Crimcheck and Defy Ventures Collaborate to Give Former Inmates a Second Chance at Successful Lives

Every one of us has made a mistake at some point in our lives. If that mistake happened to involve breaking the law, it can impact the rest of your life, even after you have paid your debt to society. With a criminal history, potential employers may be unwilling to risk hiring you, making it hard to find a job to support yourself and your family. If one can’t find legal, gainful employment, they may find themselves being pulled back into a life of crime, just to survive.

This is where Defy Ventures steps in. Operating under the firm belief that we all deserve a second chance, Defy collaborates with top business leaders, entrepreneurs, and investors to change the perception of this stigmatized population of current and former inmates, by creating opportunities for their personal and economic transformation into successful entrepreneurs.

“Our mission is to change mindsets to give people with criminal history their best shot at a second chance. We are so excited about the positive impact we are making on currently and formerly incarcerated people as we prepare them for reentry into society and create positive opportunities and fair chances for them to succeed. Over the past 4 years, nearly 93% of Defy’s released graduates stayed out of trouble and remained out of prison after their first year home.” – Andrew Glazier, CEO, Defy Ventures

Defy Ventures provides services to currently and formerly incarcerated “Entrepreneurs-In-Training” (EITs). Volunteers contribute their time and skills toward intensive training in personal and leadership development, competition-based entrepreneurial training, executive-level mentoring, financial support, and business development assistance.

These services help “transform the hustle” of those people who have been affected by the criminal justice system, by leveraging their innate talents and skills, applying them to the creation and operation of legal, legitimate businesses.

Now Defy Ventures is getting some help from what might seem to be an unlikely source: Crimcheck, a leader in the field of criminal background checks, accredited by the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS).

As an accredited Consumer Reporting Agency (CRA), Crimcheck is mandated to provide thorough and accurate data. It is this precise data that can help Defy Ventures make the best decisions on which currently and formerly incarcerated people would make good candidates for their EIT program. Tom Shieh, Crimcheck’s CEO, regularly visits and volunteers at prisons.

“On the surface, it may appear that a background screening company would be on the opposite side of giving those with a criminal history a second chance. However, we’re delighted to work with Defy and support their mission, while educating the industry on the importance of fair chances for reentry. Crimcheck is committed to providing the most accurate data so our valued clients like Defy Ventures can make educated decisions in their hiring and development process.” – Tom Shieh, CEO, Crimcheck

Crimcheck’s data also helps Defy track and report on their program’s success, which can be critical in showing prisons that there are alternatives to traditional rehabilitation methods and programs. When the recidivism rates (return to prison rate) are compared, there is no question that Defy Ventures offers an innovative, successful approach to the reintegration of those with criminal history back into society.

“Our partnership with Crimcheck helps us to track one of the main indicators of the program’s success, which is the recidivism rate. With Crimcheck’s precision data and metrics, we are able to communicate with confidence about our program success.” – Andrew Glazier, CEO, Defy Ventures