through planning sessions, partnerships, and conversations that eventually shape programs reaching communities.