Infrastructure as Opportunity: How Big Public Works Could Create Jobs for Returning Citizens

Turn congestion relief into second chances: how Georgia’s $1.8B I‑75 plan can become a reentry jobs engine

Hook: Families and advocates know the pain: returning citizens leave prison ready to work but face locked doors — no bonding, no apprenticeship entry, and contracting rules that prioritize the lowest bid over people rebuilding their lives. In January 2026, when Georgia proposed a $1.8 billion upgrade to I‑75, policymakers created a rare lever. With the right rules, that public works money can solve two problems at once — unclogging traffic and opening durable pathways to jobs for people with convictions.

Why this moment matters (inverted pyramid principle)

Major public works projects — highways, interchanges, toll lanes — are more than concrete and steel. They are large pools of federally and state‑funded contracts, predictable timelines, and workforce demands that can employ thousands. In Georgia in early 2026, the proposed I‑75 expansion is a near‑term spending opportunity. At the same time, construction nationwide continues to face labor shortages while states and the federal government increasingly call for equitable hiring and workforce development in infrastructure spending.

Bottom line: If advocates move now, the procurement process and state policy can channel a portion of construction jobs toward returning citizens through apprenticeships, targeted hiring clauses, bonding supports, and licensing reforms. This creates stable wages, reduces recidivism, and expands local economic opportunity.

2025–2026 trends that amplify opportunity

• Infrastructure dollars are flowing. Following the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (2021) and state-level investments, states like Georgia continued large highway projects into 2025–2026. Those projects are tied to federal oversight and workforce expectations.
• Labor gaps persist. The construction industry entered 2026 with a shortage of skilled craft workers and high turnover, creating openings for new apprenticeships and on‑the‑job training.
• Equity language is mainstreaming. Public agencies increasingly accept community workforce agreements, apprenticeship targets, and bid scoring that rewards socioeconomic benefits.
• Reentry is on the policy radar. Late‑2025/early‑2026 saw more calls for second‑chance hiring in public procurement and pilot programs that place justice‑involved people into apprenticeships.

Four policy levers that channel highway jobs to returning citizens

Advocates and families should frame their asks around procurement and workforce policy. The four most powerful levers are:

1. Project Labor & Community Workforce Agreements (PLAs/CWAs)

What they do: PLAs and CWAs set labor standards and hiring goals for major projects, including local hire percentages, apprenticeship requirements, and training commitments. They convert a one‑off contract into a predictable pipeline of jobs.

How to use them for reentry: Insist the I‑75 RFP include a CWA addendum that guarantees a percentage of entry‑level hours for individuals with recent incarceration (for example, 10–15% of new hire hours across heavy and highway classifications). The agreement should require contractors to partner with state workforce boards and community providers for recruitment and retention.

Model clause (example): "Contractor must ensure that at least 12% of total new hire trade hours for entry‑level construction roles are performed by individuals who have been released from incarceration within the past five years, with documented supports for retention and progression to journeyperson status."

2. Apprenticeship and Pre‑Apprenticeship Pathways

What works: Registered Apprenticeships (DOL) and structured pre‑apprenticeship programs are proven earn‑while‑you‑learn pathways. They combine classroom time, mentorship, and wage progression.

Action steps: Require bidders to reserve apprenticeship slots specifically for returning citizens and fund pre‑apprenticeship cohorts through contract set‑asides. Partner with the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG), local unions that have second‑chance initiatives, and community training providers to create a pipeline that includes soft‑skills coaching, transportation assistance, and retention bonuses.

3. Bonding and Licensing Remedies

Two practical barriers keep justice‑involved people out of contracting and subcontracting: inability to secure surety bonds and occupational licensing restrictions.

