Segunda Chance Employment Agency
Even after doing their time, the ex-convicts of the criminal justice system continue being seen with prejudice by employers and society. Each negative response that an ex-convict receives from an interview, ends up making him feel trapped to a past he wants to leave behind. With doors that are always closed to the labor market, many ex-convicts end up going back to crime, whose doors are always open.
That's why we joined AfroReggae NGO and created Segunda Chance, the only employment agency in the world made by ex-convicts for ex-convicts, that promotes guidance and forwards them to the labor market. The operation is led by ex-drug trafficking leaders that serve as an example, receiving each applicant in person and getting in touch with HR directors and entrepreneurs to start partnerships which result in job vacancies.
In order for this search to be successful, we produced an integrated campaign to promote the agency. Not only commercials, classified ads and all the traditional media, but we developed also the brand, office supplies, tags and even an impressive front desk. All to be seen as a serious and functional institution. In one year, the agency had 3099 applicants registered and vacancies for 15% of them in 50 partner companies, such as: Burger King, Brasil Kirin and AmBev. The agency's launching spread all over the internet. 30 of the most popular news portals in Brazil helped to disclosure the agency which represent over 4 million dollars in earned media.
Segunda Chance executives were invited to TV talk-shows and interviewed for magazine articles. Their stories got people talking about the subject and increased the number of calls and the flow of applicants by 230%.
CHINAIDER PINHEIRO AT TED TALKS
Chinaider Pinheiro is a former leader of one of the biggest criminal organizations in Brazil: The Red Command drug trafficking. Nowadays, he’s a law student and coordinates the “Second Chance Project”, the subject of his speech at TEDx.
In his speech, he showed how projects like “Second Chance” affects the life of former prisoners positively, and concludes that society must be united to fight for the full integration of its citizens.