First Time Offender is Looking for a Job

Hello,

My name is Ida. I have been struggling for over a year now unable to find work in a small south GA town. The options are limited here and I am on the verge of becoming homeless and losing my children. I have never gone to jail but have plead out to a Felony under the first offenders act of GA for aggravated assault. (my overworked public defenders suggestion) However, I am stuck with it forever. I am still not completed with the time or fee requirements and cannot get a job anywhere. I cannot go back into what I was doing because even under a first offenders act they will not renew or reissue me an insurance agents license in GA.  We have a local Wal-Mart, and a few other companies on your list however I am finding it difficult to even get to an interview. Do you have any suggestions for me.

Thank you for your time.

First Time Offender is Looking for a Job

Hello Ida,

Sorry you're having so much trouble.  It can be challenging trying to find work in a small community.  You may have to include some unconventional methods in your job search.  First check with your probation officer.  Probation officers may have information about employers who have hired their clients in the past.  Secondly, if you belong long to a church, speak to the minister or pastor.  Clergy persons are closely tied to the community and may have information about open positions for jobs.  If nothing else, they are great references for anyone looking for work.  Thirdly, contact your local city councilperson.  Elected officials are connected in many ways to people who make things happen in communities.  Ask if he or she knows of anyone looking for help.

Lastly,  temporary employment agencies are a great way for ex-offenders and felons to get back into the job market.  Make a list of temporary agencies in your area from the telephone book.  Visit them and apply just
as you would any other job.  Have your resume with you to leave along with your application.

I encourage everyone looking for jobs to go to their local One-stop Career Center. You will find a long list of services that can help you find work. You will also find lists of available jobs in your area. There are also
counselors who can provide one-on-one assistance. Often the counselors have experience helping people with criminal records and know of employers who may hire them. The counselors can also help you find opportunities for vocational training that could lead to a new career.

You can find you nearest One-stop Career Center here:


http://servicelocator.org

Eric Mayo

 

Jobs for Ex-offenders and Felons: Ten Steps to getting a Job with a Criminal record

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First Time Offender is Looking for a Job

Can Employers Refuse To Hire You Because Of Your Record?

by Michael Patrick Murphy, Jr.

Posted on January 07, 2021 in Discrimination, Labor and Employment

The Criminal History Record Information Act Protects Your Rights

Under ideal circumstances, once you’ve been convicted for a crime and served your sentence, your punishment should be over. You should be able to go on to build a new life and contribute to society in a positive way.

However, for many people with a criminal record, it can be exceedingly difficult to find a job—long after they’ve paid the price for their crime.

In Pennsylvania, the Criminal History Record Information Act is designed to protect people with a criminal record from workplace and hiring discrimination. Here’s how it works.

It Limits How Employers May Base Their Decisions on Your Record

Under the Pennsylvania Criminal History Record Information Act, an employer generally can’t use your criminal record as a factor in deciding whether or not to hire you.

There are exceptions. The employer can consider your criminal record as a factor in hiring if your crime directly relates to the job you applied for. For instance, if your crime involved money laundering, a bank can legally decide not to hire you for that reason.

There are certain jobs and careers where your criminal history may legally bar you from employment. For instance, people with certain felony convictions can be barred from working with children, the elderly, or adults with special needs.

Licensure requirements may specifically prevent individuals with certain crimes on their record from working in the field as well.

However, if the employer did use your criminal history as a reason not to hire you, they have to notify you of that in writing and explain their decision. This gives you a chance to bring litigation if you feel it’s necessary.

It Introduces Consequences for Discrimination

If you believe the employer violated the law in choosing not to hire you based on your record, you have the right to sue for damages.

Possible damages include a certain amount for each violation of the law, as well as punitive damages if the action is found to be purposeful. The employer may also be on the hook for your attorney’s fees and litigation costs.

What To Do if You Feel You Were Unlawfully Passed Over 

If you feel an employer unlawfully used your criminal history as a reason not to hire you, you have recourse in court.

Talk to a knowledgeable attorney.  An attorney can assess the situation, determine whether your rights were violated.  Contact your local legal aid office where you may qualify for free assistance.

The information provided here does not constitute legal advice. It is intended for general purposes only. If you have questions about a specific legal issue, you should speak to an attorney.

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Can Employers Refuse To Hire You Because Of Your Record?

Eric Mayo

Jobs for Felons: Will my Criminal Record Hurt my chances to get Hired?

Jobs for Felons: Will my Criminal Record Hurt my chances to get Hired?

