Ice cream brand Ben & Jerry’s is working to be an aspiring social justice company.
The company is aiming to install racial equity objectives through a new hiring program which will match young people at risk for incarceration with valuable, long-term job opportunities.
In 2022, the company joined Unlock Potential, a program that works with major corporations to offer long-term employment for at-risk youth. In an announcement Ben & Jerry’s said they hope to “advance racial equity, recruit the next generation of corporate leaders and help disrupt the poverty-to-prison pipeline.”
Chief executive officer Matthew McCarthy said of the company’s vision: “The importance of second-chance employment efforts cannot be overstated. But hiring individuals when they’re released from prison isn’t enough — we have to be taking steps to stop them ending up there in the first place.”
The need for companies to offer early employment opportunities to at-risk populations will help ease the cycle of poverty and unemployment rates.
Black Americans are incarcerated at close to five times the rate of white Americans, and Unlock Potential, which was co-created by the Responsible Business Initiative for Justice, aims to stop the problem. Young people who are 16 to 24 who are unemployed or not receiving an education and who have additional risk factors for incarceration will get employment opportunities.
“Data show that meaningful employment opportunities are one of the most impactful ways to prevent future incarceration. Unlock Potential will create those first chances,” said the company in a statement.
Specifically, Ben & Jerry’s will match prospective hires with the goal of offering long-term employment with opportunities for career advancement. Those hired will also get support services through the national nonprofit organization Persevere to help them succeed and thrive.
Unlock Potential aims to help the company in the advancement of their Racial Equity work. It will create meaningful career opportunities for Black youth and at-risk youth by supporting skill development. ”
Unlock Potential also offers the benefit of helping organizations like Ben & Jerry’s hire and fill roles during a historic labor shortage.
