Why do Convicted Felons Deserve a Second Chance for Employment ?
- Isaac Smith
All gathered research and interviews are being provided by Isaac Smith with conjunction with his Capstone Project at Full Sail University as a Masters of Arts candidate in New Media Journalism
Introduction
Convicted felons experience a significant difference when it comes to obtaining employment rather than the average person. Because of their background, it enables them to get a second chance for employment because they are judged by society. With some employers being a second chance employment, how do companies determine whether a felon is hirable depending on the extensive criminal background? After all, if they have committed a crime once, what is it to stop them from doing the same offense again? Hence the reasoning, should convicted felons be given a second chance?
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According to the crime, some people will agree that it determines if felons should be given a second chance. Some criminal offenses like homicide, robbery, assault and battery, and even statutory rape are considered unforgettable, but offenses like drug possession can be considered depending on the amount that was ceased during the arrest. According to the United States Census Bureau, 27 % of people with a convicted felon are less likely to be employed. It was broken down by stating "People with a felony conviction were about 10 percentage points less likely than peers without similar criminal histories to be employed; people released from prison were 17 percentage points less likely than peers to be employed".
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Crime, punishment, and justice have always been a part of our society. As felons are caught and convicted, their moral credentials are reduced so greatly that it is often difficult for them to get a second chance for employment in society. According to Prison Policy Initiative, more than 50,000 people were released from federal prisons in 2010, with a staggering 33% found no employment at all over four years post-release, and at any given time, no more than 40% of the cohort was employed.
Second Chance Employers
What does it mean to be a second chance employer ? Second chance employer hires is formerly incarcerated individuals, people in recovery, or other applicants whose life choices and situations have disadvantaged them in obtaining stable employment.
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The U.S. Chamber of Commerce stated that "Employing individuals with criminal records benefits society. Workers are more likely to achieve stability and less likely to return to prison, and businesses gain access to an often-overlooked labor pool. Giving returning citizens a second chance can also lead to reduced employee turnover. At the same time, crime is reduced while employment rates increase, directly supporting a more prosperous society". Not only does second chance hiring provide an opportunity for business to change lives, but there's also a massive economic incentive: Locking people with criminal backgrounds out of the workforce costs the U.S. economy an estimated $87 billion every year, according to JPMorgan Chase, which has grown into an outspoken advocate for second chance hiring.
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Tonya Arrasmith, who is currently the HR Manager for Newman Tractor but has been in the HR field for more than 30 + years working with individuals who want and deserve a second chance. In the conversation, she spoke about how some of the greatest employers she has had has come from people who are looking for a second chance.
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Check out the one on one interview I had with Tonya Arrasmith below!
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Making Employment Assessable For Felons
What comes after the law is the rest of society. When a criminal has finished serving their punishment, he or she is then left to attempt to integrate back into society. Anyone whom has been given a second chance by the law deserves a second chance from society.
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According to USA Today, Almost 1 in 3 adults in the United States has a criminal record, and finding a job when you have a past arrest or conviction has never been easy. But it's become even more difficult in the midst of the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 health crisis that has left millions of Americans unemployed and significantly increased the competition for jobs
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Carmen Fabro is a HR professional who has been in the recruiting and staffing industry for several years. She is currently a Recruiting Supervisor at PeopleShare Carolinas located in Rock Hill, South Carolina. PeopleShare is staffing agency that helps employers get their positions filled. Only daily basis Carmen recruits and staff for the light industrial and clerical industry. She works with several clients some who are second chance employers that will hire associates who have a charges on their background. Carmen recruits through several hiring platforms and she conducts interviews and complete a full cycle recruitment to identify the right candidates and see where they can be placed for employment. Most of the positions that she deals with are need to fill so she can get candidates employment very quickly depending on if they can pass a background check and drug screen.
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Carmen shared that "she loves what she does this is her passion and career and it bring her joy knowing that she is helping someone get employment but also build rapport with the clients. Depending on what it is on the background she deals with on a case by case bases. Basically up to her discretion if she wants to move forward with potential candidate or not".
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She also stated that "You never know who will work hard or not. The person that you hire who does not have a criminal record might be the one that is let go within a week because they do not want to work but someone with a criminal background will work twice as hard because they know that is a second chance they are receiving".
