We met one guy, working at local Taco Bell, that was a Felon. But, just what do felons do for work after released from prison? Years ago, companies didn't do a background check for any prospective employee, but today they do. There were employers that simply read the application and would either hire the person instantly, which had happened to me, or the company would take multiple applications and choose from there. Last employer was never called for a reference, especially if the "last employer" was no longer available. So, what I'm wondering is how a Felon can get back into the work force? If they can't, just how do the live? Especially those that are released from prison and really want to get their lives totally together. I've really wondered about this for a long time.
It seems to be a major problem Cody. I've seen endless documentaries on this problem, and if a felon reveals his criminal record, he's more likely not to be hired, and oft-times with no money or just basic benefits they fall back into crime, to be able to feed and home themselves.. Equally some don't have a home to go to when they leave prison so ( in the Uk don't know about the USA) without an address they cannot claim any kind of unemployment benefits. just about all potential employers now do background checks, so it's hard for ex offenders to get back on the straight and narrow.
The VA home in Greenville, S.Carolina used to be a halfway house for paroled felons but the administrator for the VA home was the same lady who ran the halfway house so I got a lot of information from her about the subject. Most prisoners who are close to their exit time will go on a “work release” program whereby all the prospective employers must be informed as to the background of the inmate. As a matter of fact, some employers actually list their needs at the local city, county and state prisons with the counselors and some referrals are made from there. Now, I do not know about everywhere else but in South Carolina, a paroled inmate has to stay at the halfway house for a period of time and is only given 2 weeks to find gainful employment or they go back to the prison. Once they have found work they stay at the home until such time that they can afford to have their own residence and enough money to sustain them for a short period. Those who go back to prison are given the chance to “job search” and possibly go on work release and then later, back to a halfway house where they can live and work and again, get their own residence. I guess that the attitude is that if a person doesn’t have to worry about food, shelter and clothing and can’t find a job within two weeks that they’re just not trying hard enough so another stay at the steel bar hotel might give the parolee a little more motivation to do better next time they have the chance. If a person has fulfilled their time in prison, that person still has to tell the employer about their past but it doesn’t always work that way. Since they’ve paid their debt to society there are a lot of employers who simply do not ask and the x-con generally knows who those employers are. Construction sites are notorious for the “don’t ask, don’t tell” hiring policies. If a person can walk, lift and keep their mouth shut, they’re hired. Notably, my dad used to hire a lot of convicts but he said he wasn’t worried about what they did as much as what the convicts do from the moment of hiring. If they stayed straight with him, they had a job.
Since I am dealing with this very issue now, may offer some insite. First much depends offense. Second all that are to be released spend 6-8 weeks being prepared for living on the 'outside. They are given also information on how and where to find employment. If sent to a half way house,they are sent to temp agencies to find work. The agency has a list of employers agreeing too hire certain types of offenders.Most of these employers are much more demanding of felons than the average person. Miss one day..your gone. Other felons rely on family or freinds to help with finding jobs. The bigger problem is living places. Harder - I hear than to find a job. It can take months to a year or more too get out of certain halfway houses. They have many obstacles in trying to fit back into main stream society.A good job- for those really wanting to succeed is also a good aide in keeping them from returning to crime.
NY has a "Ban the box" law. It prevents prospective employers from asking about your criminal status on the initial application. Once the interview stage comes the questions can be asked. This is supposed to keep from automatic matter of course rejections.
That sounds like a stupid law; but then it is NY, lol. As to the original question in the thread, I believe it totally depends on the type of felony. I believe that anyone who has paid their dues deserves another chance. I'd assume that criminals who served time for pedophilia or murder would get closer scrutiny, though. (But what do I know? )
I don't see the harm in it. The applicant can always be rejected after his status becomes known. I know a kid was sent to prison for breaking and entering. When he got out he got a job at the same place he robbed, became manager and eventually bought two stores in the franchise. Having "Ban the Box" at least affords an opportunity to plead your case. Nothing in the law says there is any obligation or responsibility to hire anyone, just says you can't asked the statement on your application. All of your hiring standards and practice remain in full force.
I suppose I simply feel that the state should butt out and let the employer decide what is or is not germane to their hiring procedure. Why do we need REGULATIONS for every-freakin-thing.
