Justice Champion Spotlight: Jackie Huebbe, SugarBot Sweet Shop

We spoke with Jackie Huebbe, founder of Missouri-based SugarBot Sweet Shop, about her experience hiring and working with second chance employees and why she’s pushing for Clean Slate in Missouri.

When did you start Second Chance Hiring? What has your experience been with your second chance employees?

I started the process in late 2019, taking the time to really figure out what we needed to do on the employer side. I wanted to really deep dive and make sure that I had all the information before we committed to doing it. Our experience has been a lot like hiring any other employees – except that with our second chance employees, when folks are good, they’re amazing. Like with anybody else, you’ll have some people that are just in it for the paycheck, some people who are in it because they like the work you do but might not necessarily be good at it, and then some people who like the work and are great at it. My experience with Second Chance Hiring has been that almost everyone is in the category where they enjoy the work. And while they might not be good at it right away, they’re always quick to learn and quick to pick it up. My second chance employees have always been great at both giving and accepting candid feedback – I’ve really appreciated the communication that has come along with it.

Why is Second Chance Hiring important to you as a business owner?

 You hear so much on the news about the prison pipeline and the cycle of recidivism – put people into this system, often when they’re very young, and then when they come out they think, “well, now I have this on my record, nobody is going to hire me, I can’t do anything.” They’re immediately giving up, and they’re thinking, “I won’t be out for very long because the only thing I can do is make mistakes.” And it’s a vicious cycle – it’s not even three strikes, you’re out, it’s closer to one strike, you’re out. That sucks out hope for people. 

You definitely have employers who are not willing to take a chance. But there are a lot of situations, for a lot of employers, where what someone did in the past doesn’t and shouldn’t matter. Having an employer say, “hey, you might have messed up, but you can come in” – it shows that person that they can change, that they are still part of society. It also gives them a chance to make money, so it keeps them from reoffending and going back into prison because they know they will have a paycheck and a reliable source of income. And then once you’re financially secure, you’re able to educate yourself, to go places you couldn’t before – you have a platform to grow. 

I don’t believe that anyone is incapable of change, I just think you have to be ready for it. I think about if I did something, or my sister did something, or somebody that I loved did something – I would want someone to give me a second chance. Everybody deserves somebody like that. Everybody deserves to get that second chance.

What advice would you give business leaders who are looking to start hiring second chance employees?

 I would recommend working with a second chance organization in your area. Here in St. Louis, we have the Transformative Workforce Academy through [St. Louis University]. Starting with a program like that, you have the opportunity to meet folks from this population without making a longer term commitment.

You can also volunteer with a program like the Transformative Workforce Academy as a job coach. It’s just four or five weeks, about an hour a day, and you can help people write resumes, find jobs they might be interested in, do mock interviews, touch base and make sure they have the documentation they might need, things like that. The longer you do it, the easier it gets. But a program like that is a great way to get started and meet someone, realize they’re human, and let yourself be surprised by how many job skills these folks actually do have – they just don’t always know how to put them into business jargon. Starting with an organization can really help you understand that and prepare to hire.

What are some of the obstacles facing returning citizens, beyond finding employment?

I think the biggest one is housing. Policies like Clean Slate, which will benefit the workforce, will also make it easier for people with old criminal records to find housing. That has a huge benefit for small businesses like mine. We’re in a pretty rural area, and we’re not accessible by public transit – so the biggest challenge we face isn’t actually hiring our second chance employees, but making sure they can find housing close enough to work. We pay well, so they can afford the area, but they’re often unable to find places that won’t consider a criminal record. That’s especially hard for people with families – just because mom or dad did something when they were younger, now they can’t move for a better job, they can’t move their kids to a better school district. And then in turn, the kids start to see an intergenerational cycle of poverty and incarceration. It feeds an entire cycle that keeps people from being able to move forward.

You mentioned Clean Slate, a policy you’re pushing for in Missouri – why did you choose to get involved in legislative advocacy?

 The biggest reason for me getting involved is that I can only hire so many people. I’m doing the most I can as far as Second Chance Hiring, and I’m telling my friends and family and other business owners to consider it. But all of us can only hire so many people, and this is the next path for helping. 

I also know a lot of people who are interested in Second Chance Hiring but can’t because of the nature of their business. For example, I have a friend who runs a microbrewery, who wants to be a Second Chance Hirer but can’t because the business involves alcohol. So Clean Slate will help both businesses that actively want to engage in Second Chance Hiring and those that might not be looking to do so but are still facing the labor shortage. It’s going to give companies across Missouri a leg up. 

What impact would Clean Slate have for Missourians?

 There are obviously a ton of positive things that would come out of Clean Slate, but I think the biggest one is that we’re going to see a drop in repeat offending. When you give someone a job, when the legislature takes action to pass a bill like this, you give people hope. People are going to be able to find employment more easily, they’re going to be able to find housing more easily, they’re going to make money, they’re going to be able to set a good example for their kids. They’re not going to be embarrassed to be a part of the community. I think the biggest impact is that folks will feel like once you have done your time, it’s done, and you will get the chance to start over. I think that’s huge. 

When you aren’t working, what do you enjoy doing?

The one thing I always do, for my one guaranteed day off, is hang out with my nephews. I have two nephews (the older one is eight and the younger one is five). I pick them up from school on Mondays and we just party. We go to our local fancy gas station, we go to trampoline parks, we’ll go swimming, we’ll do whatever. And then my husband and I have two dogs, so we like to take them for walks and hang out with them. 

What’s a fact about you that would surprise people?

My husband and I are both sport pilots! We have a small two-seater airplane that we’ll take out and fly. He has his full pilot’s license and has been a pilot the majority of his life; I started really working towards mine in 2019, and then in 2021 I started flying almost daily. I’m hoping to get to the next level of my license this year.