Hoping to help boyfriend and other felons get jobs

Hello Eric,

First and foremost, I want to thank you for taking your time to both run your very informational blog as well as to view my e-mail. Secondly, I apologize in advance for the multiple questions that I am asking. Now, for some insight...I met my boyfriend two years ago, just before he was going to jail in MD for a violation of probation. He also confided in me from the start that he was facing seven felony charges in PA. Caring deeply for him, I agreed that so long as he was a changed man and did not participate in the activity that landed him in trouble in the first place from there on out, that I would stay with him. I waited for him while he served his violation of probation sentence, and ever since a little over a year ago, we have been in a serious, committed relationship. He has been sober ever since we met...and you can ask anyone, his friends, family, teachers, old co-workers...he has certainly changed, for the better.

Of course, our lives together have been a roller coaster. His charges from PA loomed for the first nine or so months of our relationship. Every court date, I did not know if he was returning to jail, and if I would be left waiting again. In the meantime, he did everything that he needed to. He voluntarily participated in rehab, did volunteer work at a local non-profit organization, and stayed sober. When his sentencing date came around, the judge recognized all of his hard work and let him off with six years of probation instead of the two years in jail that he had agreed to in the plea agreement. Even his lawyer was shocked, and shook his head when my boyfriend thanked him, before saying, "I did nothing. You did all of the work." The downside was that he officially became a convicted felon, instead of having pending felonies. Thankfully, they were dropped from seven to three.

This was very exciting news, of course. Even more so exciting was that a couple of hours after we got home, he received a phone call for an interview. By the next week, he already had a part-time job. He held the job for a month without any problems until recently. Despite being a very hard worker and increasing sales by $5,000 single-handedly in the short amount of time that he worked there, corporate obtained his background check and the store let him go. This was very frustrating, especially seeing as when he was hired, his managers knew every single little thing on his record. He was never dishonest about anything. The local store wanted him, but corporate did not.

This leaves us in a pickle. We have bills to pay, bills that I cannot afford on my own. We realize how much of a struggle it was for the first nine months for him to even get an interview, and here he is, back at square one. Everything feels like it happened so quickly - he was given a second chance, and it was ripped away from him just as fast. He has a strong resume that we have sent to numerous employers, but he obviously cannot pass a background check. Even local laboring agencies will not accept people with so much as a misdemeanor, since they are specifically for "individuals with clean records who just cannot find jobs," as he was told on the phone. He is getting pretty discouraged...I can provide emotional support, no problem, but financially, I cannot hold us both up for too long. What would your best suggestion be? Should he even mention this latest job on his resume? He was a great worker - they just did not want him after the background check. How is he supposed to explain working for simply a month to the next person who offers him an interview?

To add to his woes and dreams getting crushed, he wants so desperately to join the Army...unfortunately, every recruiter that we have talked to laughs in his face and turns him away. One of our best friends is a Sgt. MP and he keeps giving my boyfriend hope, though that goes away when the actual recruiters say there is no chance. Considering that my boyfriend was represented by a public defender in his court case involving the felony charges, what course of action can we take? I have seen on your blog the mentioning of sending letters to lessen felonies to misdemeanors, etc to help with this problem. It is just very confusing when his public defender says that he has to wait seven years to have his felonies expunged before he can join the Army, the judge says he only needs to finish probation to join the Army, and the recruiters say no matter how old a charge is, he can never join the Army.

Being with this man whom I care so deeply for and yet feel like I can't help is a very overwhelming feeling. I have such a strong passion now to organize and rally, to contact my local government to encourage them to encourage employers to hold ex-offender friendly job fairs, etc. not just for my boyfriend, but for all reformed convicts who truly do want to change their lives. How would I go about doing that? Would a letter suffice? Who would I even write to in our local government? I want to advocate to help others get the second chances that they deserve, I just feel as though I need a bit of direction or encouragement to get me going.

Thank you so much for reading, and God bless your work and all that you do.

-Hoping to Help

Hoping to help boyfriend and other felons get jobs

Your boyfriend is lucky to have someone like you in his corner. Many ex-offenders and felons usually don't have as much support. As for listing such a short term job, I would not. It would simply raise more questions. I would apply at smaller companies that can hire at their own discretion. Your boyfriend may also consider temporary employment. Once again he may have success applying at small independent employment agencies who are free to hire anyone they please rather than national companies that have stiffer corporate hiring guidelines. Another option is contact your local United Way. The United Way financially supports social service agencies including some which help ex-offenders or may even employ them. Goodwill Industries also have programs which help and employ ex-offenders and felons.

Expungement is not an option when seeking to join the military. Expungement does not erase convictions. It makes them unavailable for view from the public. They will always be visible to law enforcement, the court system and government agencies. The Army will grant waivers for those convicted of certain felonies allowing them to join. If the recruiter tell you that you are ineligible, then you are.

In these tough economic times, there are so many unemployed people who do not have criminal backgrounds making jobs for ex-offenders and felons even more difficult. An out-of-the-box approach may be to contact elected officials in your area and ask for help. He can express his desire to be employed and once again become a productive member of society. Elected officials have staff members that answer letters and respond to inquiries from citizens. Officials that could offer assistance are: Mayors, Council Members, Commissioners, Aldermen, Board Members, Assemblymen, and Judges. Never ask for jobs, only suggestions. He may be surprised how well this works.

