St. Louis is literally going inside the walls to solve a stubborn worker shortage, sending city job recruiters into Missouri correctional facilities to hire people as they leave prison. Early hires say the gigs are doing double duty: keeping them stable on the outside while helping the city keep basic services running, from water lines to public works.
Recruiting inside the walls
The city’s Department of Personnel has launched prison-based outreach as part of a “second chance” hiring effort led by senior HR specialist Leanndra Cheatham and human-resources manager Aaron Swearngin. The department describes it as a first-of-its-kind move for the agency, meant to build a steadier pipeline into city operations and chip away at long-standing hiring gaps. As reported by St. Louis Magazine, Cheatham plans to sit down with candidates inside facilities across Missouri and walk them through real city job opportunities before they ever step out.
From prison to the water department
One of the earliest hires is Matthew Richardson, who joined the city’s water division in September 2025. He now works as a water maintenance technician, the kind of hands-on job that has him out repairing water-main breaks, fixing valves and replacing damaged hydrants. Richardson told St. Louis Magazine, “I’m not going back,” and said he often pulls two to three double shifts a week while he gets firmly back on his feet. According to Indeed, postings for Water Maintenance Technician list a salary range of roughly $46,072 to $56,420.
Which jobs are eligible — and which aren’t
The city’s “Ban the Box” ordinance, which took effect on January 1, 2021, blocks hiring managers from asking about criminal history on initial applications and helps clear a path for this kind of recruitment. The law also spells out clear exceptions for positions where federal or state law, or other regulations, require certain convictions to be disqualifying, so not every city job is open to every applicant.
Federal rules, for example, require fingerprint-based criminal-history checks for many airport access roles, along with a specific list of disqualifying offenses in federal code. The City explains that any role governed by those outside standards can be limited accordingly, and directs applicants to City guidance and federal CHRC rules for the fine print.
A workforce gap and a second chance
City officials cast the program as a mix of pragmatism and basic decency. Hiring people who are already trained or eager to work helps plug persistent staffing holes while offering formerly incarcerated residents stable paychecks and real career ladders in the public sector. Tens of millions of Americans have criminal records, a scale documented by analyses such as the Brennan Center’s report on convictions and earnings, and getting people into steady government jobs can ease barriers to housing and income that follow them after release.
Staffers say they will keep a close eye on retention and performance as the outreach grows. For now, the model is simple: meet candidates where they are, vet them for job fit, and move those who qualify into open positions that are not ruled out by other laws or security requirements. If employees stay and thrive, the city expects to keep expanding this quiet, utilitarian pipeline that both keeps essential services running and offers a genuine second chance.
