Friends Outside is preparing to host the first-ever Second Chances Month job and resource fair in Stockton. The event is for formerly incarcerated individuals and is scheduled on Saturday, April 26 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Stockton Civic Auditorium. April is national Second Chances Month.

A coalition of supporters has joined together to produce a day-long event to provide formerly incarcerated individuals with the resources they need to get jobs and rebuild their lives in the community. More than 40 community organizations and employers will be on hand to offer resources related to jobs, housing, family support services, health services, mental health, education, financial coaching, and more.

“When someone comes back to the community after serving time in jail or prison, they face significant barriers to jobs, housing, childcare, and other community supports,” said Michael Sorensen, executive director of Friends Outside. “This event is a way of getting people on their feet and reintegrated in the community so that they can lead productive and fulfilling lives.”

Local employers will be present to talk with attendees and take job applications. Companies attending include Goodwill, Caltrans, Ready to Work, and others.

Each year, more than 2,000 people return to San Joaquin County after incarceration of six months or more. They may lack the skills to look for work, or find employment opportunities closed to them due to background checks. They often face similar challenges finding a place to live.

Many organizations, however, do provide assistance to people returning from incarceration. In 2024, Friends Outside assisted more than 450 people who returned to the county after prison, providing job-hunting skills, employer references, and access to other resources like housing and transportation. Friends Outside served another 7,500 incarcerated individuals with those preparing for release. Other organizations like El Concilio of California and WorkNet provide extensive support services to people re-entering the community from incarceration.

Some Friends Outside clients and supporters have recorded YouTube videos with personal statements about the impact of the program in their lives.

The Second Chances Month celebration enjoys wide support from public officials. Stockton Mayor Christina Fugazi will attend and present a proclamation from the City Council, declaring April Second Chances Month in the City of Stockton. That proclamation will be approved at the City Council meeting on April 15.

San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors Chair Paul Canepa will also present a proclamation. That proclamation was to be approved at the April 8 meeting of the Board of Supervisors.

US Congressman Josh Harder will also attend the event and present an honorary resolution.

The day’s events are scheduled to include: the Second Chance employer job fair, an expungement clinic (led by San Joaquin County Public Defender’s Office Clean Slate program), a reentry resource fair, lunch, proclamations from public officials and a panel discussion.

Nearly 70 years ago, the first “friend outside” aided a woman and her children who needed help because their husband/father was in jail and could not provide for them. Today, Friends Outside continues its mission to offer caring, evidence-based services to adults and youth who are incarcerated, reentering the community, or are at risk, so that they, their families, and neighborhoods can be safe and thrive.

Though started as a volunteer effort, Friends Outside has grown to a budget of nearly $7 million and offers services at all 31 California State Prisons, staffing Visitor Centers and providing education and reentry supports to the currently incarcerated. Friends Outside also operates a Family and Friends Neighborhood Center in Stockton, providing on-the-ground support to those released from prison to San Joaquin County.