Fourteen days ago he had been released from prison, where he served 6 and a half years of an 18-year sentence.
Canody is one of 650,000 people released from prison every year across the United States, according to the Department of Justice. That’s a population of which nearly 75% are still unemployed a year after being released. According to the Brookings Institution, stable employment has been shown to reduce recidivism, but even for those who find a job, earning capacity is likely hindered: Based on a report released by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, formerly incarcerated people who do find employment after their release tend to earn just 53% of the median US worker’s wage.
Fresh starts and fresh cuts
Barbering skills aren’t a requirement to work at R&R Head Labs, however, as its paid apprentice program shepherds employees through training, the 2,000 hours of working as an apprentice and 300 hours of classroom or in-shop time required to get a barber license in Colorado.
“This opportunity feels surreal and overwhelming,” said Canody. “But that’s a good thing. I am getting comfortable with being uncomfortable and see how barbering can help me change my life.”
Repenning and his team work with Colorado prisons to recruit individuals and get them into the apprenticeship program. According to Repenning, the support from the Colorado Department of Corrections has exceeded expectations, with parole officers facilitating barber tool starter sets and arranging job fairs.
In Denver specifically, R&R Head Labs recruitment and reentry efforts are steered by Charles Smith, a member of the company’s advisory council. Smith served 24 years in prison; after his release, he became the director of advocacy and earned income strategies for CommunityWorks, a non-profit organization which provides job seekers with support service and job readiness instruction.
“The model would be to have someone like Charles in every state we go to,” added Repenning. “Many of the people we talk to are people he served with, so there’s a great deal of trust there.”
Smith aims to connect with inmates around 90 days before their release date, to start mentoring and prepping them to make their acclimation to life outside of prison easier and more tolerable. Understanding the “politics of what happens in prison” is something Smith considers a crucial aspect of his work, and one he believes offers an advantage in approaching and vetting prospective barbers.
“People in prison are a forgotten population,” said Smith. “It is a huge help to people coming out of prison to see and feel that someone finally believes in you. It makes you want to be better.”
In keeping with its overarching ethos, even R&R’s physical space was designed to best accommodate formerly incarcerated people. With guidance from the advisory board, the space was specifically designed to minimize triggers for its employees, down to its color palette and barber chair positioning.
“Everything by design has to do with connectedness,” explained Repenning. “A lot of barber shops are stainless steel… ours needs to be super welcoming and warm.” Repenning and his team learned which colors and palettes to stay away from: Certain shades of orange, red, green and blue (which could serve as a reminder of jumpsuit colors) were out; brighter colors, embodying outdoor themes of woodlands and greenery were chosen instead to soften the environment and make it feel uplifting, energetic and approachable.
Barber chairs are positioned so that no barber’s back is to the door, another potential vulnerability for an employee who had previously served prison time. “Prison can be a very dangerous place,” said Repenning. “‘Watching your back’ takes on extra significance, thus our barbers tend to want to know who’s behind them and who’s walking into the space.” A round bar where people are invited to sit and wait for their appointment was designed specifically to facilitate conversation and community.
R&R Head Labs is looking to open an additional shop in Denver later this year, with future expansion into the Boston, Chicago, and New York markets planned.
“It’s like bringing the ‘hood and Beverly Hills together,” added Smith. “And creating this amazing beautiful space. A safe space.”