Checkr chats with Stacey Putka, Executive Director at Breakthrough, on the organization's mission and vision to prepare incarcerated individuals for successful reentry into society, plus best practices for employers to start fair chance hiring. Breakthrough is a Colorado-based 501c3 non-profit that helps people who have been incarcerated redefine their futures and embrace new possibilities while radically altering the community’s perception of the incarcerated population. The organization's holistic approach includes an in-facility career education program, community engagement, re-entry support, a fair opportunity hiring program, and criminal justice advocacy initiatives. Stacey Putka, Breakthrough's Executive Director, shares her personal journey that brought her to this work, highlighting her experiences as a clinician working with individuals in the justice system and her realization of the need for holistic reentry programs. She emphasizes the importance of building empathy and soft-skills in her programs, preparing participants for job interviews and onboarding processes, and educating employers on fair opportunity hiring best practices. Breakthrough's Fair Opportunity Employer Program engages with employers to understand the value of hiring people with criminal histories, providing a toolkit with 10 best practices for obtaining and maintaining fair opportunity talent. The organization invites individuals to get involved through volunteering and spreading the word about its mission and programs.