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A photo of me and Carmen Fabro along with photos of her and candidates she has helped get employment placement. A photo of Carmen on the phone with a candidate along with photos of inside their office and sign outside of the building
Work Performance
A question can be asked, does a criminal past predict worker performance ? According to a research study by Jennifer Hickes Lundquist, Devah Pager, and Eiko Straader , Employers demonstrate strong reluctance to consider applicants with criminal records, and matched-pair audit studies suggest that ex-offenders are roughly half as likely to receive a callback or job offer relative to equally qualified applicants with no criminal record. These barriers hinder the reentry process and make it more difficult for those with criminal pasts to move on to stable, productive lives. Research points to employment as one of the strongest predictors of desistance from crime. If employers are unwilling to hire ex-offenders, however, this critical pathway remains largely out of reach.
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I had the privilege spoke with Allysia Samuel who is also an ex-offender trying to seek employment. Allysia was release earlier year this from prison and is currently living in Charlotte, NC. When I asked her how hard is for her to seek employment she stated that "I can't find nobody who will give me a chance. I have started on jobs and soon as they run my background they fire me on the spot. I am a hard worker who is looking for employment and I promise if someone gives me a chance they won't regret it and I won't let them down'.
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Check out this interview with Ronald Lewis. This video talks about applicants with criminal backgrounds, including those with nonviolent criminal convictions or even arrests, are increasingly being driven into poverty. Even if it has been years since they've served time for past criminal infractions, those applying for jobs are often unable to find work especially in a climate of extreme job competition.
Video provided by PBS News Hour via YouTube
Importance of Social Justice For Convicted Felons
There are companies who are second chance employers who will employ people with a background. So the question remains should felons be given a second chance or still be discriminated because of their pass ?
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According to CNBC " The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), only 5% of managers and 3% of HR professionals actively recruit candidates with criminal records for open roles. With the current state of the labor market, justice-involved individuals could be the saving grace for employers struggling to fill open roles. Not only does this benefit the employer, but the individual as well. Employment is proven to decrease recidivism, or the likelihood to re-offend for people with criminal records. Hiring these individuals can also aid in racial justice".
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Formerly incarcerated people need jobs for the same reasons as an average individual. They too have to support their loved ones, themselves, strengthen their communities, and pursue life goals.
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Infographic provided by The Spokane Workforce Council
Stigma on Convicted Felons
When it comes to the Stigma on Convicted Felons it look at differently because they are already judged and discriminated by the crime they committed. According to SageJournals, "The stigma tied to people with a criminal record leaves them susceptible to being interpreted as untrustworthy, dangerous, and cruel and, in consequence, they may be treated with hostility, fear, and made socially distant or marginal through social interactions. As the stigmatized identity develops, the stigmatized individual becomes aware of the potential for status loss and discrimination, which inform self- identification and, in turn, may affect how an individual interacts with those around them. By informing interactions, the stigma derived from criminal involvement, for example, is recognized to have, in many cases, a lasting impact on the bearer’s family relationships as well as practical needs such as employment or housing."
Deliesha Thompson who is a recruiter for Staples said that she finds it difficult when she is recruiting candidates for different positions because some individuals get weary when there are completing the application and the questionnaire. They feel that might not get selected to go forward because of their background. She also stated that "When I'm setting appointments and speaking with candidates I ensure them that they can go ahead, complete the application, and schedule an interview because essentially the HR makes a decision when they run a background. But I make sure that all candidate who apply feel included and have a chance at an interview."
Infographic created and provided by me
Why Does It Matter ?
Convicted felons are part of this society as everybody else. Yes, it can be an agreeable argument that some felons should be left to seat in jail. But for the ones who have served their time and pay their debt to society should be able to apply and obtain employment. One of reasons why the homeliness rate is so high in America because individuals do not have the resources to obtain employment. A felon can be a member of anybodies family and who are we to judge the ability for a ex-con to create a better life for themselves.
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Toni Schultz is the Staffing Manager for PeopleShare Carolinas Charlotte branch located in Charlotte, NC. As I mentioned before PeopleShare is staffing agency that helps employers get their positions filled. Toni expressed to me that she feels that "Some grace needs to be extended to people with a criminal background. It is hard enough now to stay afloat in this economy with a job I can only imagine not having a job or seeking employment".
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Federal laws have developed their own version of felon protection. The Americans with Disabilities Act may require employers to ignore some past violent or criminal behavior when it is blamed on mental illness or behavioral disabilities. Furthermore, the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) holds that for employers to take workers' criminal records into account subjects racial minorities to "disparate impact" and must therefore be justified by "business necessity." Indeed.com has programs to help justice-impacted individuals get jobs. On their website it states that "Promoting fair chance hiring practices, companies help give individuals reentering the workforce a greater chance at a successful life". Convicted felons can be the prime example of how people who have made a mistake but turned their life around with a second chance.
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