Uber is teaming up with REFORM Alliance, the probation and parole reform non-profit co-founded by Jay-Z, Meek Mill, Michael Rubin, and others, to offer rides to individuals on probation and parole in Pennsylvania and Virginia to skilled-trades training, career opportunities, and union apprenticeships.
The partnership, announced Thursday (Oct. 29), covers the cost of rides so participants can get to training and work without transportation getting in the way. Uber has already provided 450 rides through the program, helping people who are rebuilding their lives pursue long-term careers.
“When someone comes home, they want the chance to support their family, earn a paycheck and build a life they can be proud of,” said Jessica Jackson, CEO of REFORM Alliance. “But determination alone cannot get you to a training program across town when you have no reliable transportation. We’re grateful to Uber for closing that critical gap and investing in people who are already showing how much they have to contribute to their workplaces and communities. Paired with supervision policies that recognize progress and support employment, that help can turn a second chance into a real path forward.”
Jazmin Kay, Public Affairs at Uber, added: “Access to reliable transportation removes a barrier to new opportunities for people working to rebuild their lives. Through our partnership with REFORM Alliance, we’re proud to help expand access to employment and training opportunities that support economic empowerment and help people build a more stable future for themselves and their families.”
Founded in 2019 by Michael Rubin, Jay-Z, Meek Mill, Clara Wu Tsai, Daniel Loeb, Robert F. Smith, Michael Novogratz, and Robert Kraft, REFORM Alliance advocates for bipartisan criminal justice reforms.