DICKENSON COUNTY, Va. — There is a major push for second-chance employers in Virginia right now.
The Commonwealth is expecting to see an increase in inmates being released from state facilities in the next month. A new law takes effect July 1, which restructures how time served is calculated.
Dickenson County resident and author Heather Lyall is among those advocating for entrepreneurs to take a chance on those with a criminal background. She recently wrote a book titled, 'Those Kind Of People' to encourage hiring managers to consider a different pool of candidates.
"Part of the recovery process is engaging or being engaged in your community, what better than the workforce," Lyall told News 5. “Business owners are courageous. They’re fearless, especially the small business owners. They step out and they face everything to become an entrepreneur.”
Lyall also told News 5 she has advocated to Virginia state leaders to adopt regulations like other southern states that have certifications as a safe-guard that limit liability for business owners who hire previous offenders.
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups said a social media post claiming that Minister Lee So-young paid 12.2 billion won with Onnuri gift certificates at a vegetable shop in Gwangju is not true and si...