Just been released from prison…now what? Time to get a j-o-b! BUT, in today’s economy it’s not that easy. Find out some stats on ex-cons entering the work force and some valuable tips when you read on…
Every year in America, 600,000 inmates are released from prisons and jails. One of their biggest challenges is finding jobs as ex-cons. With unemployment now hovering at around 9%, it’s hard enough to land a position in the U.S., even for those with spotless records and impeccable career credentials. Unemployment among the ex-inmate population is a staggering 50%, various studies show.
Despite popular thinking, it’s not just hardened criminals like murderers or rapists who have trouble re-entering the workforce. More frequently, those seeking a second chance in the employment market after a felony conviction are non-violent offenders who were incarcerated for drug-related offenses or financial crimes, such as theft, bad-check writing or embezzlement.
According to a 2011 report from The Sentencing Project, 6% of all Americans –- more than 13 million people -– are estimated to have felony convictions, posing a serious threat to their employment opportunities.
How to Navigate the Employment Application
The main obstacle on a job application is any question that asks about criminal convictions. Some job applications may inquire only about misdemeanors, though such applications are rare. Others may ask about felonies that occurred in a specific time, such as within the past 10 years.
So read the question carefully, and answer it honestly, advises Vivian Nixon, Executive Director of College and Community Fellowship, a New York City-based non-profit that helps women coming out of prison to complete college degrees and move toward economic security. If the question asks: “Have you ever been convicted of a felony?” only indicate “Yes” or check that box if you have already been officially convicted of such a crime.
“A lot of lot of people don’t realize that they don’t have to answer ‘Yes’ if they were just arrested, if they’ve been charged with a felony, or even if they’re in the middle of a trial,” Nixon says. She adds that anyone convicted of a felony as a youth, who had a youthful adjudication, can also answer “No.” With a youthful adjudication, your record is sealed because the felony happened before you were 18 years old. “So part of the issue is educating people about what the (conviction) question really means,” Nixon notes.
How to Refine Your Resume
When submitting a resume for a position, highlight relevant work experience, emphasize education and talents you possess that could benefit the employer and project the most professional image of yourself possible.
“Also when completing applications and/or resumes they should add, in the skills section, things they may have been trained in while incarcerated like landscaping skills, being a barber, cook, etc.,” says Kakela Gilbert, a Correctional Probation Senior Officer at the Department of Corrections in Broward County, Florida.
Check out the rest of tips over at Black Voices
