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I personally believe that criminal background checks for jobs don't make sense. If someone is willing to work for a living after a conviction, I think they should have a fighting chance just like everyone else. After all, they will be WORKING not sitting home collecting govt benefits or living with mom. I mean, what are your options after you serve a sentence for armed robbery, aggravated assault, etc? Go back to prison or leech off of someone... or try your luck starting a business.
The only exception I see is if you're a convicted child molester applying at a daycare or something, but personally I don't think child molesters should be living in society anyway.
I personally believe that criminal background checks for jobs don't make sense. If someone is willing to work for a living after a conviction, I think they should have a fighting chance just like everyone else. After all, they will be WORKING not sitting home collecting govt benefits or living with mom. I mean, what are your options after you serve a sentence for armed robbery, aggravated assault, etc? Go back to prison or leech off of someone... or try your luck starting a business.
The only exception I see is if you're a convicted child molester applying at a daycare or something, but personally I don't think child molesters should be living in society anyway.
The checks are fair. Your example above just solidifies that fact.. You don't want someone convicted of theft working at a bank.. Someone convicted of elder abuse to work at a nursing home.
With those situations out of the way.. Let's take a criminal conviction for something that has no bearing on anything.. Someone convicted of drug possession applying to work in software development.. Should that matter? It all depends. To me.. So long as enough time had passed, it wouldn't.. In that situation, even if it was relatively new, it probably wouldn't matter.
Or, someone convicted of bank robbery 20 years ago.. Clear record since... Would I hold it against them? No. Will others? Of course. Should they? Well.. Should they be ABLE to? Yes. There shouldn't be laws against it.. Otherwise, anyone with a criminal conviction should just have it expunged after a set amount of time. I don't agree with legislating that you can't refuse to hire a person due to past behavior.
The checks are fair. Your example above just solidifies that fact.. You don't want someone convicted of theft working at a bank.. Someone convicted of elder abuse to work at a nursing home.
With those situations out of the way.. Let's take a criminal conviction for something that has no bearing on anything.. Someone convicted of drug possession applying to work in software development.. Should that matter? It all depends. To me.. So long as enough time had passed, it wouldn't.. In that situation, even if it was relatively new, it probably wouldn't matter.
Or, someone convicted of bank robbery 20 years ago.. Clear record since... Would I hold it against them? No. Will others? Of course. Should they? Well.. Should they be ABLE to? Yes. There shouldn't be laws against it.. Otherwise, anyone with a criminal conviction should just have it expunged after a set amount of time. I don't agree with legislating that you can't refuse to hire a person due to past behavior.
So someone who JUST got out prison for armed robbery after serving a 20 year sentence has a better shot than a guy who shoplifted a loaf of bread a month ago?
A guy who breaks into a car and steals $100 worth of stuff will never be hired at a bank. Yet a white collar criminal who steals much more will go unpunished. One is socially acceptable, one is not. Or maybe if your daddy is a cop or a lawyer or well known in the community you can get away with things normal people can't. I know a kid who drives drunk regularly and has a clean record. Yet he probably does the work of 2 people.
I think people should pay for their crimes in ways that don't get in the way of them providing for themselves.
So someone who JUST got out prison for armed robbery after serving a 20 year sentence has a better shot than a guy who shoplifted a loaf of bread a month ago?
A guy who breaks into a car and steals $100 worth of stuff will never be hired at a bank. Yet a white collar criminal who steals much more will go unpunished. One is socially acceptable, one is not. Or maybe if your daddy is a cop or a lawyer or well known in the community you can get away with things normal people can't. I know a kid who drives drunk regularly and has a clean record. Yet he probably does the work of 2 people.
I think people should pay for their crimes in ways that don't get in the way of them providing for themselves.
I wouldn't say that Madoff is going unpunished. But.. My rule of thumb is that 7 years after the crime, or completion of the sentence.. It doesn't matter to me. But.. I do not agree that an employer should not be able to take that into consideration.
I've said it before.. Find someone convicted of a felony who is gainfully employed and you have just found one of the hardest working people you'll ever find.. Because they HAVE to work harder. Probably going to be far more loyal as well.
I personally believe that criminal background checks for jobs don't make sense. If someone is willing to work for a living after a conviction, I think they should have a fighting chance just like everyone else. After all, they will be WORKING not sitting home collecting govt benefits or living with mom. I mean, what are your options after you serve a sentence for armed robbery, aggravated assault, etc? Go back to prison or leech off of someone... or try your luck starting a business.
The only exception I see is if you're a convicted child molester applying at a daycare or something, but personally I don't think child molesters should be living in society anyway.
So you are willing to hire a nanny who was convicted of stealing?
On a personal level: I have a loved one who did something stupid during their college years, and I have seen the specter of that mistake haunt them in the years since. They have been lucky enough to work their way up to a great job, but there is a ceiling on how high they can rise and what kinds of companies they will never be able to work for.
On a societal level: The extreme stigmatization of individuals with criminal records does real, measurable harm in society. Recidivism rates skyrocket when ex-offenders are unable to become gainfully employed and reintegrate into society. Frustration and desperation lead people to re-offend just to survive, contributing to the revolving door of our prison system.
On a business level: With all of that said, I cannot honestly say that if I were a hiring manager presented with two identical candidates--one with a record and one without--that I would choose the one with the record. Hiring involves a thousand small judgments, and it makes sense that a person's ability to abide by the basic rules of society would count at least as much as the quality of the suit he wears to the interview.
It is a complicated problem with no easy solutions.
The tolerance for some crimes varies. If someone was addicted to drugs that's one thing they can get help. But the tolerance for violence has dropped significantly. Look how hard is it to say don't beat people up?
Besides if someone does perform crime as a adult then what is that really saying? It means you can't learn. If you can't learn then what makes you think you can work?
It doesn't even matter if criminal records are sealed or not because you can always google a name.
So you are willing to hire a nanny who was convicted of stealing?
Sure. Why not? Someone with a job and real responsibilities has a much less likely chance of stealing than a person with no job or sense of responsibility. And if that nanny were to steal from me then that's what the police are for
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