by Kat Derrig

Created on: November 13, 2008   Last Updated: December 25, 2008

I believe that in some cases, a felony conviction should automatically prevent a person from obtaining employment. In most cases, however, I do not think that a criminal past has to stand in the way of someone being hired - in fact, it is essential that these individuals be able to find gainful employment in order to re-enter and become functioning members of society.

There are some limitations though: I would be leary of hiring a person with a felony conviction for any position that involves working around children, or if my business were located next to a school or daycare. The fact is, this person was tried and held responsible for a serious crime - that is what differentiates a felony from a misdemeanor. If I were the owner of a toy shop for example, I would be nervous about having someone of questionable character in such close proximity with a child. As a mother, I would hope that stores that cater to families would be responsible enough to not employ individuals who had been in prison. This, of course, goes without saying for places like play centers, preschools, and day cares, and also jobs within school systems such as cafeteria workers and custodians. I believe that not only should convicted child molesters be automatically prevented from working there, but all convicted felons.

In other cases, the question of whether to hire a convicted felon should be left up to the company itself. A retail store that deals in expensive merchandise has the right to question the practicality of employee someone with a history of theft. This is where the nature of the crime must be examined. A man or woman who has been convicted of identity theft should not be allowed to operate a cash register where customers would be handing him or her a credit card. It is very easy for salespeople behind the counter to copy this information and use it later. As consumers, we trust that the companies we do business with will not knowingly put us in that kind of financial danger.

I believe that each case should be looked at on an individual basis. A person's past should not have to define their future, and prevent them from living a normal life. Employers need to closely examine not only the facts of the crime, but the potential employee's other past behavior, job history, and activities since the conviction. If it seems that they are genuinely making an effort to reform, they should be given another chance. If there are other charges, felony or not, that triggers a red flag. Society should not be expected to embraced convicted criminals in the workplace, no questions asked.

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