R&R Head Labs Empowers Ex-Convicts with Barbering Jobs and Pathways towards Employment

James Canody nervously admitted to CNN that his current job as an apprentice at R&R Head Labs, a Denver-based business exclusively employing formerly incarcerated and justice-impacted individuals, was overwhelming but in a good way. The 650,000 people released from prison every year across the US face high unemployment rates of nearly 75%, with those who do find employment earning only around half that of median worker’s wage, according to reports by Department of Justice and Brookings Institution respectively. R&R Head Labs aims to help tackle this problem by offering paid apprentice programs as part of a strategy focused on addressing the financial, logistical, and emotional inequities associated with reentry into society for formerly incarcerated individuals. The barbershop’s model creates pathways towards employment that utilize skills gained while in prison or offer training to employees without prior experience in hairdressing. In addition to paid apprenticeship programs, R&R Head Labs offers mentorship and community outreach initiatives in Denver led by an advisory council made up of formerly incarcerated people turned advocates like Charles Smith who served 24 years behind bars before becoming the director of advocacy and earned income strategies for CommunityWorks. To accommodate individuals transitioning from prison life, R&R Head Labs’ physical space was designed to minimize triggers by avoiding certain colors associated with jumpsuit hues while positioning barber chairs in a way that avoids any vulnerability felt by formerly incarcerated employees. In its first few months of operation, the shop has attracted customers from diverse backgrounds and income levels according to Repenning who told CNN that his team aims for their locations to offer a “safe space” where people can come together regardless of race, hair type, gender or age.