Why is it so hard for a person convicted of a non-violent felony to find a good job?

Question

I known a man that was convicted on a drug possesion charge and given a felony record. He is having a hard time getting work and becoming frustrated.He says society won't allow him to take part in normal things like renting an apartment or getting a good job.He said he may as well become a real criminal and do things that are not good to make money so he and his family can survive.
Why does the Government let a thug like sammy the bull who killed 19 people get a good job and a new start when they won't help people convicted of non-violent crimes start over?

Answer 1

Tell, your friend not to give up, he will find find work. He needs to believe in him self and keep trying. There are always people who are willing to give others a chance, some times it just takes finding those people. The are out there, but he mustn't give up.

No he doesn't want to become a real criminal, because then he truly will be throwing his life away. People make mistakes but getting into more of a criminal life isn't what he really needs or even wants. Putting him self in deeper isn't the answer, it will only serve to cause him self and his family more pain that none of them need or deserve.

No, life isn't always fair, it's full of heartaches and disappointments and maybe that's the answer to why Sammy the Bull now has a job. Some people can lay down in a pile of poop and get up and smell like a rose. Other people work so hard just to get a little a head and life gives them a kick, but they keep doing what is right as that is how they are. They would rather work hard than to roll in the poop. I don't know your friend as to weather he believes in God or not, if he does then he needs to remember that Sammy the Bull's sentence may be done on this earth but he still must face God. Meaning the "Thou shall not Kill" part! He.. is going to be a very full place.

Your friend didn't kill any one, it may be hard for your friend now but it will get better. Tell him he needs to believe that and not give up. Some times we just need to keep the faith and things will take care of them self.

People need to remember that just because some one does time on 1 drug charge that doesn't always mean that they are horrible people. What it does mean is that they made a mistake, but it doesn't mean that any one should sit in judgement of that person. They were all ready charged and they served their time, people need to let it go after that.

I worked in a prison for 16 years and many of the guys that I talked with always found work on the out side. Many of these guys had done time for drug charges, so there is always hope. Tell your friend not to give up as it will get better for him.

If it were me I'd rather hire some one with former drug charges than some one who murdered people, I wouldn't trust any one who would kill any one.

I wish your friend and his family the best of luck. Note: People make mistakes. Every one deserves a second chance in life to make things right. It would be a terrible world if no one was ever given another chance after they screw up.

Answer 2

Usually, it is easier to get a job with a conviction for assault then to get a job with a property crime or drug conviction on your rap.

To see why this is so, just ask yourself: If I were the owner of a gas station who would I rather hire 1) person who got into bar fight one time; 2) person who has been convicted of theft; or 3) someone with a drug problem?

I guarantee 9/10 people would hire person 1 before 2 or 3.

Answer 3

Liability laws are a problem. If I knowingly hire a felon and he commits another felony, if it's somehow related to my business, the victim might sue me, claiming I "should have known" he could be a risk and that I didn't provide enough protection.

So I would rather hire someone with a clean record.

I sincerely hope your friend gets a good job and apartment.

Answer 4

The Army and Marine Corps are letting in more recruits with criminal records, including some with felony convictions, reflecting the increased pressure of five years of war and its mounting casualties.

According to data compiled by the Defense Department, the number of Army and Marine recruits needing waivers for felonies and serious misdemeanors, including minor drug offenses, has grown since 2003. The Army granted more than double the number of waivers for felonies and misdemeanors in 2006 than it did in 2003. Some recruits may get more than one waiver.

The military routinely grants waivers to admit recruits who have criminal records, medical problems or low aptitude scores that would otherwise disqualify them from service. Overall the majority are moral waivers, which include some felonies, misdemeanors, and traffic and drug offenses.

The number of felony waivers granted by the Army grew from 411 in 2003 to 901 in 2006, according to the Pentagon, or about one in 10 of the moral waivers approved that year. Other misdemeanors, which could be petty theft, writing a bad check or some assaults, jumped from about 2,700 to more than 6,000 in 2006. The minor crimes represented more than three-quarters of the moral waivers granted by the Army in 2006, up from more than half in 2003.

Army and Defense Department officials defended the waiver program as a way to admit young people who may have made a mistake early in life but have overcome past behavior. And they said about two-thirds of the waivers granted by the Marines are for drug use, because they — unlike the other services — require a waiver if someone has been convicted once for marijuana use.

Lawmakers and other observers say they are concerned that the struggle to fill the military ranks in this time of war has forced the services to lower their moral standards.

"The data is crystal clear. Our armed forces are under incredible strain and the only way that they can fill their recruiting quotas is by lowering their standards," said Rep. Marty Meehan (news, bio, voting record), D-Mass., who has been working to get additional data from the Pentagon. "By lowering standards, we are endangering the rest of our armed forces and sending the wrong message to potential recruits across the country."

Army spokesman Paul Boyce said Tuesday he is concerned because the Pentagon data differs from Army numbers. But overall, he said, "anything that is considered a risk or a serious infraction of the law is given the highest level of review."

"Our goal is to make certain that we recruit quality young men and women who can keep America defended against its enemies," Boyce said.

The data was obtained through a federal information request and released by the California-based Michael D. Palm Center, a think tank that studies military issues.

"The fact that the military has allowed more than 100,000 people with such troubled pasts to join its ranks over the past three years illustrates the problem we're having meeting our military needs in this time of war," said Aaron Belkin, director of the center.

Belkin said a new study commissioned by the center also concludes that the military does not have any programs that help convicted felons adjust to military life.

Answer 5

probably because if he's trying to find an apartment, they landlord doesn't want drugs in his building, and the same thing with the job.
they don't know him, so they don't know if he will have drugs again, so they find someone they trust more.

Answer 6

Drugs are bad...........mmmmmmmmkay?