zlacker

Former career criminal here. Spent 19 years of my adult life in a combination of jail and prison. Longest stint was for 14 consecutive years. Been working in IT for the last 17 years, mostly as a developer. Had a very hard time getting my foot in the door; was denied employment more than once because of my record. Not sure that my current employer is even aware that I have a record, and to be honest I have no plans to reveal that part of my life. Also, knowing that my criminal activities would have life-long consequences was never a deterrent. One thing I know for sure: I’m not what I used to be. Today I live a peaceful and productive life with my wife, enjoy the company of family and friends, and try to stay up-to-date with technology.

I think that what you are doing is a good thing an applaud you for it.

>>newsre+(OP)
I'm sorry to hear of the issues you had getting employment. Must have been awful getting a job, hell when I left my last company with few references it was hard enough... I can only imagine how tough it must have been getting out of jail!

>>newsre+(OP)
What kind of crimes were you committing?

>>oh_sig+Gb
Burglaries, armed robberies, stealing cars, dealing drugs. Did it all as a gang member of an East LA gang -- that's where I got started.

>>newsre+ic
How did you manage to leave the gang life?

>>chris_+A8
It was very tough getting my first job. I been with my current employer for more than 10 years, and will probably retire from here. Many people don't believe that people change. I know for sure that people change -- unfortunately not always for the better.

>>mrskel+zc
Got tired. Really tired. Asked God for help. He did -- can't explain it any other way. I tried to change many times before but always came back to my old life style.

>>newsre+(OP)
Don't you have to reveal that you're a felon by law?

I ask because we have a student in our CS academy who is in a very similar situation.

>>austen+qe
Depends on the state. In some, they aren't even allowed to ask (they have to run a background check to find out).

>>austen+qe
It probably depends by state. I was required to reveal I was a felon while on parole. Once I was off parole I no longer had this requirement but... I was constantly faced with the question on my job applications. My approach was always not to lie and only answer the questions asked, adding "will discuss during interview if needed". Twice I made it to the interview only to be rejected after the nature of my crimes were revealed. On two separate occasions I was offered employment, started work, and was later let go because of my felony conviction.

>>newsre+Bd
Thanks for sharing this. A compelling story. I am glad you were able to survive and thrive. Inspiring stuff.

>>newsre+1d
From what I understand, it has a lot to do with age. People just outgrow being wild. The prison system is full of 60 year olds who committed crimes in their teens and 20s who are no longer a threat, yet they remain.

I'd say once a man hits 40 or so, they have better shit to do with their lives.

>>newsre+1d
Would you say that people who have been through what you have, generally change for the better? Or for worse?

I think sites like 70MillionJobs are dedicated to the proposition that they change for the better. Do you agree?

I firmly believe people change. Sorry, I know they do. And regardless of the nature of the change, it is fair to say that 10 years on, most people are not who they were before. Beyond about that mark, any prison sentence is nothing more than vengeance.

>>newsre+(OP)
I really love that you shared your story.

>>newsre+(OP)
Thanks, and congratulations for having the heart to keep fighting.

>>newsre+(OP)
Thanks for sharing. I'm curious if you already knew the tech stuff before/while committing the crimes or did you learn all that after going through the system?

>>seanmc+Je
and in other countries they can't even do a background check.

some countries even wipe criminal records after some time.

>>newsre+2h
I was the same on re-entering society. I went ahead and put my convictions on the job apps, as I figured I didn't want to waste time going past the application if the company had a problem with my record.

Funny thing is that my dad told me I'd never get a job by doing that, but I got one two weeks after my release.

>>newsre+2h
Happened to me too. Went straight to probation though, no prison time. Still, was given a job offer and worked for two weeks then the company asked everyone to do a background check. I was out in two days after that.

Now almost a year into my current full time job. I've been very lucky and fortunate but the threat of a background check will always look in the distance :/ will keep my chin up though.

>>jopsen+8M
Oh ya, some countries realize being vindictive twits is counterproductive. Anyways, I was just mentioning that states had their own laws here that provide a bit of protection, if not much.

>>austen+qe
I just never checked the box.

"Have you ever been convicted of a felony?"

I would just leave it blank. I figured if anyone asked, then I'd humbly explain the circumstances and I could take my chances from there...

Nobody ever asked, and I went about my life. Obviously YMMV.

>>RonanT+KB
Thanks-it took me a long time (15 years) before I could talk about my past. A combination of shame and fear of doors shutting in my face. When I began opening up, I discovered, counter-intuitively, that people responded with kindness and understanding. I gave them the opportunity to be humane, and almost uniformly they gave me back understanding and support. In a way, I've been very lucky.

>>jopsen+8M
Can confirm, here a background check is allowed only for specific employment roles that may be affected due to security/working with minors etc.

>>Feloni+YW
The irony here is that the more honest a person is the fewer opportunities they will get. Putting this box on an application form selects for the exact opposite of its intention.

>>Joeri+th1
Never thought of this!

Very interesting.

>>powerb+lE
I was lucky. The department of corrections where I did my time provided community college courses. I started by getting my GED then taking basic courses such as writing, math, and social studies. I decided to major in business but changed my major later on to CIS (Computer Information Systems). Managed to accumulate two degrees while in prison: Associate degree in General Studies, and Associate of Science in CIS. The prison system started cutting down on available college courses while I was there. Like I said: I was lucky.

>>RonanT+DB
I witnessed both: people changing for the better, and people changing for the worse. I had a hard time convincing family and friends that my old self was dead. While in prison it was easy to spot those that were genuine. Those that were looking to change their ways and behavior would stick together. I saw good people (people that weren’t career criminals like me) become involved with gang activity while in prison. The peer pressure inside goes against improving yourself. Being a square in prison is much, much harder than being a bad-ass.

>>RBBron+MB
One thing that I neglected to say was that it was during the time I was on parole when I was unable to get a job. I got a job immediately after I got off parole. In order to meet parole regulations, I enrolled in school (two years in state university) while working part time on jobs having nothing to do with my skills. Once I was off parole the requirement of having to disclose my felony conviction was no longer. I applied for a job, checked the box that said I had a prior felony conviction, was interviewed and never asked about it. Got the job as a software developer.

>>newsre+WK1
Cutting down on education in prisons seems to me like the exact opposite of what they should be doing.

>>andai+rl3
A for-profit prison industry has no interest in solving the problem. See school-to-prison pipeline, where pupils are incarcerated for infractions in school.

>>tqkxzu+E85
:(