Ex-offender with misdemeanors need job search advice
Hello Mr. Mayo,
I was reading your blogspot about who women who was having difficulties finding employment because of felonies on her record in North Carolina . I do not have any felonies, but I occurred 2 misdemeanors in one night. Disorderly Conduct, and Resisting Arrest. I am talking with lawyers and hopefully these charges will be removed. The frustrating thing is I was fired today from my job because the charges are "pending". The reason I sent this email is to ask you are there any jobs that will hire me with misdemeanors on my record until I go to court Oct. 5. This was really a blow to my self esteem, and if you know anywhere I could seek employment in Raleigh, NC I would greatly appreciate it. Have a great day.
Respectfully,
Erik
Ex-offender with misdemeanors need job search advice
Hello Erik,
Not to minimize your troubles but your charges could be considered minor. Not many employers would hold those against you. You may just have to find the right situation. The suggestion I offer to many ex-offenders and felons looking for jobs is the local One-stop Career Center. There are many services as well as counselors that can help ex-offenders and felons get jobs. Often the counselors are experienced at assisting those with criminal backgrounds. The counselors also have access to the bank of open positions in your state.
I was wondering if you know whether or not a
felon can become a high school teacher in Illinois or Oregon? My husband
was convicted of residential burglary when he was 17 (as an adult) but
has not been in any trouble since. He is now 31.
Thank you for your time.
Felon wants job as a Teacher
Too many ex-offenders and felons looking for jobs make the assumption that they cannot get jobs because of their records. I suggest that he contact the local school board to find out for sure if his conviction would keep him from being certified andhired as a teacher. If it indeed does, there are other options for and felons wanting careers as teachers.
Community colleges, adult learning annexes, charter schools and private schools are great places to start. They usually have fewer regulatory restrictions than public school systems. There is also a growing trend toward career schools that are always looking for trained instructors. Don't assume that because you have a criminal record, you cannot become a teacher.
I hope this helps.
Jobs for Ex-offenders : Sending Resumes and Cover letters
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
Felon wants job as a mechanic
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.
I hope this helps.
Jobs for Ex-offenders and Felons: Where can Ex-offenders Find Jobs
Jobs for Ex-offenders and Felons: Ten Steps to Getting a Job with a Criminal Record
In May 2012, Colin Slaven was in what he called “the worst time of my life” after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud for his part in an $800,000 auto loan scheme. About six months into his 21-month sentence, British-born Slaven found himself flailing in a South Carolina federal correctional facility that was as alien to him as the dark side of the moon.
Then, he had a revelation.
“God put me here for a reason, and it gave me a lot of time to reflect,” he said. “I didn’t even know what recidivism meant. So I started talking to inmates about their circumstances and listening to what brought them to this chapter in their lives. I found that with a felony conviction, you’re never given a chance. There’s a stigma. When you have a felony, people judge you, but you can’t find employment. I don’t condone crime, but when you’re in survival mode, you may find yourself in a situation where you get busted again.”
Slaven has plenty of company: It’s estimated that 19 million felons in America are facing similar employment challenges. A new book by an investment strategist argues that second-chance hiring — employing people with a criminal record — builds stronger communities, increases public safety and boosts the bottom line.
Jeffrey Korzenik, author of “Untapped Talent: How Second-Chance Hiring Works for Your Business and the Community.” (Courtesy of Jeffrey D. Korzenik)
In “Untapped Talent: How Second-Chance Hiring Works for Your Business and the Community,” Jeffrey Korzenik implores business leaders to consider hiring ex-offenders as a counterweight to the sparse labor markets of recent years.
“The tight labor markets of 2018 and 2019 were a wake-up call that businesses should not take an abundant labor force for granted,” he said. “Part of that dynamic is demographic: Roughly 10,000 baby boomers will retire each day over the next decade, and with the millennial generation largely in the workforce, there’s not a next big wave of home-grown workers.”
Colin Slaven drafted the business plan for what would become the Second Chance Jobs Center while serving a sentence for conspiracy to commit bank fraud. (Courtesy of Colin Slaven/Second Chance Jobs Center)
Like Slaven, Korzenik points to recidivism as a challenge to opportunities for ex-offenders, particularly in the African American community, where one in three men has a felony conviction.