 

Lots of men don’t have a job, and aren’t looking for one

Greetings Mr. Mayo,

Let me first thank you for the information I received from the website (Jobs for Felons: Incredible List of Companies That Hire Ex-offenders and Felons). Just by reading the details has given me a little more hope I had before finding the page.

On yesterday, I was actually offered a job by Comcast contingent on my drug screen & of course my background check. I have had so much anxiety but my faith has not allowed me to fear so much in the last few days.

My question is, should I even continue with the application? I may have a criminal record but I am certainly not a criminal. So, IF my background will stop me from getting the job, what should I do? Should I try to speak with someone in HR to prove myself worthy?

Desperate for a job,

AJ

 Jobs for Felons: Will my Criminal Record Hurt my chances to get Hired?

Hello AJ,

Thank you for your kind words.   You've gotten through the application process, you got an interview and did well on it.  You were offered the job, but it is contingent upon the drug screening and background check.  The only question I have, were you totally honest on the application if asked about having a criminal background?  If you were not honest on the application, the background check will reveal your dishonesty.

I have talked to felons where less than honest when completing the application and were hired, only to be fired later when the background check was done.  They were not fired for having criminal records, they were fired for falsifying the application.  I hope that is not your case.  I advise all of my students to be totally honest on all phases of the employment process.  I know that there is often a temptation to leave certain things off of applications, but honesty is always the best policy.

If after the background check comes back and they decide not to hire you, there is little more you can do.  It's their decision.  At that point, I would just pick myself up and keep applying for jobs.  Finding a job with a criminal record is a game of numbers.  The more jobs you apply for the greater your opportunity of finding an employer who will offer you an opportunity despite your record.

Eric Mayo

Jobs for felons: Ten Steps to getting a Job... by Eric Mayo

Jobs for felons: Where Ex-offenders and Felons... by Eric Mayo

 

  Jobs for Felons: Will my Criminal Record Hurt my chances to get Hired?

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New York Casinos Could Soon Be Permitted to Hire Convicted Felons

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul received legislation this week that seeks to qualify certain convicted felons to work inside the state’s commercial casinos. New York’s gaming industry is set to expand beginning next year with the consideration of downstate casinos. (Image: The New York Times)

Originally Posted on: December 8, 2022 - www.casino.org by 

Devin O'Connor CasinoorgDevinO

New York casinos upstate and the two racinos downstate say they aren’t fielding enough applications from interested workers, but help could soon be on the way.

New York law prohibits anyone with a felony conviction on their criminal record from gaining employment in the state’s commercial gaming industry. State lawmakers want to terminate that condition.

In June, the New York State Legislature passed a bill that would qualify felony convicts for employment in the state’s commercial gaming industry. The legislation — Senate Bill 1443B — was introduced by state Sen. Joe Addabbo (D-Queens). Assemblyman Gary Pretlow (D-Mount Vernon) championed the statute in the Assembly.

The measure received strong bipartisan support. The Assembly voted 110 to 34 in favor of SB1443B, while the Senate approved the statute with a 56-7 vote.

Addabbo chairs the New York Senate Racing, Gaming, and Wagering Committee. Pretlow spearheads the Assembly’s Standing Committee on Racing and Wagering.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) hasn’t yet said whether she intends to sign the measure. The bill was only forwarded to the governor this week.

Criminals Can Apply

Addabbo and Pretlow’s gaming employment bill seeks to remove hiring hurdles for the state’s four upstate commercial casinos and the two downstate racino venues. The latter only have video lottery terminals and electronic table games operating. The statute, if signed by Hochul, would allow more New Yorkers to consider jobs in the gaming sector.

No casino key employee license shall be denied solely on the basis of a conviction,” SB1443B reads. The mandate qualifies former criminals only if the applicant has “affirmatively demonstrated rehabilitation.”

The New York State Gaming Commission would still retain the authority to deny a key employee license in part because of an applicant’s criminal past. The gaming employment statute also continues to prevent criminals who have been convicted of felony theft, fraud, perjury, and/or embezzlement from being allowed to work in the state commercial gaming industry.

Thousands of Jobs Forthcoming

New York is nearing the end of a 10-year moratorium that only allowed full-scale casinos to operate upstate outside of New York City’s five boroughs, the Lower Hudson Valley, and Long Island. The state’s 2013 casino act allowed for four upstate and three downstate casino properties.

Next year, New York will begin fielding full-scale casino bids from interested developers. MGM Resorts’ Empire City Casino in Yonkers and Genting’s Resorts World New York City in Queens — currently operating as racinos that are prevented from offering live dealer table games, Las Vegas-style slot machines, and retail sports betting — are the betting front-runners for two of the casino licensing opportunities.

