Comment by indymike
3 years ago
> This does not solve the problem that many of us do not want to hire convicted criminals.
The issue that keeps people from hiring ex-offenders isn't hard to solve:
One part is social. This one requires a little leadership and a little bit of re-defining what is an acceptable attitude.
The other part is a financial issue and is EASY to solve politically: most business insurers will raise rates or not insure companies that hire ex-offenders.
In my home state we were able to get a law passed that shifted liability for a hired ex-offender who committed a crime on the job to the state so insurers could not make hiring ex-offenders ridiculously expensive.
We were able to sell the idea to our legislators and local city councilors with a simple trade: the Democrat-controlled city council wanted to pass laws making it illegal not to hire ex-offenders. The Republican-controlled legislature wanted to give tax credits to businesses that hire ex-offenders. I suggested instead of passing unconstitutional laws or handing out corporate welfare we could solve the problem by making it illegal to charge more to insure a business that hires an ex-offender, and at the same time, absolving the insurer of having to pay claims because of the hire. The city and state decided to try it out, and it's helped a lot of people over the past eight years.
You could just make criminal background checks unlawful, which is the case in Ireland. There is police vetting for people who work with the vulnerable and certain key jobs, but the average person will never face vetting for a job.
The problem with this is that it encourages crime.
I know a really nice guy who went to prison for "stealing" cable TV. He's an electrician and a convicted felon. He is exceptionally productive, and has a ton of sense, but he's also a thief. His time in prison (in Texas) may have been what changed him, but he will never stop stealing.
After knowing him, I would not hire a convicted criminal who spent time in prison / jail.
> His time in prison (in Texas) may have been what changed him, but he will never stop stealing.
This is the attitude that needs to change. There is no proof that one act of theft results in a person having an uncontrollable urge to steal for the rest of their life.