At Giant Food’s large fresh food distribution center, Vonnell Davis and his colleagues navigate through their workdays on pallet jacks, assembling orders for the chain’s stores. Unlike his peers, however, Davis’s journey to and from work included a return to prison up until early last year, as part of a work release program with Dorsey Run Correctional Center. This initiative, born out of a collaboration between Giant and the correctional facility, was designed to address labor shortages heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Davis, despite the unique conditions of his employment, excelled in his role as an order selector, a position known for its high turnover due to the demanding and cold environment of the warehouse. Brandi Petway, HR facility lead at the distribution center, praised Davis for his exceptional dedication to a job that many find too challenging to sustain.
The Second Chance Program, launched by Giant in mid-2022, aims to reintegrate individuals from Dorsey Run into the workforce, offering them the same pay, benefits, and union membership as other associates. Candidates for the program are selected based on their remaining sentence, prior work experience, and educational qualifications, with the goal of transitioning them to permanent employment within 18 months.
Petway, who proposed the initiative upon her arrival at the fresh food facility, sees the program as a dual benefit: reducing Giant’s dependency on costlier third-party staffing solutions and demonstrating the company’s commitment to community reintegration. She is selective in her recruitment, focusing on candidates who she believes will be a good fit for the company and the program, emphasizing the importance of adherence to company rules for continued participation.
Davis, who started in the program in July 2022 and was released from prison in March after serving five years of an eight-year sentence for robbery, views his opportunity with Giant not just as a job but as a career path. His gratitude for the Second Chance Program is profound, as it has allowed him to leave his past behind and focus on a promising future with the company. Even after his release, Davis’s enthusiasm for his work remains, highlighting the transformative impact of employment opportunities on individuals seeking to rebuild their lives post-incarceration.