MGM said last month it would look to hire about 2,500 additional workers in Yonkers, should its property receive one of the downstate casino licenses. Resorts World would also be expected to hire thousands of additional workers to handle the resort’s expanded footprint, should it receive a casino concession.

The third and final remaining license is where a fiercely competitive bidding process will ensue. The bidding war will include some of New York’s richest and most powerful billionaires, including Mets owner Steve Cohen, the Yankees’ Steinbrenner family, Stephen Ross, and Jay Z.

JOBS FOR FELONS: INCREDIBLE LIST OF COMPANIES THAT HIRE EX-OFFENDERS AND FELONS

Jobs for Felons

I have no problem hiring ex-offenders. But they’re being let down

Originally published at TheGuardian.com, Gene Marks, @genemarks

I don’t care if a candidate for my company’s open position has a criminal record. But I do care about something more important.

My company is hoping to hire a part-time person to implement and support some of the software applications we sell. Like most small business owners, finding someone isn’t easy in this tight labor market, despite all the recent tech industry layoffs. I can’t afford to pay what some of these people earn – or were earning – in Silicon Valley and therefore my choices are limited. So, what to do?

How about hiring someone with a criminal record?

A portrait of a man with a graying beard wearing a black skull cap.

Sentenced to life for stealing $14: ‘I needed help, but was given jail’

Large corporations including JP Morgan Chase, American Airlines, AT&T and CVS have been doing it for years. State and federal prison systems offer all sorts of opportunities for employers to hire people who were formerly incarcerated. It’s not a bad bet either: studies – like this one – show that people with criminal records are no more likely to quit or be fired than anyone else.

States like Iowa and cities like Philadelphia offer cash incentives to employers who hire ex-convicts. The federal government also offers a very generous tax credit – the Work Opportunity Tax Credit – for hiring people who recently got out of prison. A number of non-profits like Honest Jobs, CareerAddict, 2ndChances4Felons and the Women’s Prison Association connect employers to prospective employees with criminal records or offer programs that help the process. The Department of Labor offers assistance through its CareerOneStop platform.

"You pay your dues and should be allowed to live your life. Most of my clients feel the same. So does the general public."

I wouldn’t have a problem filling my open position with an ex-felon or someone with a criminal record. People mess up. Some more seriously than others. But you pay your dues and should be allowed to try to live your life. Most of my clients feel the same. And so does the general public. In fact, a person’s criminal history has become so trivial that although employers can ask a prospective candidate about it during pre-employment screenings or background checks, many states do not allow that employer to discriminate based on their findings.

So no, I don’t care if a candidate for my company’s open position has a criminal record or is an ex-felon. But I do care about something that, to me, is even more important.

Can they read?

It’s one thing for all of these government programs and non-profit organizations to help ex-felons secure employment. But are they even qualified?

There are 10m open jobs in the US – hence the tight labor market – but employers are primarily looking for skilled workers. Most of my clients, like me, need workers who have knowledge. And if they don’t have the knowledge, they need to be able to learn, study and research. You can’t do this if you don’t read.

Many studies, like this one from 2003 by the Urban Institute, found that about 70% of offenders and ex-offenders are high school dropouts. About half are “functionally illiterate”, meaning they can’t read above a fourth-grade level.

Worse, statistics show that 85% of all juveniles who interface with the juvenile court system are essentially illiterate. Penal institution records show that inmates have a 16% chance of returning to prison if they receive literacy help, as opposed to 70% who receive no help. I can’t hire someone – or even teach them the skills my company requires – if they don’t have a high school level of literacy. Being illiterate is a complete non-starter.

Some of the big companies – and good for them – have the resources to help these ex-convicts learn these skills. But small businesses like mine, which employ more than half of the country’s workers, don’t have the ability to do this. So what can be done?

"Governments and non-profits should be investing in programs to get prisoners educated on the basics of reading and math."

The answer is literacy. Don’t pay me to hire ex-felons. Pay to get them literate. People in prison need to learn how to read, period. Instead of tax credits and other incentives for businesses to hire, governments and non-profits should be investing in programs to get prisoners educated on the basics of reading and math first. That’s the priority. Because once someone is at a proficient level of education, he or she can then learn the rest. But they can’t do that if they can’t read an instruction manual or study for a Microsoft certification.

That’s what I’m looking for before hiring someone out of prison. I need people who can read. Unfortunately, that’s not what the system is producing.

 Jobs for Felons: Government Help For Felons Looking for Jobs

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Jobs for Felons