In the United States, on an average, majority of individuals have a felony on their criminal record. The mark of a felony has many negative repercussions on a person’s life, and one of the biggest challenges for them is landing a job.
In the past, this specific group of people have been suffered and discriminated against when it comes to employment. Hiring felons is always a tricky subject for employers.
In this article, you will see the negative side effects of a felony conviction. Some of the questions might be running through your mind:
Why the employment and earnings of felons so low?
What barriers do they face in gaining employment to live independently?
To what extent are these barriers based on their characteristics and attitude?
Are there policies that are likely to reduce these barriers, and improve employment?
We will review these issues right away.
The Difficulties of Rejoining Society after a Felony Conviction
Generally, a person with criminal background suffers a lot after a felony conviction. The bitter truth is that once an individual has been convicted, incarcerated, after the release, they are not free to rejoin society; in fact, they face several issues in the community.
The sad reality is that there are overwhelming barriers to those who have criminal backgrounds when it comes to employment & getting homes.
- Getting a Job Is Hard for them
- No Place to Live
- Limited Educational Options
- An Inability to Vote
Tips for Felons Looking for a Job
- Do research
- Apply for a necessary license (like Occupational License)
- Be honest in the application process
- Consider going back to school
- Apply to many positions
- Have a positive attitude
Occupational License
What is it?
It is a credential that the government state requires a worker to hold in certain occupations. Aspiring workers must have educational certificates, training, testing, and other requirements to practice in a licensed profession.
Occupational licenses are mandatory to set professional standards and ensure safety and quality of work at the same time.
You should be aware that violation of the terms of the license, in any case, can result in legal action. For felons, occupational licensing can create hurdles for the certain work zone.
Barriers to Success among felons in the Labor Market
What are the factors that limit employment and earnings among felons?
Several factors operate on the supply side of the labor market – through the attitude, characteristics, and behavior of the individuals. Depending upon that, they can operate on the supply side and demand side.
Let’s discuss them in detail:
Supply-Side Barriers
Felons have a variety of characteristics that greatly limit their employability and earning capacities. These include:
- Limited education and cognitive skills
- Limited work experience
Demand-Side Barriers
The barriers faced by felons because of their limited skills, poor health, and race or area of residence often reflect a mismatch on the demand side of the labor market. These include:
- Barriers generated by employers
- Those explicitly related to their status
Let’s have a look at the Hiring Process for Felons
Time has changed as compared to earlier. Employers are now willing to consider candidates with criminal histories if they have good references. In addition to this, a solid performance record and supplementary training certificates help a lot represent your positive side.
Several states like Arizona, California, Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, and New York also offer rehabilitation certificates to the needy.
Many big companies including Google, Goodwill, Hilton Hotels, Amazon Warehouse, Starbucks, and Dollar Tree have hired people with criminal records previously and are open to hiring them.
The Bottom Line
So, this was all about the hurdles that an individual has to face after a felony conviction. Apart from employment barriers, they find difficulty in educational opportunities; have no house to live in, and even unable to vote.
Hopefully, by the end of this article, you have got all the answers to your queries. Remember some policies have been definitely initiated towards the welfare of felons.
If you want to change your life, be open to learning the basic soft skills and hard skills that’ll help you out find a suitable job.
All the Best!