• Surety bonds: Small contractor surety is often a prerequisite for subcontractors. Advocate for a state‑administered "Second‑Chance Bonding Pool" that provides bond guarantees or partial underwriting for firms led by returning citizens or that hire them at scale. The U.S. Small Business Administration's Surety Bond Guarantee Program is a federal analogue — Georgia can replicate similar supports with ARPA or state workforce funds.
• Licensing: Push licensing boards to adopt individualized assessment standards rather than categorical exclusions for convictions, expand provisional licensing tied to supervision and training, and accelerate sealing or expungement procedures for eligible offenses.

4. Procurement Scoring, Reporting, and Enforcement

Language without accountability fades. Add scoring incentives, transparent reporting, and enforceable remedies into procurement.

• Bid scoring: Give explicit preference points for firms that demonstrate concrete second‑chance hiring commitments, apprenticeship slots, and partnerships with reentry providers.
• Reporting: Require monthly workforce dashboards from contractors listing hires, hours worked by target groups, retention rates, and subcontractor use. Use modern data indexing and privacy‑aware sharing patterns when designing dashboards (example playbook).
• Enforcement: Tie performance to liquidated damages, loss of contract, or eligibility for future state work. Include technical assistance to help firms meet goals rather than only penalizing failure.

Designing a practical reentry hiring pipeline for I‑75 (step‑by‑step)

Below is an actionable blueprint families, reentry organizations, and local leaders can adapt and present to the Georgia Department of Transportation, county boards, and elected officials.

1. Map the project schedule and procurement milestones. Public works projects have fixed windows for RFPs, public comments, and contract awards. Identify these deadlines early and organize stakeholder testimony to the DOT and procurement office.
2. Form a coalition. Bring together reentry service providers, community colleges, workforce boards, unions, employers, families, faith groups, and legal aid. A unified ask is more persuasive than solo advocacy — consider short standups and micro‑meetings to stay aligned (organizing tips).
3. Draft specific contract language. Provide model clauses (CWA language, apprenticeship quotas, reporting templates) that the DOT can insert directly into bid documents. Use the example clause above as a starting point.
4. Propose a pilot cohort. Ask for an initial cohort of pre‑apprenticeships tied to the project’s mobilization phase. Pilot cohorts create measurable wins that make scale‑up easier — pilot design can borrow from micro‑incentive recruitment case studies (see case study).
5. Secure supportive services funding. Identify funding for transportation, childcare, identification, and short‑term housing. These supports are often the difference between hiring and retention. Look at operational playbooks for crew scaling and supports when budgeting these services (operational considerations).
6. Build evaluation and continuity. Require independent evaluation of workforce outcomes (hiring, retention, wage progression), and create a shareable model for future projects.

Overcoming common objections

When you propose second‑chance hiring in a large highway project, expect three frequent objections: quality of work, liability, and political optics. Here’s how to answer them:

Objection: "We need the cheapest, fastest contractors."

Answer: Short‑term savings on the bid price often hide long‑term costs: turnover, project delays, and recruitment expenses. Structured apprenticeships and retention supports reduce turnover and increase quality. Many jurisdictions now use bid scoring to value workforce benefits alongside price.

Objection: "Backgrounds increase risk and bonding problems."

Answer: Bonding pools and surety guarantees mitigate risk. Non‑profit intermediaries can vet candidates and provide supervision during initial phases. Licensing provisions and criminal history assessments can be narrowly tailored to protect safety without blanket exclusion. Consider designing a small bonding pilot to prove the concept — similar operational playbooks address seasonal labor and tool fleets that face similar underwriting questions (operations playbook).

Objection: "Political pushback — voters won’t like it."

Answer: Frame the plan as a jobs and safety strategy. Point to evidence that employment reduces recidivism and that these programs supply the labor the project needs. Include local hiring and apprenticeship numbers to show direct community benefit.

