Since 2017, April has been recognized as Second Chance Month in the United States. On March 24, Gov. Josh Stein issued his official proclamation, and earlier this month, he and I addressed stakeholders from across North Carolina at the 2026 NC Rehabilitation and Reentry Conference, joining leaders committed to giving people with criminal records the opportunity to rebuild their lives and reintegrate into society.
North Carolina provides a model for other states through initiatives like Reentry 2030. But as important as these efforts are, I believe the most powerful engine of second-chance success isn’t policy — it’s entrepreneurship.
America was almost literally founded on the single defining idea that everybody deserves a second chance in life. Yet today, we have a large segment of our population still being denied this birthright. These are the people who are “justice-involved” — those who have had experiences with our judicial system. So, what do we do?
I remember the first time I walked into Orange Correctional Center near Chapel Hill in the early 1990s. I didn’t know what to expect — but what I found were remarkably ordinary people.
During a break, I spoke with a man who said his plan upon release was simply to “get a job.” It hit me: For someone with a criminal record, that simple goal is often an uphill battle. I had always been an entrepreneur, and it struck me that it would be much easier for him to start a small service business than to convince a skeptical HR director to hire him.
That was the “eureka” moment for Inmates to Entrepreneurs. Thirty years later, the conversation has moved from the prison yard to the halls of Congress. But the core reality remains: If we want to fix our broken recidivism rate, we need to stop seeing returning citizens as a liability and start seeing them as an untapped pool of entrepreneurial talent.
The Psychology of the ‘Nothing to Lose’ Advantage
People ask me why someone with a criminal record would be a good fit for entrepreneurship. There are two primary reasons.
First, they have hit a real bottom. Ironically, that often makes them more risk-aware. A person coming out of prison often has nothing to lose. That lack of a safety net breeds a willingness to take calculated risks that you can’t teach in a classroom.
Second, they have already experienced failure. Starting a business is a series of punches to the gut — you will face scarcity, rejection, and setbacks. Most people who have lived comfortable lives are not psychologically prepared for that volatility. Returning citizens, know how to take a punch and get back up. That resilience is the secret sauce of every successful small business owner.
Overcoming the Invisible Barricades
Of course, the drive to succeed isn’t enough when the system is rigged against you. Returning citizens face a gauntlet of challenges.
Consider the digital scarlet letter. In the ’90s, your past stayed in a paper file. Today, a Google search ensures your worst mistake is the first thing a potential partner or landlord sees.
There are also licensing hurdles. In many states, a criminal record bars you from getting a barber’s or mechanic’s license — effectively banning you from the very trades offering the best path to independence.
Why We Need More Second-Chance Entrepreneurs
Supporting these individuals isn’t just charity; it’s community health. When a returning citizen starts a business — whether it’s a landscaping company or a catering business — they aren’t just providing for themselves. They are often the most likely to hire other formerly incarcerated individuals.
We spend an average of over $33,000 a year to keep one person in prison. When we empower them to become entrepreneurs, they move from being a taxpayer burden to being a taxpayer.
The American experiment is built on the idea that you can start anew. If we are serious about second chances, we have to move beyond proclamations and start providing tools for ownership. Entrepreneurship is the most effective tool we have to break the cycle of recidivism and prove that, in this country, your past does not have to be your prologue.
