I am a 25-year old graduate student and I am currently engaged to a good man who helps me take care of my daughter. However, times are really hard for us right now, as my fiance is 31-years old and has been out of work for 2 years. In 2007, he please guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery or carjacking (which is how it is listed on his record). This actual even happened in 2003. Since then, he secured one job in 2007, and lost it in 2009 when the store went out of business. In addition, he went to Lincoln Tech Institute and obtained a certificate for Diesel Technology and Technician. Next, he went and got his forklift license.
He has submitted over 200 hundred applications in the past year and he has still not gotten a job. He even walks into companies wearing a suit and tie just to fill out applications, hoping that this will help increase his chances at securing a job. Every time it seems his chances are looking good in the interviews, he either tells about his conviction, or the companies conduct a background check, and he does not get a call back after that. We have been to the One Stop Career Center seeking help, and the most they gave him was a list of employers who have hired ex-felons in the PAST. We have been to church organizations and have contacted Trenton, and still he has not received any help.
He would like to drive trucks, fix on them, or get a forklift job, but we just don't know what to do anymore. I'm trying not to give up on this man, but it's becoming so overwhelming. Please help us!
Karen
Hello Karen,
Firstly, your fiance may have to get a Commercial Drivers License if he wants to drive trucks. If he attended Lincoln Tech, there are placement services there that assist graduates. If that doesn't work, I suggest grabbing the yellow pages and making a list of all the garages in your area that service diesel engines. He can call each one to inquire about open positions. Because he has training but not much experience, he may have to start as a mechanic's helper. A third option would me to contact trucking companies in your area to see if they service their own trucks. He could apply as a mechanic's helper at those places. Usually smaller independent companies will offer a better chance to ex-offenders and felons.
Ex-offenders and felons looking for jobs must understand that they may not get what they want right away. A little out-of -the-box thinking and lots of hard work will pay off.
My fiance's ex husband is a paroled sex offender. He was released from prison more than ten years ago and my fiance divorced him but has too much compassion to turn him out on the street. He had found work in construction driving tractors and heavy equipment but all that disappeared when the recession hit. After a long stretch of unemployment he got another construction job that required heavy manual labor. His bosses knew of his crime and worked him extra hard because of that.
Despite what I have read about parole officers, the reality is that many of them don't really like their work so they play games, mostly trying to violate these men again. If the parolee is living in a good neighborhood (despite the hatred of the neighbors) the parole officer may be very jealous, which is the case with my fiance's ex. She is not there to help him in any way. That is the reality.
Meanwhile, he makes a meager income of about $800 a month, and he lives in my fiance's home taking care of their teenage son. My fiance takes contract work and travels to stay away from him. Prior to her ex husband's incarceration, he worked in the office of a major defense contracting firm and earned a very good living. But now, he is mostly a broken middle-aged man working manual labor at minimum wage.
My fiance and I would like to help him find meaningful and lucrative work. He had worked in positions that would earn upwards to $40 an hour, but no one would hire him because of his status. The guy has an impressive resume, and he's constantly worried about being violated again, or that his parole officer will go after him. We're considering to set up a LLC and make him an 1099 employee. We would handle marketing of his skills There are a number of contract web sites - Odesk.com, Textbroker.com and Elance.com where we can try to get work for him.
What are your thoughts about such an arrangement? I'm mot sure. I suggest you get the legal angle one it. Convicted sex-offenders are subject to reporting regulations that other ex-offenders and felons don't have to deal with. What I would suggest in the meantime is to make a list of local contractors and offer to himself out as a day laborer. There are in all probability quite a few contractors in your area looking for skilled day laborers as a way to keep their own costs down. He could get a list of contractors that have recently been issued building permits at your local municipal building. This is public record so he should have no trouble getting that information. I hope this helps.
My name is Tim. I was reading the blogs on the web site. I have complete compassion in this matter as I am also a convicted felon. It's shameful just to say it aloud, but like the others I have accepted it and realized what I have done is wrong. My convictions unfortunately were aimed mainly at my parents when I was younger do to an emotionally unstable home life. I have corrected my problems and own emotional bouts. I am a successful father of two beautiful little girls and engaged to the most wonderful woman on this planet. We are buying a house soon on her income....I feel less of a person not being able to provide for my family.
I was told last week by Kelly services after an interview that I had the job. It was the best news I heard since my lady said yes to that important question after we laid our baby girl down for the night. I went to work today, I loved it. I liked it so much I started to talking to the human resources person about retirement and shares in the biz. I received a phone call on the way home tonight which is what has sparked my efforts for finding an answer online. Kelly services was relaying a message that a background check had come back and they found a felony.
