The Utah System of Higher Education’s Talent Ready Utah recently awarded a $47,871 grant to Utah-based Rasa Legal, which helps individuals clear their criminal records quickly and affordably through its services. This funding, provided through the Return-to-Work program, will further Rasa Legal’s mission to support justice-impacted Utahns re-entering the workforce.
“Rasa is and always has been a proud employer of people with criminal records because we believe people with records bring unique perspectives and invaluable skills to our workforce,” said Noella Sudbury, CEO and Founder of Rasa Legal. “These talented individuals deserve the opportunity to contribute their expertise and support their loved ones. Fair chance hiring isn’t just a policy, and it is not just good for people; it makes our business stronger and helps us foster a more inclusive, dynamic workplace.”
The grant funds support Rasa’s organizational service capacity and will enable it to design and pilot a more structured program to support individuals with a justice-involved background who are seeking new career opportunities.
“People with records often face barriers when they try to re-enter the workforce, and we are excited to use these grant funds to develop a successful, supportive model,” Sadbury added.
As part of the program, Rasa will begin by hiring two new justice-impacted individuals, recruited from Rasa’s platform, who will be trained as intake and onboarding specialists to support the company’s ongoing expansion. These “Returners” will receive specialized legal and case management training and mentorship, opportunities to participate in conferences and professional development events, and a stipend to help cover transportation or childcare costs, ensuring they have the resources necessary to succeed.
Rasa is committed to being a second-chance employer and empowers other employers to implement and optimize their own fair chance hiring strategies. Recent research from SHRM shows that 85% of HR managers report that people with records perform as well, if not better, than people without records in similar roles and that their retention rates are 12% longer. Rasa provides services to help employers recruit fair chance hires and helps employers retain those hires through innovative record clearance benefit programs. These programs not only support individual employees in overcoming past barriers but also enhance workforce diversity and retention.
“Talent Ready Utah is proud to support innovative Return-to-Work programs like Rasa Legal’s, which provide essential training and support for individuals re-entering the workforce,” said Vic Hockett, Associate Commissioner of Talent Ready Utah. “This award strengthens collaboration between industry, government, and education to ensure those with justice-involved backgrounds have the opportunity to find meaningful employment and prevent recidivism. We’re excited to see programs like Rasa Legal’s play an active role in shaping workforce re-entry efforts statewide.”
USHE’s Talent Ready Utah provides targeted workforce development funding to employers through its Return-to-Work initiative, supported by funds from the Utah Legislature, to develop or expand innovative programs offering experience, training, and support for successful workforce re-entry. To date, Talent Ready Utah has awarded seven other employers with Return-to-Work funding this year.
Employers interested in applying for a Return-to-Work grant can find more information at talentready.ushe.edu.
Justice-involved job seekers interested in applying for Rasa Legal’s new open intake and onboarding roles should create an account on Rasa’s platform and begin the process by checking their eligibility for record clearance at rasa-legal.com.
