Orijin has announced the acquisition of Honest Jobs, a national hiring and reentry resource platform connecting formerly incarcerated individuals with employers and support services.
The deal brings together Orijin’s education, rehabilitation, and workforce preparation technology with Honest Jobs’ employer network and reentry tools, creating a unified pathway from incarceration to sustainable employment. The combined offering is designed to support individuals across the full justice continuum from in-facility learning to post-release employment, including parole, probation, and community corrections.
Connecting education to employment outcomes
Orijin prepares incarcerated individuals through education, vocational training, and career readiness programs before release. Honest Jobs extends that support by linking individuals to fair-chance employers and nationwide reentry resources. Together, the integrated platform aims to provide a continuous journey from learning and credentialing to verified job opportunities, while simplifying program management for correctional partners.
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Arti Finn, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Orijin, said the acquisition addresses a long-standing gap between workforce preparation inside correctional facilities and real employment access after release. She noted that connecting training directly to job pathways will help translate education into measurable outcomes.
Addressing a major reentry challenge
While many correctional programs focus on education and skill-building, few offer direct, scalable connections to employers actively hiring justice-impacted individuals. Honest Jobs adds a national job board featuring more than 300,000 openings from over 1,500 employers, along with a directory of more than 200,000 social services supporting reentry.
The platform has gained national recognition for advancing fair-chance employment and building employer partnerships focused on second-chance hiring. Its integration is expected to strengthen Orijin’s ability to align training programs with workforce demand and create clearer employment pathways.
Harley Blakeman, Founder and CEO of Honest Jobs, will join Orijin as Director of Business Development. He said the combined platform enables earlier visibility into talent pipelines and allows employers to connect with candidates based on verified skills developed during incarceration.
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Expanding support beyond correctional facilities
The acquisition also expands Orijin’s reach into community supervision environments, providing tools for parole, probation, and community corrections agencies to support employment and long-term stability for justice-involved individuals.
Harris Ferrell, CEO of Orijin, said the move supports the company’s growth strategy while strengthening its ability to serve partners across the entire reentry ecosystem. He emphasized that integrating employment pathways with education and rehabilitation services can help improve outcomes and reduce recidivism.
Integration of the Honest Jobs platform into Orijin’s managed learning system will begin immediately, with phased updates planned through 2026. The Honest Jobs Reentry Navigator will also remain available as a standalone solution for probation, parole, community corrections, and nonprofit reentry organizations.
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