D5 Councilmember Calls for City and County Action on 2nd Chance Hiring
Published on October 02, 2025
District 5 Councilmember Calls for City and County Action on Second Chance Hiring to Strengthen San Antonio’s Workforce
SAN ANTONIO (October 2, 2025) – Today, Councilmember Teri Castillo submitted a Council Consideration Request for the City and County to develop a Second Chance Workforce Initiative and Incentive Program for constituents with felony convictions in their background.
According to a conversation with Chrysalis Ministries, Bexar County has a 60% justice-impacted rate, and District 5 has one of the largest concentrations of people with justice-involved backgrounds. In Texas, the conviction rate (84%) and incarceration rate (751 per 100,000 people) surpass the national average, according to the Prison Policy Initiative Texas State Profile. This demonstrates that many with felony records may be seeking to reintegrate into the workforce and society, and may still be suffering from collateral consequences.
The Sentencing Project found that justice-involved people with a felony conviction face up to 44,000 collateral consequences — meaning that even though they served their sentence in the prison system, they face lifelong consequences once they reintegrate into society, such as no voting rights, no access to food stamps, housing difficulties, and gaining access to steady, well-paid, and dignified jobs.
“It has been proven that having these basic needs met limits recidivism. When people have access to meaningful jobs, stable housing, and the ability to provide for their families, our entire community benefits. This initiative is about reducing barriers, reducing recidivism, and building a safer, more inclusive city,” said Councilmember Teri Castillo.
The District 5 Councilmember wants to replicate the work detailed in The Second Chance Hiring Initiative Case Study conducted by the Manufacturing Institute, highlighting the Toyota model. She aims to implement the recommendations in the case study to help meet the needs of justice-impacted constituents by offering more reintegration opportunities, and to ensure employers have access to a well-trained and dedicated second-chance workforce.