Jennifer's Closet

Screenshot 2026-03-01 at 11.05.18 PM.png

OAR of Tompkins County

230 S. Fulton St.
Ithaca, NY

Tompkins County
Chamber of Commerce

124 Brindley St.
Ithaca, NY

Ultimate Reentry Opportunity

W. State St.

Jennifer's Closet

Jennifer's Closet is an initiative dreamed by the former President & CEO, of the Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce Jennifer Tavares. They gather gently used professional attire and make it available to professionals looking to build, refresh, or donate their wardrobe. Most recently the project has supported the work of GIAC's Hospitality Employment Training Program. It is also open to anyone in our community! They are looking to replenish our supply. If you would like to contribute, please send our Business Manager Kay Gutierrez a message, via the button here.

Jennifer's Closet is open to the public by appointment.

Please contact Kay at kgutierrez@tompkinschamber.org to stop in and visit the Closet at the Tompkins Chamber main office at 124 Brindley St. Main Office

Second Chance Hiring

Creating opportunities for employers to hire - and retain -

skilled, motivated, formerly incarcerated folks.

A Staggering Growth in Criminal
Justice Involvement

As of 2016, the U.S. prison population is the largest in the world.
The U.S. accounts for less than 5 percent of the world’s population, but nearly 25 percent of its inmates.
Annually, over 600,000 people leave state and federal prisons and reenter society.

From 1973 to 2014, the average state and federal prison population in the U.S. rose steadily from about 200,000 to slightly over 1.5 million.

Local jails hold another 700,000 people, bringing the total number of inmates across the country to approximately 2.2 million.

The Impact of Criminal Records

Criminal records create serious challenges to employment, even for those with minor offenses or errors on their records. The most common problem is hiring discrimination, but it also affects pay and the quality of jobs available.
Even with recent reforms, laws often reinforce these challenges. For example, many professions exclude people with criminal records through licensing rules.
Since so many people are affected, these penalties contribute to broader social and economic inequality.

Who is Affected Most?

Prison populations are disproportionately black, so black workers are more likely to have criminal records.
Incarceration is linked to mental health conditions and disabilities, making reentry into the workforce even harder.
Beyond jobs, criminal records can block access to housing, public benefits, and other resources needed to rebuild lives.