“The pervasiveness of incarceration and subsequent joblessness has robbed these communities of role models, mentors and the intergenerational transmission of skills needed to be a viable employee, so too many young people become involved in the justice system and repeat the cycle over again,” he said. “I see second-chance employment as the critical path to breaking this terrible cycle.”
The second-chance hiring model
Korzenik writes in his book that “the potential for any nation’s economy to grow boils down to two factors: 1) how fast it can grow its employed labor force, and 2) how quickly it can grow the productivity of its workers. The product of this sum is the long-term growth potential.” His second-chance hiring model aligns with these factors.
“The concept is very simple, requiring two processes, one that can identify the people determined to rebuild their lives and the second, which provides them the support to thrive as employees,” he said. “In practice, this means employers must invest time in building partnerships with nonprofits, specialized temp staffing or transitional employment organizations and government agencies to build the right pipeline.”
The investment in second-chance hiring varies according to employers’ individual approach to tackling their labor needs.
“There is absolutely an investment of time, and often there is a financial investment as well,” Korzenik said. “What’s unusual about seeking this talent pool is how many outside resources are available to the second-chance employers —nonprofit service providers, tax credits, government agencies.
“Each employer has to calibrate the program to their needs and resources. A no-cost program that focuses on people who have already rebuilt their lives will yield some previously overlooked talent. On the other extreme, looking at people immediately exiting incarceration will yield more candidates, but will also require the employer to invest more in accommodations and services. Employers need to understand the trade-offs and be very intentional in their process.”
Giving ex-offenders a fair chance
Building a best-in-class hiring program for ex-offenders is not an easy task. Korzenik devotes an entire chapter on how one Ohio-based company, through trial and error, created its “Fair Chance” initiative.
The Secret Life Sentence of Being a Felon | Harley Blakeman | TEDxOhioStateUniversity
Manufacturing firm JBM Packaging has operated outside of Cincinnati, in Lebanon, Ohio, since it opened in 1985. Although JBM is close to the Cincinnati labor market, the company went through a seven-year stretch where qualified labor was hard to find, particularly among those workers without a car. Attempts to woo area high school students and seasoned workers fell flat, forcing the company to hire expensive, but not always productive temp-to-hire employees.
“Some leaders have built companies from the ground up as second-chance employers,” Korzenik writes in the book. “That is not the case with JBM. By all appearances, [Chief Executive Officer] Marcus Sheanshang came to second-chance hiring as an ordinary businessman with an ordinary business problem. But with Sheanshang’s leadership, the way this initiative changed the company and the lives of its employees was extraordinary.”
After learning of the second-chance hiring concept from church members, Sheanshang took the idea to his executive team, who roundly criticized it over issues of safety and performance.
“Fair Chance is a tenet of what we’re trying to do as a company,” said Sheanshang. “Not everyone loves it, but they’re behind it and support it because it’s important.”
“These concerns really speak to the necessity of having a process for selecting the right person for employment,” said Korzenik. “With a pool of 19 million Americans with felony convictions, it is ridiculous to say that all of them are unsuitable. There are screening processes that can be very effective.”
Second Chance Job Center, HBI and Department of Labor Certificates. In 2019, Second Chance Job Center graduated 65 apprentices who are now working in their chosen fields. (Courtesy of Second Chance Job Center)
To make its employees feel safe, JBM limits its second-chance hiring to those convicted of minor offenses. Since it works with prisons and halfway houses, JBM is aware of candidates’ criminal history and conducts background checks before the candidates’ release date. Drug screenings, manufacturing aptitude tests and a screen for workplace fit round out the process.
“Many of these same sources of talent referrals can also provide support services, but ultimately the employer has to be sufficiently involved to make sure their workforce can access internal and external resources,” said Korzenik. “One of [JBM’s] best investments was hiring a life coach, who helps all of the company’s employees access helpful programs, subsidizing purchases of vehicles or other transportation needs, for example.”
Despite the early bumps in launching the program, JBM’s Fair Chance employees now comprise 35 of the company’s 150-person workforce.
Allies in the fight for second-chance hiring
While in prison, Slaven said his spiritual epiphany led him to draft a business plan for what is now the Second-Chance Job Center, a Charleston, South Carolina-area-based nonprofit that trains ex-offenders and others in a variety of job-related skills. Though the program is primarily focused on the state of South Carolina, Slaven said he hopes to expand soon into parts of Georgia and Florida, and eventually nationwide.
