Should the convicted felons box be removed from job applications? Those who’ve been arrested or convicted would answer “yes”, arguing that a person shouldn’t be judged before being given an equal opportunity. Others like small business would push against it because without the box they have to go through a longer process of figuring out if someone is fit for the job, and whether or not they want to hire someone who’s been to jail. In this debate, having a criminal record will no longer effect you when applying for government jobs and when applying for small business. For the sake of men and women who’s been convicted of a crime and are trying to better themselves by finding a job, applications should be made to remove the box, since taking it away would have a positive effect for the ex-convict. There are estimated to be seven to eight billion people on earth, which will result in about seventy million something people with prior convictions. Those of which are in need of jobs that don’t involve them getting thrown back into prison. It is being debated on whether or not a person is suitable or not for a job because of simply having been done some time in jail for something they have done.
Debating whether or not it would be safe to hire a ex-con would be better done if that person were able to explain themselves in the crime they have committed. Though just by banning the box it would not guarantee that person a job or even a chance at being interviewed. The employer can still do a background check which is acceptable and part of the hiring process, but removing the box will basically knock down that one little obstacle they would have to climb over.”Jordan now has a job,” Jeffrey writes, “as a server at a restaurant. He’s been clean for almost a year now”
The use of criminal record databases by employers has greatly increased since the 1990s when the information first became relevant (Appelbaum, 2015). The biggest rise in background searches began after the terrorist attacks in New York City on September 11, 2001. Mr. Uggen, a criminologist at the University of Minnesota, states that there is a problem with criminal background checks considering most employers have no idea what they should be looking for. With every business owner having different concerns about potential applicants, “we haven’t really figured out what a disqualifying offense should be for particular activities (Appelbaum,
Every civilization in history has had rules, and citizens who break them. To this day governments struggle to figure out the best way to deal with their criminals in ways that help both society and those that commit the crimes. Imprisonment has historically been the popular solution. However, there are many instances in which people are sent to prison that would be better served for community service, rehab, or some other form of punishment. Prison affects more than just the prisoner; the families, friends, employers, and communities of the incarcerated also pay a price. Prison as a punishment has its pros and cons; although it may be necessary for some, it can be harmful for those who would be better suited for alternative means of punishment.
“Many people say that serious crime committers have shown they aren’t trustworthy” (Clegg). After a felon is released from prison, the expectation is that they will shape up and return to their lives, however most of their lives are completely changed. When a felon is released from prison, they should retain their same rights as a US citizen as well as their right to vote and serve in Jury Duty, because they served their time and cannot be held in double jeopardy, and are valuable assets to the country for work and less homelessness. When felons are released from prison, they should retain the same rights as the average US citizen as well as the right to vote. Nonviolent felons who have served time for more than a year for misdemeanors are unable to vote because their judgment can no longer be trusted.
The United States is one of the only few democratic countries that disenfranchises convicted felons. An estimated 5.85 million people charged with a felony are banned from voting. Moreover, felon disenfranchisement laws are a form of racial discrimination because a large percentage of felons are Hispanic, Latino or African American that have been incarcerated as a result of racial profiling. Denying felons from voting is unconstitutional since the right to vote and cast a ballot is supposed to be the cornerstone of democracy. Felons who have completed their sentence should be restored their right to vote as they should be able to participate in elections just like every other citizen. Despite being charged with a felony, felons are also American
The topic of felon disenfranchisement has become a highly contested topic as of late. The current Presidential Administration in what would appear to be a hollow declaration and political posturing has recently directed Attorney General Eric Holder to decree the racially motivated and archaic Jim Crow driven practice be restructured or more likely abolished. And in what would appear as the trump card in an already racially sensitive society Atty. Gen Eric Holder states in his address to the Georgetown University Law Center on criminal justice reform that “although well over a century has passed since post-Reconstruction states used these measures to strip African Americans of their most fundamental rights, the impact of felony disenfranchisement on modern communities of color remains both disproportionate and unacceptable. Throughout America, 2.2 million black citizens – or nearly one in 13 African-American adults – are banned from voting because of these laws. In three states – Florida, Kentucky, and Virginia – that ratio climbs to one in five” (Eric H. Holder, 2014)
There are certain instances in which you can seal your criminal records so they can't be viewed by outside sources including employers. This makes it easier to get a job when they're doing background checks. There are many benefits to sealing your record. In some states, a record can be expunged, but not in New York. The only option for New York residents is to get their record sealed.
