White House’s “Fair Chance” pledge to give past criminals a better life, college access

On Friday, the White House announced a higher education pledge to help previous criminals improve their livelihoods.

The White House markets the “Fair Chance” pledge as a way for “businesses and higher education institutions to invest in their communities and eliminate unnecessary hiring barriers for individuals with criminal records.”

The pledge, a list of reforms for colleges to sign, would “set an example for their peers.”

With millions of Americans paying their debt for criminality, the White House hopes to alleviate the difficulties for individuals who desire a better life after release, with an empathetic perspective for offenders.

Last November, Obama addressed the state of ex-criminals in society: “Around 70 million Americans have some sort of criminal record … Now, a lot of time, that record disqualifies you from being a full participant in our society — even if you’ve already paid your debt to society,” he said. “It means millions of Americans have difficulty even getting their foot in the door to try to get a job, much less actually hang on to that job.”