Employment with a Criminal Background

Employment with a Criminal Background

Seeking employment is highly competitive, and it becomes more difficult when in poverty

and with a criminal past. Many factors influence this complex situation. Hiring an exconvict

does pose a risk to the employer, and negative stereotypes reinforce anxiety over

this risk. A common belief is that a criminal background means a person can’t be trusted

and that they might re-offend, and if the applicant re-offends the employer could be

charged with negligent hiring. The theory that criminals commit crime for financial reasons

suggests a linking between poverty and crime. Placing offenders in employment brings

stability and serves to reduce the tendency to re-offend. There are training programs in

and out of prison that have been designed to help ex-cons develop job skills; however

success of these programs is still debatable. There are also horror stories of what some

ex-cons have done in places of employment, including harm other employees. Thus it is

understandable for employers to not want to be exposed to a risk but this does not help

those in poverty with criminal records. The challenges ex-cons face trying to find

employment as well as the options available to them will be further explored.

There can be various factors that affect how an ex-con applicant is viewed and treated.

Employers may look at the seriousness of the offense. For instance, people will more likely

be hired after property offenses than after violent crime and murder (Albright and Furjen

). In a study measuring employer’s attitudes towards ex-con applicants, it was found the

type of offense can play a big role in being hired. “Employers in this study also indicated

that the more information they recei...

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