Measuring success: the metrics that matter

Ask for transparent tracking on a project dashboard. Key metrics to require in contracts and memorandums of understanding include:

• Number of hires from reentry populations (by month and trade)
• Hours worked by target hires (entry‑level vs. journey‑level)
• Apprenticeship slots created and filled (and progression rates)
• Retention at 3, 6, and 12 months
• Wage progression (starting wage and after certification)
• Support services delivered (transportation, childcare, ID, counseling)

Real‑world models and cautious optimism

Across the U.S., transportation authorities and city governments have started to attach workforce commitments to major contracts. Los Angeles Metro’s labor agreements and local hire goals are a visible example of how procurement can produce community benefits without undermining delivery. In 2024–2025, several pilot programs nationally placed justice‑involved people into apprenticeships for public works projects, showing promising retention and earnings outcomes. Use these models while tailoring to Georgia’s legal and labor landscape.

Practical toolkit for families and advocates (what to do this month)

1. Find the procurement calendar. Visit the Georgia DOT project page or county procurement portals and note RFP release and comment dates for I‑75 and related work.
2. Assemble testimony. Prepare a 3‑minute public comment that centers a returning citizen’s story, the community benefit, and specific contract language you support. If you plan to present or livestream testimony, check basic audio/streaming kits for clean remote testimony (basic streaming kit tips).
3. Meet with your county commissioner and state representative. Bring the coalition and model clauses. Ask them to request inclusion of workforce language in the RFP.
4. Connect with unions and community colleges. Ask how many apprenticeship slots they can reserve and what training supports are needed.
5. Push for a pilot bonding pool. Ask the county or state to set aside modest funds ($1–3M) to guarantee surety bonds for small contractors and non‑profit employers that hire returning citizens.

Legal and administrative considerations

Work with legal aid or pro bono counsel to ensure the contract language is compliant with Georgia procurement law and federal funding conditions (e.g., Davis‑Bacon prevailing wage requirements when federal dollars are used). Use narrowly tailored eligibility windows, nondiscrimination protections, and data privacy safeguards when collecting criminal record data — follow verification and privacy best practices (verification playbook).

Longer‑term policy asks for a statewide strategy

While project‑level wins matter, aim for institutional change across Georgia:

• Statewide reentry employment targets for all DOT and public works spending.
• A Georgia Second‑Chance Bonding Program modeled on federal surety guarantees.
• Licensing reform mandating individualized assessments and provisional licensing tied to training.
• Ongoing funding for pre‑apprenticeship pipelines through TCSG and workforce boards.

Stories matter: the human impact

Behind every metric is a person seeking dignity and steady pay. When a returning father in Clayton County can access a pre‑apprenticeship that leads to a union wage and health benefits, his family’s stability grows and the community benefits from reduced reoffending and increased tax revenue. Use stories in testimony and local media to make the case persuasive, not just technical.

"This is about more than a highway. It's about turning public money into predictable careers for people who are ready to work and rebuild their lives." — community reentry advocate

Final recommendations — an actionable checklist

1. Organize a multi‑stakeholder coalition (reentry groups, unions, employers, community colleges, families).
2. Identify procurement deadlines and submit model contract language during the RFP comment period.
3. Request a CWA with specific percent goals for returning citizens and apprenticeship slots.
4. Advocate for a state bonding pool and provisional licensing reforms.
5. Secure funding for supportive services and independent evaluation.
6. Track outcomes publicly and push to scale successful models across future projects.

Why this approach works in 2026

Policymakers and procurement officers in 2026 face pressure to deliver infrastructure quickly while demonstrating measurable benefits to communities. At the same time, the labor market needs trained workers and reentry advocates are more organized than ever. These aligned incentives create a realistic pathway to convert a highway line item into long‑term careers.

Call to action

If you are a family member, service provider, or local leader in Georgia: act now. Map the project calendar, build your coalition, and submit specific contract language to the Georgia DOT during the I‑75 RFP window. For advocates outside Atlanta: use this blueprint to influence your state DOT and county projects. Collective, timely pressure turns infrastructure into inclusion.

Take the next step: Gather two other organizations, draft a one‑page public comment using the model clause in this article, and schedule a meeting with your county commissioner this week. Public works can build roads — and second chances. Help shape the policies so that both happen.

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