The Job Search and the Stigma of a Felony

Published November 16, 2009 @ 08:17PM PT

The latest episode of a great of web radio show, Family Life Behind Bars, focuses on the job search after incarceration, and includes two guests who offer important perspectives on the topic.

David Koch -- a pilot, business owner and author -- served two years in prison before beginning his career in 1980 at the bottom rung, mowing lawns and cleaning floors at a flight school. He offers some clear and actionable advice to newly released prisoners, but he doesn't mince words -- he's such a believer in self-determination that he almost denies the challenges are there. He says that the stigma of a felony conviction exists in the felon’s mind more than it does in society. He recommends that newly released prisoners take "jobs that nobody wants" or volunteer their time to help others and get their foot in the door. I'm not sure if he's offering sound advice or living in a fantasy land.

From the other end of the spectrum, guest Aric Coleman was freed last month in Michigan after serving seven years in prison. He’s struggling to find a job, and he says he sees the stigma against hiring felons as real in society, but then agrees with Koch that it must first be conquered within oneself.

Listen to the podcast here.

I sometimes write in this space about nonprofits and socially conscious companies that open doors for the formerly incarcerated. These are critical pieces of the puzzle, of course. But this podcast discussion focuses on the individual, and it raises some important questions.

I haven’t faced the stigma of a felony so I don’t have the insight of these two guests, but it has always seemed to me that the stigma is very real. It’s inspiring to hear these two men describe the personal journey of overcoming the challenges facing them, but it certainly takes enlightened hiring practices to help people like them achieve their goals. I'm not sure we're there yet.

In the end, I disagree with Koch. We live in a society (especially in this economy) where the enormous prison system is vilified and misunderstood. Thanks to the drug war, more people than ever before have a record, but companies refuse to hire them. In the current atmosphere, many talented, driven former prisoners just won't get the break they need to achieve their potential. That needs to change to make Koch's world a reality.

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Comments (1)

I haven’t faced the stigma of a felony either but I am very close to someone who is about two months away from that very circumstance. Also, in my work to get H.R. 1529 the “Second Chance for Ex-Offenders Act of 2009” passed into law, I have come to know a number of people who have been living with the stigma of a felony conviction for quite a long time. Some for twenty years or more and they are still, in many ways, rejected by society and have difficulty finding meaningful employment. IMHO, meaningful employment is key to allowing ex-offenders to regain their place in society. See the commentary Congress Set to Dump “Second Chance for Ex-Offenders Act” at The-Slammer.org.

There is also a very good booklet that has just been posted at the Yahoo Group "Support of H.R. 1529" which details the benefits of H.R. 1529 and tells the story of two people who have suffered the collateral consequences of a felony conviction. The booklet also tells how they have, in spite of the odds, been able to carry on with their lives. Perhaps not in the way that they may have wanted but it clearly shows that there are real people who have overcome adversity and who deserve a "Second Chance." You may join the group and download the booklet by clicking on the "Files" tab. Or, you may send me a private message and I will e-mail the booklet to you.

I whole heartedly agree with Matt's statement that "Thanks to the drug war, more people than ever before have a record, but companies refuse to hire them. In the current atmosphere, many talented, driven former prisoners just won't get the break they need to achieve their potential. That needs to change to make Koch's world a reality."

Posted by Thomas Kinney on 11/17/2009 @ 07:18PM PT
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Matt has worked and volunteered in various capacities in criminal justice reform for several years. When he's not blogging, he works as the Online Communications Manager at the Innocence Project. Views expressed here are Matt's, and don't represent the positions of the Innocence Project.