When President Bush placed his signature on the Second Chance Act, he was flanked by members of Congress from across all political, racial, and religious lines. It was a remarkable tableau, and I savored being a witness to it.

The task of finding a job can intimidate anyone. If you’re an ex-offender, however, it can seem as futile as measuring the ocean with a sieve. Unskilled and with a background that frightens, many ex-offenders fail to overcome significant obstacles to workplace success – and fall right back into criminal behavior. Federal probationers in the Eastern District of Missouri, though, have overcome such difficulties. Intentional efforts under the Defendant/Offender Workforce Development Initiative (DOWD) have transformed this at-risk population into a powerhouse of productivity.