The conviction that was in question was a misdemeanor. I'm not even sure that will save me from what's ahead but I plan on taking immediate action in the morning. My hopes lie within the kind heart of the hr woman from the place I was employed. The conviction in '07 was not a felony, if there is any possible way to get that taken care of on a very bare income please let me know. Thank you for your time and have wonderful day.
Sincerely,
Tim
Hello Tim,
Two things come to mind. First, if the conviction was on the application, It wouldn't be a question. As I suggest to all ex-offenders and felons looking for jobs, be totally honest when completing employment applications. It would make no sense to leave convictions off when applying, get hired and than lose the job when background checks are done at a later time.
If your only situation is that your misdemeanor is listed as a felony, one option is to have the prosecutor associated with your case to correct the situation. Often the prosecutor has the power to downgrade a felony to a misdemeanor. If there was an error, you should have no problem getting this done. If you have no success there, I suggest contacting your local legal aid office. There you may be able to get low-cost or even no-cost assistance correcting your situation. Often ex-offenders and felons looking for employment require some legal assistance and that is a good place to start.
Frequently I get questions from ex-offenders and felons looking for jobs and job search assistance. From time to time I get mail form ex-offenders and felons just wanting to be heard. Take a few minutes and read something I received from a reader of this blog. Feel free to comment.
Dear Eric,
I’m writing in hopes of letting my story be known to help and encourage women of all ethnicities, cultures, socioeconomic status, and the alike. I was watching Mo’Nique's documentary entitled, “Women Behind Bars,” and saw myself. I don’t believe I’ve cried with such intensity in years and absolutely hate to see women placed in such testing predicaments. Having experienced adversity and can understand how simple it is to be caught within certain circumstances. But now I have a question I’d like to ask the world, a felon serving time, paying back debts to society or whatever discipline is necessary, I concur, but what else is expected of a felon when seen as a title and society won’t assist these human beings (felons) back into what is called a “forgiving world.” Living in Colorado, I have come to experience racism from many aspects, African American, female (educated), epileptic (disability), and a felon. With these characteristics defining me as a person, employment, or to suggest a second chance in the state of Colorado is almost non- existent. Employers in Colorado do not assist felons with employment necessary to pay back debts, live efficiently and evade recidivism, where most felons eventually return to a life of crime for a means of survival.
I for example, unemployed and being a convicted felon am ineligible for assistance. I’m curious to know what services, options, choices and the alike are available for cultured felons? To give a brief synopsis of my conviction; I plead guilty to and was convicted of a misprision of a felony in 2006 a crime committed by a young man in 2002. Misprison of a felony was an offense under the common law of England and was classified as a misdemeanor. It consisted of failing to report knowledge of a felony to the appropriate authorities. After the 9/11 tragedy, the United States, reinstated the Patriot Act, adopted and revised England's law of a misdemeanor "misprison of a felony" making it a felony and terrorist act to protect the country against further terrorists or terrorist acts (basically ourselves). Having knowledge of a crime or criminal, placed me in the category of being a terrorist threat to my country. Though it is documented a witness came forward in 2003 stating money was offered in exchange for my life, instead of providing protection for a US citizen, the government chose to convict and sentence a U.S. citizen for essentially not “snitching” and protecting the lives of her and her family. When we have no one in the country we can trust, who do we turn to? When families are afraid and fear for their lives added with the lives of their children (i.e. domestic violence homicides) and the government deems the victim(s) as a terrorist or their actions a terrorist act, where do we go and what do we do to protect our own?
Having no prior criminal history, I was sentenced to one year in a woman’s federal facility in Fort Worth, Texas (released October 2007) and one year probation (completed 2008). Since my release in 2007, I completed and received a B.S., in Criminal Justice with an emphasis in Domestic Violence and Juvenile Delinquency. Wanting to increase my awareness and familiarity of family, I directed my career objective to counsel women and children; and enrolled in Argosy University where (passing the necessary exams) I will receive an MBA, LPC in Clinical Mental Health Counseling in September of 2012. While attending school full-time, I volunteered with Bridges of Silence; an after school tutoring program for children and youth; ages 6-18. But ineligible for hire due to a felony back ground. At the same time, I completed training to obtain certification for CPR, Standard First Aid, and Blood Pathogens.