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Hoping to help boyfriend and other felons get jobs

Can Withheld Adjudication hurt my chances to get jobs?

Hello, I am a mechanical engineer and I have not worked in over 5 years. I apply for up to 66 job postings a day and I rarely get a call back. I have a felony but it is "adjudicated withheld" which means I really do not have a felony. However, I discovered how easy it is to view my record online recently and I feel I am having trouble getting a call back because of it. In light of this, would it be advisable to include something on my resume or cover letter so I can at least survive the first round cut and get a return call?

I am too late in my career to throw it away and the idea of working for UPS or at a warehouse is not appealing.

Please tell me what I should do.

Thank you,

 Can Withheld Adjudication hurt my chances to get jobs?

David,

Frequently I get questions regarding Withheld Adjudication.  In Withheld Adjudication, there is an initial plea of guilty. The prosecuting attorney will offer a deal where certain conditions will placed on this plea. It is my understanding, once the conditions of the deferment are met (commonly a fine and probation,) the charges are officially dismissed. Because there is no conviction, you can legally answer “no” when the question is asked “Have you been convicted….” This will still stay as a charge and will appear on background checks as a charge and not a conviction. To absolutely certain of the status, you should check with the prosecutor or the probation officer associated with your case.

Regarding making reference to your charge on your resume or letters, I would suggest that you do not. Only talk about your charge if you are asked directly. If you are, you answer that the charges were dropped.

As I encourage all ex-offenders and felons looking for jobs, pay careful attention to the wording of the application. If it asks for convictions, you only have to list convictions. If it asks for arrests, you must list all arrests. If the charge is still a concern to you, you may qualify for expungement in your state.

I strongly suggest that you seek legal advice concerning this as I can only offer general information. You can contact your local legal aid office. You may be able to get low-cost or even free advice about deferment as it relates to your state.

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Can Withheld Adjudication hurt my chances to get jobs?

 Felon wants a Career in Graphic Arts

Hi Mr. Mayo,

My fiance is up for parole in March 2014.  His family and I are trying to find job leads and scholarship programs that will help him once he is released. He has good behavior in prison and has held a job in the prison kitchen. All this will look good to the parole board.  He is an excellent artist and wants to be a graphic artist and also learn computer animation.

He was convicted of robbery and possession of a weapon while committing a felony.  He was 18 at the time and has done six years if a 12 year sentence.  He has an excellent chance of parole if can prove he has some type of direction and goals.  What I want to know is, where can he get an education in graphics that he wants and can he get any type of scholarships or grants to do what he wants to do?  How can he do this?  What does he have to do?  I know that if he can get paroled, he will prove that he is not that same person that committed that crime when he was a kid.

Please help,

Katy

Felon wants a Career in Graphic Arts

Hello Katy,

Your fiance seems to have a good support system that he will need when he is paroled.  As far a him pursuing a career in graphics, I suggest first contacting your local community college.  Community colleges are not just for degrees anymore.  Many community colleges these days offer career training for growing
occupations.

Speak to the financial aid office at whatever college you look into.  They will be able to tell you which financial aid programs if any, your fiance may qualify for and how to apply.  It is in their best interest to give you good information.  If your local college does not offer the courses he is looking for, they will tell you who does.

Best of luck to you both.




Eric Mayo

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Felon wants a Career in Graphic Arts

 No Jobs for a Veteran who is a Felon

I used to think being a veteran meant something. I used to think it stood for something concrete and was valued by our country. Like a sentry standing guard, all hours of the night, ready and waiting to defend at any moment. I was ready and willing to do my part in whatever my state or country asked of me during my eleven year service time. I value that feeling deep inside and recognize it as something positive and tangible to hold on to. However, two and a half years later, I cold-heartedly am bitter and frustrated. Bitter that it means nothing to anyone else. At least not in the ways where it actually benefits me. You know what does matter? The one and only time I was ever caught in the web of the legal system. That web chewed me up and spit me out, not as a honorable veteran, but as a shamed former soldier now turned convicted felon. How did I go from the top Washington Army National Guard Recruiter in 2011, excellent PT and review ratings to, ostracized and vanquished to the badlands of our culture and society?  That has a very simple answer. Assault of child in the 3rd degree, AKA a Class C Felony! I unfortunately allowed myself to sink extremely low during my final year as a recruiter and in the Army. I sunk so low, masking all of it in depression meds and alcohol, I spanked a one year child to a point where I left a terrible bruise on their bottom. Assault of a child in the 3rd, is what now defines all of me.