I'm only throwing this out there, but there is some pretty scary people that work for traveling carnivals. The ones that operate some of the rides. They sure don't look like the ride operators that work at large amusement parks, like Disney World or Disney Land or a Water Park. I'm sure that paroles are given chances to correct their lives, but for those that can't find a job and have to live in a weekly motel (due to no credit), doesn't seem like they would have any choice but to go back to crime. At least prison gives them a roof over their head, bed to sleep in and meals. I don't know. This whole thing just made me start thinking, "what would they do if no job or home?".
I had a friend whose grandson got arrested for threatening another man with a baseball bat. Never touched the man, but he got convicted of aggravated assault, plus he was drinking at the time. He served a few months in prison as I recall. After that, the grandfather spent at least 5 years in numerous court appearances, plus large legal fees trying to get the conviction removed from his grandson's record. They were eventually successful. The grandfather then paid his tuition to enroll in a tech school. He learned welding, became very good at it, and is now a supervisor at a major factory which produces construction equipment. How many people have a sponsor like that who is willing to go through all the red tape, and can afford all that time and money. Not many.
I just happen to think about this thread when thinking about those that are felons today and try to get a descent job. Job background checks (criminal, credit, etcl) weren't always done by companies. A call/reference from a previous employer, yes, but not a background check. And, doesn't the potential employee have to sign a form to have a background check done by a company? Until 2003, I never signed anything for a criminal, or whatever, company background check. If a felon applies for some type of job, and a criminal, credit or whatever background check is done, there's a very high chance the person won't get the job. Then what? The crime/crimes he was put into prison for, starts all over again?
As with most problems, there are no perfect solutions. If solving the problem were easy, it wouldn't be much of a problem. While I believe that an employer should be able to ask the questions that would allow the company to hire people they are comfortable with, and I also like the idea of the government staying the hell out of it, felons don't have much of a chance unless they have a unique and needed talent or, more likely to be the case, someone with means to sponsor them. Far too many people, by the time they find themselves in prison, have burned their bridges. If they still have family interested in supporting them, they may have already exhausted their means of doing so. Any money the felon may have had once was either taken by the state or used up in mounting a legal defense. When they are released, especially if they are paroled, there are restrictions on where they can live and what they can do. They don't have the money to buy a home or to be secure in renting an apartment, beyond a few nights at a motel. Very likely, they don't have the clothes to look presentable at an interview, and even if the job application didn't ask about felony convictions, there would be an uncomfortable gap in time on a resume that would have to be dealt with. Often, a person's criminal career was fueled, not so much by greed or a hunger for a criminal life, but by an addiction to drugs, alcohol, gambling, or something else. They may leave prison clean, but only if the prison was secure enough that they were forced to abstain while behind bars. They may or may not have received help with overcoming their addiction, which would otherwise still be there waiting for an opportunity. This is not a great scenario for success. Sure, we can rightfully say that they did it to themselves. Even someone who is born with the propensity to addiction won't become addicted until s/he has decided to drink, do drugs, or whatever. So yes, we can put the blame solely on the shoulders of the felon, and be correct in doing so, but does that solve the problem? This unfortunate situation doesn't solve the problem for the felon, to be sure, but neither does it keep anyone else safe once, unable to make an honest life, the felon decides to return to what he knows best. It doesn't solve the problem for the felon, his victims, or potential new victims. Then, there is the cost of keeping a couple of million people incarcerated in the United States alone, plus, of course, the cost of law enforcement and the legal system. Whether we err in giving someone a chance to prove himself or in being tough on crime, we're still left with a problem, and the problem isn't a small one.
That’s why so many refer to serious crime as throwing one’s life away. You really do. It’s hard enough to move ahead just starting from an even playing field. If one is so foolish as to dig themselves a mineshaft, jump in and start from there, the prospects are not good.
If prisons worked more toward education then the axiom of criminals leaving prison as better criminals wouldn’t be as prominent. Even in today’s world, too many people are illiterate or at least have learning problems and can barely function as a positive member of society hence many of their bad life choices. All “blue collar” state and federal prisoners who have a sentence ranging from 1 to 20 years should be evaluated and HAVE to take the necessary courses it takes to bring them up to a level whereby they can apply for additional occupational courses. Coming out of prison as a past felon makes it hard enough to land a decent job but one that has applied himself to get a better education whilst in prison goes a long way in the job application process.