We started Dam Good™ English muffins in the hope that we would be able to make a difference in our community - by creating a good product, providing jobs for people, and teaching them marketable skills.
As such, our mission is to “do Dam Good™ in our community and the world at large through our better-for-you English muffins." Further, our company slogan, "Every One Is Different" refers not only to our English muffins, but also to the differences between all of us at the bakery and the larger world; that we cherish and embrace the diversity among us - within our own workforce, and beyond.
We are proud to be Second Chance Employer that hires formerly incarcerated individuals to work at our wholesale bakery in Peekskill, NY, through our Open Hiring model.
What is Second Chance Hiring?
According to ConConnect, "Second Chance Hiring is the action employers make when they hire individuals affected by the justice system. For employers, this can involve hiring someone who has been arrested, sent to jail or prison (even just for a day), or is on parole or probation." Second Chance Hiring improves lives, businesses, and communities.
Benefits of Second Chance Hiring:
- Improves the lives of those impacted by the justice system by providing them a second chance through stable employment
- Reduces recidivism rates
- Increases the diversity of teams
- Makes for a more inclusive economy
- Boosts employee retention
- Reinforces equality and inclusivity
- Supports reentry into the workforce, community and local economy
- Allows justice impacted individuals to continue to build their skill sets so they can be more marketable within the workforce
- Provides employers access to a large pool of talented, dedicated and capable workers
The Facts:
- 1 in 3 American adults have a criminal record (about 70 million people)
- 25-30 million of these 70 million people are eligible for expungement (to erase or remove completely) but haven't done so because the process is so difficult to navigate
Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison
We've partnered with Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison (located in Ossining, NY) to recruit and hire formerly incarcerated individuals that have gone through their programs, to work at our wholesale bakery.
What does Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison do?:
Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison provides college education, life skills, and reentry support to currently and formerly incarcerated people so they can make a positive impact on their own lives, their families, and communities, resulting in lower rates of recidivism and higher rates of employment, community regeneration, cohesiveness, and reciprocity. They provide post-secondary educational opportunities for incarcerated students enrolled in programs at six correctional facilities in the greater New York area.
They're partnered with accredited New York State colleges, and deliver quality undergraduate education that is cost-effective. Nationally, over 67% of formerly incarcerated people return to prison within three years of their initial release date. However, less than 2% of Hudson Link graduates return to prison for a new crime within this three-year period. Educating a full-time undergraduate student is estimated to cost $5,000 annually, significantly less than the $60,000 a year it takes to incarcerate a person in New York State.
This amazing success is the direct result of the transformative power of education and the support network that Hudson Link provides for students and alumni, both inside and outside the prison environment.
What is Open Hiring?
We have adopted an Open Hiring process, modeled after Greyston Bakery, to provide an opportunity to people who experience barriers to employment. By filling jobs without judging applicants through background checks, Open Hiring creates opportunities for individuals who have been excluded from the mainstream workforce--while at the same time providing people with the opportunity to experience the dignity of work, and improve their lives in their communities.
Examples of Barriers to Employment:
- Gaps in employment
- Disability(s)
- Age
- Criminal record
- Disadvantaged background
- Education
- Employer biases
- Domestic abuse
- Single parent
- Transportation
- Housing issues
- Parent of a disabled child
- No high school diploma
Our social focus is key to our compassionate human resources approach, and “griddled” into our company’s DNA.
- Denise (owner) and Ross Weale (co-founder)