You probably won't believe this, as I've read in a few of your articles about this specific topic. Companies can and ALWAYS do discriminate against any and all criminal convictions. You personally said that companies won't hire you based solely on your criminal past. Maybe you were referring to lesser charges or convictions. I call foul on you here Eric, as that, at least in my latest experience is absolutely false. Starting with two years ago, shortly after I was released from jail(I had a two month sentence, no prison) I applied for position at a large, well-known electronics company. I was offered an interview and found out three people were interviewing for the same position. Two internal employees and myself. I nailed the interview. I was sincere and honest. I had all the tools and command they were looking for. So much so, they wasted no time in offering me the position. This was a managerial position which equated to around $60k a year. Naturally, I was excited and full of elation as I thought to myself "Ok, you messed up, you've payed your debts back to society and the legal system. You're getting another chance here. Thank you." I had a brand new wife and a baby on the way. The chaos and shame that fell upon me the prior six months was slowly lifting. I had been offered a great job and felt proud I had made it through all I had, with the ability to support my young family. This was very short lived and what later came to be called the "let down" over the next two years, began. Of course they ran a background check and of course I was honest with them every step of the way. Once my background came back, the offer was rescinded and I was kicked to the curb as a rotten piece of trash. Fast forward to the last five months. I've applied to roughly a hundred open positions. Some employers ask right away about your criminal history, some don't. Each and every one that did not ask up front, gave me an interview. All but one offered me a job with them. This was roughly 15 to 20 employers. Each and every single one of them ran a background. Each and every single of them rescinded their offer to me.

I am no longer labeled a vet, I am labeled as a down-trodden felon. If you were to look at my life prior to my conviction, there is no criminal history. The same applies to my post-conviction life. Crime and all its inhabitants weren't apart of my life prior and have no understanding of how to operate within the criminal world.

My question to you, what in the world do I do? I have enough moxie and resolve to keep fighting, but I quiver with giving up sometimes. I served just over eleven years in the army. Held a top secret clearance working with automation and radio communication security equipment. I was trusted in many ways through the automation work I did, to the recruiting for four years I did. I've been a crew lead of a large sport fishing boat company. Achieved great success in any arena I venture into. However, my anger and disgust towards all employers has increased dramatically.  My skills do not matter, my education does not matter, my personality and what I obtained while serving in the army does not matter. I am currently a Junior, trying to earn my computer science degree in college. Every avenue, regardless of education or experience seems to suddenly and violently throw up a triple reinforced concrete wall, whenever I approach.

I look appetizing and employers have argued over stealing me from the other. However, I can only imagine their frustration and disgust when I hear or read the all to common words, "We are sorry, due to issues we found within your background we are rescinding our offer of employment and cannot hire you at this time." Awww what a disappointment I become. Does anyone see the vicious cycle here?

My frustration mounts as I look at two things. One, our judicial system. I had a debt to our judicial system. Jail, probation, counseling, fine, ect. I paid back that debt. I took responsibility for my actions and worked extremely hard to have many rights of mine which were initially taken away from me, restored by the Superior court system. Two, I would take the justice system penalty over our social culture penalty any day. Society has punished me much harsher than our legal system ever could. Jail was awful yes, but I also wasn't worried about a job, bills, food, place to sleep or bathroom use. Society has cast me out like Mad Max. I cannot rent an apt, vote, own a weapon, volunteer, and I certainly am not worthy or capable of obtaining a job.

Eric, I've been following you for a few months now. I want to thank you for your never-ending support. I've been extremely reluctant to reach out to you and write. Had a bit a bad news today and felt compelled to at least say something to you. Forgive my ranting, all of that has been squashed under a ton of "put on a happy face for the world and myself" for quite sometime. My quest for employment certainly will not end, but I ask of you, opportunities! Opportunities to help, volunteer, assist others who may be going through a similar situation. I have little to offer other than my desire to remain positive, contrary to what you've read here, I have to remain neutral and upbeat, otherwise walking a path straight to prison I will go. My desire to better my life and most importantly, I have deep desire to help other people with criminal histories. I am one of those who seeks a way over, under, around or through those perviable concrete walls. I've yet to reach the top of the mountain, but I managed to navigate some emotional and physically taxing switchbacks along the way. If you have any advice or avenues to take, I am ready and willing to listen and execute.

Very Respectfully,

 No Jobs for a Veteran who is a Felon

 

Thank you for reaching out and thank you for reading my blog.  I get many letters and emails from veterans who happen to be ex-offenders or felons looking for jobs.  Many feel abandoned by the country they were willing to dire for.  I was at a symposium on the plight of the veteran in America, and I was surprised that so many were having the same problem.  

Regarding your personal situation, your conviction seems to be the stumbling block.  One thing that everyone must understand is that companies don't hire people - people hire people.  People don't hire people that they are personally offended by.  As nice a person as you may be, an assault conviction looks pretty bad to someone looking add to their team.  Assault against a child, in the eyes of some puts you in the monster category.  You may want to see if expungement is a viable option in your state.  Check with your local legal aid office for assistance getting this legal process done.  

You may also contact your local United Way office.  The United Way may be able to guide you to local veteran's advocacy groups that could help you in your job search efforts or put you in touch with volunteer 

opportunities that could lead to possible employment opportunities.

Here is a link to a long list of veteran aid groups.  Hopefully you will find some resources that will be helpful in overcoming your situation.

www.veteransnetwork.net

Best of Luck

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 No Jobs for a Veteran who is a Felon

 
Eric Mayo