The whole idea of taking away a convicted felon’s voting rights started in Rome when they were the controlling empire. Nowadays, a majority of prisons throughout the United States are allowing felons to vote on who becomes the next president. Even though they have committed murder, rape, thievery, we blow off those thoughts and allow felons to have a say in who runs this beautiful country. So the question is, should we allow convicted felons to vote? Not a chance would I ever say yes into letting felons choose our next president! Would you want to stand next to a convicted felon as you vote? I have a hard time imagining this act.
This paper examines the advantages and disadvantages of ex-offender reentry. Factors contributing to recidivism include law enforcement officers mistrust for reentry prisoners; lack of familial and community support; difficulties gaining employment due to criminal background, obstacles pertaining to housing. Factors that may reduce recidivism, increase public safety and facilitate ex-offender reintegration transitions, as well as detrimental factors of recidivism are examined. Lastly, the important role of parole officers for ex-offenders and the level of supervision ex-offenders receive are also explored in this paper.
Throughout the nation there are 5.3 million Americans who are denied their right to vote because they have a criminal conviction on their record (“Felon Voting Rights”). In the state of Florida, a felon can’t apply for his right to vote to be restored until at least five years after he has completed his sentence, with no guarantee of his rights being restored. Violent and repeat felons haven’t proved they are good citizens; however non-violent felons, who have committed victimless crimes, should be allowed to have their rights restored when they have served their time and paid off their fines. Non-violent felons would have a better chance of readapting into society because they would be able to vote in elections, be rehabilitated, and return to fully contributing members of society.
Due to this reason, most republicans do not want to give ex-cons the privilege of voting. Because of the fact that many felons were not able to vote in forty-eight states back then the results of the presidential election was different. The thought of whether a felon will vote republican or democratic should not be a factor in allowing them to be re-enfranchised. Unfortunately that is a major factor. People have to decide if felons should have to right to vote or not but, should this be decided by the fact that felons may vote for the Democratic
Recidivism rate in the United States is extremely high. According to the National institute of Justice, “Within three years of release, about two-thirds (67.8 percent) of released prisoners were rearrested. Within five years of release, about three-quarters (76.6 percent) of released prisoners were rearrested. Of those prisoners who were rearrested, more than half (56.7 percent) were arrested by the end of the first year.” Those who have been in prison are more
Learned helplessness is giving up trying because there is a consistent failure throughout life and is thought to be a cause of depression; which is a result of the second quadrant. Many people that are released from the judicial system, have a hard time finding jobs which may cause them to commit crimes to support themselves and their families. Some employers will not hire felons and the unemployment rate for those who have been released from the justice system is 25-40%. A majority of employers conduct background checks as a stage of their application process. They do this so they are confident that their company will have the best employees. Background checks reveal: convictions, arrest records and court records, warrants, federal and civil
More than 600,000 prisoners are released into the main population of the United States every year. Of that 600,000, 30 percent end up back behind bars within six months of their release, and 70 percent end up returning to jail within three years (Reisig, 409). Upon release, many criminals find that life on the outside is harder on them than it was when they were convicted, sentenced, and locked away. People who know them may become just as prejudiced as the interviewers and landlords who deny them the chance to earn a living or a place to stay. Through the continued use of labels like criminal, thug, crook, and felon, many released offenders feel ostracized and isolated. Their friends and families may turn their backs on them, taking away the few things they have left...
560). It is hard to imagine that a prisoner, who completes their maximum sentence, is released back into the community without any type of supervision. After being told what to do, how to do it, and when to do it for so long, a person is going to have difficulty transitioning back to an independent life. Personal and economic deficits add to the problems of prisoner reentry as well. Siegel (2017) mentions that young men and women with a long history of drug abuse and criminal behavior and who have an antisocial personality with childhood dysfunctions are more likely to fall back into their old criminal habits and end up reincarcerated. Along the same lines, those who are released from prison that do not have a stable family life, for example a good marriage, tend to have a harder time adapting back into the community. Economic problems persist with ex-inmates as well. Ex-inmates will have a harder time finding work because by law, ex-convicts are denied the right to work in certain occupations such as childcare, education, security, nursing, and home health care. More jobs are
The Federal Government Should Pass Legislation Banning Employers from Asking About Criminal Convictions on Initial Job Applications. When Daniel left prison two years ago, he walked out of the doors with hope and optimism. He had completed all of the recovery programs that were available and attended his narcotic anonymous meetings religiously while incarcerated. He knew that with the help he had received and his “can do” attitude, he was certain to obtain employment and become a productive member of society. After all, he was a single parent of two young kids and they were counting on him.