“We need to create the next generation of a skilled workforce,” he said.
In a similar vein, the Manufacturing Institute and the Charles Koch Institute recently announced a partnership to expand second-chance hiring opportunities in the manufacturing industry.
“I agree with [the premise of Jeff’s book],” said Carolyn Lee, the manufacturing institute’s executive director. “When you look at the number of people, I think one out of three have some sort of record that removes them from the workforce. And, when you look at the 700,000 open manufacturing jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, it’s a bit of a no-brainer.”
The partnership includes a grant from the Koch institute to host a series of educational events where businesses and employers can learn best practices in second-chance hiring. The Manufacturing Institute has scheduled a webinar on the topic on June 10.
Cost of failure
Businesses that do not embrace second-chance hiring are making a big mistake, Korzenik contends.
“At the micro level, the failure to attract good employees means you can’t grow or perhaps can’t even service your existing customer, putting the business at a huge competitive disadvantage,” he said. “The macro level is just based on the numbers. Even if you don’t account for the potential costs savings in the criminal justice system, just the potential improvement in employment outcomes for just part of the justice-impacted population adds up to hundreds of billions of dollars.”
Adopting second-chance hiring also has an impact on a company’s social brand in the marketplace.
“Americans are increasingly questioning whether the free enterprise system can deliver the kind of society we want,” Korzenik said. “Businesses need to show that they can contribute to solving important societal issues. It’s hard to imagine anything more beneficial than second-chance hiring and its intergenerational benefits to families and communities.”
Thanks for allowing this email, and starting your blog. Although I do not know your credentials, or where you get your knowledge, just knowing there is an open discourse is helpful to those of us who feel desperate.
I am an ex offender who was convicted in 1977, and 1978 for 2 separate offenses. 1977 robbery- this was a teenage indiscretion of joyriding in a stolen car with someone who lifted a set of keys from a key hook on the wall in a home where we attended a party and then, staying silent after we were caught. The robbery charge is because the keys were stolen from inside the home, making it a point of law 1978 for possession of a controlled substance. The reason I give that summary is to articulate the injustice of this practice of culling ex-offenders from the workforce.
Particularly someone who has not been in trouble for over 33 years. Especially when, for decades, I have been employed successfully. In fact, I have a B.A. and an Associates in Applied Science degree- both with honors. I am currently unemployed, and unable to get past the background requirements for employment, and have been eliminated from numerous jobs that I would otherwise have gotten.
My questions are these:
1.) How is it not a violation of our constitutional rights for a potential employer to data mine our info. without standing? And, have us self incriminate as a pre-employment requirement? Isn't the Constitutional protections for minority rights?
2.) What are the statistics of ex- offenders currently in USA? In other words how many millions of people are affected by this practice? Has this been challenged in the courts?
My belief is that our Constitution is piece of paper that becomes animated by the people who stand up for their own rights. After all, it is the minority that needs the protections, not majority opinion. That is the purpose of the document. Furthermore, without class action, the ACLU will not challenge this practice. How could we mount a class action challenge to this practice? I could go on ad infinitum, but I will just close with a sincere thank you for the work you are doing to help others get through this.
It is the responsibility of every employer to hire the best person they can find for any job. Having a criminal record does not necessarily eliminate you from consideration from any job. An employer is trying to get some idea of the type of people that are applying.
Too often with ex-offenders and felons looking for jobs assume that they were maligned because because they have criminal convictions. In many cases the may be correct but that is difficult or nearly impossible to prove. I am of African descent. I have often thought that was the reason that I didn't get many jobs that I know I was more than qualified for. Rather that wallow in anger and self-pity, my other choice was to keep applying for each and every job I felt I fit.
When speaking of the laws and the constitution, being a child of the sixties, I can tell you that laws do not change attitudes. Laws may say that I am equal but until individual prejudices go away, I will always have a difficult time.
My advice is to not give in to your frustrations but let them motivate you.
I hope this helps.
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Background Checks
Jobs for Ex-offenders and Felons: Where can Ex-offenders Find Jobs
Jobs for Ex-offenders and Felons: Ten Steps to Getting a Job with a Criminal Record
