Fair Chance to Advance

How FC2A Works

In February 2026, FC2A will launch cross-sector coalitions called State Action Networks in Kansas, Maine, North Carolina, and Oregon. These networks will each bring together eight stakeholder groups, including people with lived experience of incarceration, to design coordinated strategies that expand opportunity and improve outcomes. Each of the state networks will receive funding, facilitation services, and tailored technical assistance from JFF, as well as technical assistance and integrated data dashboards from the Coleridge Initiative. Mathematica will conduct an independent evaluation of JFF’s work with the State Action Networks to generate actionable insights for the field.

FC2A also supports states and stakeholders through three additional activities:

• National Network: A nationwide community for shared learning, peer connection, and cross-state collaboration.
• Stakeholder Learning Networks: Open-door communities of practice—such as JFF’s Normalizing Education Collective—for specific groups, including education providers, workforce leaders, and corrections partners.
• Stakeholder Leadership Networks: A series of professional development experiences for emerging leaders, including corrections officials, policymakers, and professionals with lived experience of incarceration.

What States Will Be Able to Achieve

Through these structures, FC2A helps states:

• Expand high-quality postsecondary, workforce, apprenticeship, and work-based learning opportunities inside correctional facilities
• Partner with employers to grow and strengthen fair chance hiring
• Remove policy barriers and “Normalize Opportunity” for people with histories of incarceration
• Integrate state data systems to guide decisions and track long-term outcomes