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Joined: May 2003
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e57 Offline
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Originally Posted by gfretwell
Mark, that only says you can't ask about arrests that didn't result in a conviction. You can ask if they were ever convicted of a crime.


"So ah.... got convictions?" cool Not what you were arrested for just convictions? I guess you cant actually ask if they were in prison or jail - just convictions as you could serve time in either without an actual 'conviction' due to court circumstances or lack of fine, bail, or release.


Mark Heller
"Well - I oughta....." -Jackie Gleason
Joined: Jul 2004
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If you were not convicted you did not commit a crime in the eyes of the law. Paris has a record OJ doesn't.


Greg Fretwell
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 276
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>>Joe Felon ... whose main qualification is that he's proven to be a screw-up .... who need not worry about rent or grocery money? Whose work schedule will be influenced by the prison shuttle - with the result that he will work hours not available to a 'good' kid?<<

That more or less describes the 3 jailbirds we have had (briefly) at my shop over the years. Not worth the trouble. I would like to believe you make judgements based on the individual, that is very high minded, but the two I have worked with were just screw-ups. Lazy and sent to the joint on drug offenses. That fundamental portion of their charachter did not change even after incarceration and none had his priorities straight or his *poop* together, and two ended up back in jail for parole violations committed in their private lives "off the clock" and outside of work. I have seen other posters speak of hightly motivated and directed ex-cons working constructively and hard to make lemonade out of the lemons their lives have delivered them, but it hasn't been my personal experience with ex-cons. Don't get me wrong, I hold out hope and would like to meet some like this, but the ones I have had the dubious pleasure to have known inside and outside work had mildly serious emotional and psychological problems which were the true source of their "bad luck" in life as well as their yen for and inability to resist life's darker side. Still it is a hard call to make. Boils down to your ability to size people up- all kinds of people. Based on my experience I lean moderately towards "no way".. Too many emotional and psychologial and personality issues that materialize as workers who can't get along with *whoever* and aren't dependable

Last edited by trollog; 06/13/07 12:03 AM.
Joined: Aug 2001
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We have the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act of 1974 here, which says that a conviction is considered "spent" after a certain period of time and does not have to be disclosed to prospective employers. More serious crimes resulting in long prison sentences are never "spent" though:

http://www.lawontheweb.co.uk/rehabact.htm


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LK Offline
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the big three that don't seem to work after release, are those convicted for violent crimes, sex crimes, and drug offenses.

Joined: Aug 2005
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I ask prospective employees if they are bondable. Their answer to that question will let me to know if they have a criminal record or not.

I guess the best way is put yourself in the customer's shoes. Would the customer be comfortable with a convicted felon working in their home or business? I would say that people would have a problem with someone convicted of murder, robbery or sexual assult.

The nature of the crime would be the deciding factor on hiring. Is their past going to hinder the business?


Sixer

"Will it be cheaper if I drill the holes for you?"
Joined: Mar 2003
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I work as an electrician in a county jail.

I had a hard working trusty ask me one time if he could apply for a job with us after he got out.

It was hard for me not to laugh.

The Sheriff does not hire former convicts.

In a way its funny, the Sheriff will not pay them to work there but will let them work for free while they are in jail.

I am a civilian not a guard. However, all Sheriff employees go through the same background check.

For the record, most trustys do not work hard, not even close.

Joined: Apr 2001
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Hello from South Dakota!!!!

Ok guys, here comes the soap box......stepping up....ahem.

I was convicted of several violent crimes and did my time in a max security prison. I was sentanced to 25 years. Spent 4 and a half years inside and was granted parole do to good behavior. I did another 8 years on parole without a hitch and was released from "being on paper".

Now acording to what you have said most would not even consider hiring me because it was a violent offense. My first job out of prison was as an apprentice and I thank God every day for the opportunity to learn this trade.

When I became a member on this web site I had already been out of prison for 12yrs. Do the math. I know that there are alot of guys out there that are not worth hiring, but I have to say that it is not what the person was convicted for that makes them a bad choice. It is the ones that have been in and out several times that you have to watch for. They didn't learn the lesson the first time.

As for me, I never went back to prison and have never commited another crime since. I specialize in service work, and my employer loves having me run jobs when the GC has an attitude(I don't take their crap). I love what I do, and dare I say I am good at it. The guys I work with have all become my friends, and they turn to me when they can't figure out the problems, or have questions.

As for your customers and other employees; They don't need to know the status of an ex-con. You don't tell them when your sending a guy that has been divorced do you?

I had a guy working for me that had been divorced 5 times, had kids with all 5 women, lost his drivers license for not paying chid support, and worked in 3 different states for 9 different employers. Give me an ex-con over that anyday!! Does any one ask on an application how many times someone has been married? NO! But wouldn't that give you an Idea about how stable a person is? I have been married happily for 11 years now, and have three wonderful children.

Don't judge a man for the crime he commited, someone else already did. In my expierience there are people convicted for all sorts of crimes that start thier lives over without any troubles. Just watch for the ones that have done it several times!

Stepping down........put soap box away........Thank you for listening.......




Jon Niemeyer
Joined: Oct 2004
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You make a good point. All three I have worked with had been in and out several times. Good insight.

Joined: Aug 2005
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Originally Posted by njelectricmaster
As for your customers and other employees; They don't need to know the status of an ex-con. You don't tell them when your sending a guy that has been divorced do you?


You're right, customers don't need to know the status of an ex-con. However, I would be very uncomfortable sending someone who's been convicted of robbery to some rich old lady's house or a bank to do a job. Other places would be ok such as new construction, etc.

As far as divorce is concerned, an employee's personal life and what they do (within the law, of course) is none of an employer's business and is irrelevant to their job. But once you are convicted of a crime which affects society, then it does become relevant.

You sound like you got your life back in order. You're fortunate to have a stable job and I wish you success. But the reality is, it would be tough to convince many employers to hire someone who's been convicted of violent crimes, myself included.


Sixer

"Will it be cheaper if I drill the holes for you?"
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