One day in prison costs $79, but a day on probation costs only $3.42. This is a statistic provided by Clean Decisions, a Washington, D.C.-based startup that employs ex-offenders.

Will Avila, an ex-offender himself, founded Clean Decisions and then his non-profit Changing Perceptions after his release from prison. He realized how difficult it is for ex-offenders -- which he calls returning citizens -- to find housing and employment after release.

Avila recognizes how easy it is for returning citizen to fall back into a pattern of bad behavior. His goal is to keep his employees and those working with Changing Perceptions out of the system. He wants to give them an opportunity to see value in themselves and set goals and work towards achieving them.

With Clean Decisions, these returning citizens have the opportunity to,

"unleash their full potential, break negative inter-generational cycles in their families, build a path to a middle-class lifestyle, and have an opportunity to give back."

Clean Decisions' staff works staffing events, cleaning restaurants and doing landscaping and cleaning the D.C. area. They are also working with the Department of Small and Local Business Development on "Clean Teams," an initiative to keep D.C.'s streets and neighborhoods clean, which also makes them safer, more desirable places to live and work.

Read the full article by Caroline McKee about ex-offenders as entrepreneurs from Circa