Now having a criminal history, I will use my story as an example for others to follow when making what could be life changing choices. I was what most considered “The All American Girl” born in the United States, first job at the Mall, age sixteen, honor roll, track star, peer counselor, comedian, prom queen, and later registered to vote, age eighteen. I like to think I was a model citizen until my choices lead me to a path of devastation. I made a mistake in my choice of friends, relationships, life in general and feel I owe it to society, in particular, the younger generation to emphasize the importance of where our choices, positive and or negative, could eventually lead us. Working with and empowering children is a difficult task, and is not encouraged when one has a felony record. I do discourage convictions involving children, but rather, use a conviction such as my own, to dissuade children from following the same path. I am often discouraged from many job openings with children for discrimination purposes as all of the applications clearly specify, “a felony conviction does not automatically disqualify employment,” however, having that title automatically places a negative stigma amongst employers, volunteers, and society as a whole.
Seeing the displacement of children and adolescents due to their wrong or bad choices isn’t the example I want to lead by. Rather, be that example to demonstrate that “yes” I made a bad choice, but a bad choice does not make me a bad person. If I had put some thought into my decisions, then I would not have made those mistakes. But, it’s too late, “I am unable to take it back,” however, I can grow from it. My purpose in life now is to give back, and help deter others from making the same mistakes I did.
The state of Colorado seems to be the least forgiving state of felons; the entire realm of felonies should be classified separately, but are grouped and stigmatized as all being a nuisance to society. These stigmas may be the foundation to many felons either falsifying the fact of having a conviction or falsifying their credentials, where even “I” have been informed of being, “over qualified.” Whom do felons go to for help or work? No one wants to hear our side; they look at the title and automatically make assumptions as to who you are as a person!
President Barack Obama signed into law on April 9, 2008, the Second Chance Act (P.L. 110-199) which was designed to improve outcomes for people returning to communities from prisons and jails. We as citizens were lead to believe it was intended to authorize federal grants to government agencies and nonprofit organizations to provide employment assistance, substance abuse treatment, housing, family programming, mentoring, victims support, and other services that can help reduce recidivism. However, this Second Chance Act is nonexistent in the state of Colorado, evident on every application as emphasis is placed on “a felony conviction does not automatically disqualify an applicant,” but, very well guarantees the likelihood of your application not being viewed.
I’ve accepted responsibility for the crime I committed, and owe it to future generations to help deter them from possibly making the same mistake in their lives. I want to be of assistance to my country, not be on assistance. I have been told being a convicted felon makes me ineligible for assistance in the state of Colorado. Does it help or hinder the situation, single, without children, and refusing to claim epilepsy as a disability? I’m asking for assistance in finding employment in the state of Colorado, and for a second chance that will allow me to go forward and give the necessary message to our children. Though my crime had nothing to do with children, I was recently informed that my felony conviction will not allow me to be eligible to counsel children.
Confused, as a felon I am an excellent candidate for a volunteer and or mentor for children, but the title felon suggests I also pose a threat to children and society as a whole. Once again, felon is a title, it is not who I am. Thank you for taking the time to read and absorb my story. The moral of the story is felons are people to, and we should be treated as such. The only difference between me and others without the title of “felon” is I was wedged between a rock and a hard place. A movie I recommend for all Americans is “Loose Change.” Then when it comes to you having to make that choice for your family, what choice will you make? Will your government (country) be there for you as you are expected to be for your government (country)?
Are you an ex-offender or felon
who has a question about finding a job with a criminal record? I have
been helping ex-offenders and felons get jobs for over ten years and I
feel I have an understanding of what works. I will be updating this
blog often. I will answer specific questions relating to getting a job
with a criminal record on this blog so feel free to send me your
questions. The right information could help a felonget jobs. You could have your question answered right here. Email your question to: BelievePublications@comcast.net.
If you are a felonand really serious about getting a job or you want to help someone you care about get a job, check out this link: From Jail to a Job
Firstly, your fiance may have to get a Commercial Drivers License if he wants to drive trucks. If he attended Lincoln Tech, there are placement services there that assist graduates. If that doesn't work, I suggest grabbing the yellow pages and making a list of all the garages in your area that service diesel engines. He can call each one to inquire about open positions. Because he has training but not much experience, he may have to start as a mechanic's helper. A third option would me to contact trucking companies in your area to see if they service their own trucks. He could apply as a mechanic's helper at those places. Usually smaller independent companies will offer a better chance to ex-offenders and felons.
