70 Million Jobs, a job platform supported by Y Combinator, is introducing a new social network designed to foster connections among individuals who have been previously incarcerated. While 70 Million Jobs concentrates on assisting people with past convictions in securing employment, Commissary Club aims to establish a supportive community for its members.

Richard Bronson, the founder of 70 Million Jobs, explained to TechCrunch, “Individuals with criminal records have historically been marginalized, existing in a state of concealment.” He continued, “They have consistently experienced apprehension and shame – hesitant to reintegrate into society due to the pervasive stigma and being consistently treated as less valued citizens.”

Commissary Club will enable members to build relationships through specialized groups centered around shared interests, discover educational opportunities, and locate mentors, employment options, and housing resources.

According to data from Prison Policy, the unemployment rate for people formerly involved in the justice system stood at 27% in 2018. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has likely increased this figure considerably.

Beyond employment challenges, those with prior convictions encounter difficulties in obtaining secure housing and accessing financial services. These obstacles significantly contribute to recidivism, affecting the over 600,000 individuals released from prison annually. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that approximately 68% of individuals released in 2005 were re-arrested within three years, and 83% within nine years.

Bronson expressed his confidence that Commissary Club is uniquely positioned to serve this population. Leveraging the existing reach of 70 Million Jobs, they already have established access to millions of potential members.

“This is a substantial demographic that is largely overlooked, and when attention is given, it’s often negative,” Bronson stated. “No political figure has actively sought their support. The primary issue is that they have never had a unified platform to connect, collaborate, and express their collective voice.”

“There comes a point where we declare that enough is enough,” Bronson, who spent a couple of years in prison himself, said. “We are entitled to full participation in society. Having served our time and fulfilled our obligations, it is unjust to carry a lifelong sentence. I believe no one has truly attempted to unite this group, and their separation leads to a lack of connections, support, inspiration, and role models. Crucially, they lack companionship. Re-entering society after incarceration presents unique challenges in navigating essential aspects of life, and we aim to provide that assistance.”

Bronson acknowledged his own privilege as a white individual with a finance background, recognizing that this likely facilitated his transition back into society. He noted that Black individuals comprise 40% of the incarcerated population despite representing only 13% of the U.S. population, according to Prison Policy. Furthermore, individuals within the prison and jail systems are disproportionately affected by poverty compared to the general U.S. population. Nevertheless, he admitted that even his own re-entry process was more difficult than anticipated.

“I realized that if it was this challenging for me, it must be significantly harder for those I was incarcerated with who had limited work experience and educational opportunities,” he explained.

The social network will utilize an advertising-based revenue model, supplemented by referral fees for services like online courses and wellness programs. Commissary Club also intends to collaborate with brands and organize events for its community.

“The individuals we serve are in dire need of support,” Bronson said. “However, we cannot provide all the necessary resources ourselves. We will function as a central point of access to assistance.”

A potential concern exists regarding the risks associated with connecting formerly incarcerated individuals and presenting them as a target audience for advertisers, given the potential for exploitation by unscrupulous entities.

“I feel a strong responsibility to protect our members because there are individuals who may seek to take advantage of them,” Bronson said. “We have encountered attempts to access our job platform for malicious purposes. As a result, we have become vigilant and sensitive to this possibility. We meticulously ensure that any partners we work with operate with integrity and honesty. Our extensive experience in this field allows us to identify both reputable and disreputable organizations across various sectors.”

Commissary Club launched in beta a few days ago and currently has thousands of people on its waiting list. However, the rollout is being carefully managed, as Bronson stated, “we want to ensure we get it right.”

To date, 70 Million Jobs, the parent company, has secured $1.6 million in funding from investors and is currently seeking an additional $2 million.