When one thinks of someone who has been to prison, fear is automatically instilled in the mind due to human nature. The brain is trained to think that “prison” represents some terrible crime, like murder or rape, when in reality eighty-six percent of crimes being punished right now were victimless (Adam 1). This being said, even the convicts who have never committed an act of danger are being prejudiced against on many levels because of that natural human reaction.
This automatic response towards ex-convicts affects their lives in many areas. Not to say that every single one of them deserves a second chance or equal treatment, but a lot of these people are denied basic rights based on their history. They are denied employment because employers …show more content…
Approximately 75 percent of ex cons cannot get jobs within the first year of being out with 52 percent of them returning to jail within the first three years. Research has shown that having a history of incarceration reduces a worker’s chance of being hired by fifteen to thirty percent . “Imprisonment can degrade a worker’s “human capital,” including formal education, work experience or skills such as the ability to relate to people or be punctual” which leads to lack of employment (Michael 1). This prevents them from sustaining a healthy lifestyle and may put them right back where many of them were before prison: doing drugs, gang involvement, and other activities harmful to themselves, to others, and to …show more content…
An issue regarding and solely based upon an individual’s emotions which cannot be entirely proven in every case, this law would not prevent all prejudice against ex-convicts in the workforce, but it would certainly help. Some fourteen states have adopted small bills like this and it would possibly benefit the whole country if it became a federal law. It would sound something like this: No employer shall disregard a prospective employee based on criminal record so long as the history does not conflict directly with the line of work, nor show a clear and present danger to others around; not applicable to citizens prosecuted of rape or
This automatic response towards ex-convicts affects their lives in many areas. Not to say that every single one of them deserves a second chance or equal treatment, but a lot of these people are denied basic rights based on their history. They are denied employment because employers …show more content…
Approximately 75 percent of ex cons cannot get jobs within the first year of being out with 52 percent of them returning to jail within the first three years. Research has shown that having a history of incarceration reduces a worker’s chance of being hired by fifteen to thirty percent . “Imprisonment can degrade a worker’s “human capital,” including formal education, work experience or skills such as the ability to relate to people or be punctual” which leads to lack of employment (Michael 1). This prevents them from sustaining a healthy lifestyle and may put them right back where many of them were before prison: doing drugs, gang involvement, and other activities harmful to themselves, to others, and to …show more content…
An issue regarding and solely based upon an individual’s emotions which cannot be entirely proven in every case, this law would not prevent all prejudice against ex-convicts in the workforce, but it would certainly help. Some fourteen states have adopted small bills like this and it would possibly benefit the whole country if it became a federal law. It would sound something like this: No employer shall disregard a prospective employee based on criminal record so long as the history does not conflict directly with the line of work, nor show a clear and present danger to others around; not applicable to citizens prosecuted of rape or