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| Many Oregon Inmates Working Hard to Get Jobs |
| By publicnewsservice.org |
| Published: 06/18/2015 |
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SALEM, Ore. - No one may have watched the debate over a "Ban the Box" bill in the Oregon Legislature more closely than the 1,300 people who are working on their job skills in prison. According to House Bill 3025, the legislation now on its its way to Gov. Kate Brown's desk, employers can no longer ask on job applications if the applicant has been convicted of a crime. Heidi Steward, assistant director for offender management and rehabilitation at the Oregon Department of Corrections, listed more than a dozen careers for which inmates can train while they're serving time. She said she thinks banning that particular check-box on applications will make a difference. "Many times, these individuals are screened out just because they check that box," she said. "I think by just getting that opportunity to get in there and to have an interview, and to show them what they've done, the skills that they've obtained and what kind of person they are, it's really a big step in the right direction." Steward said the corrections system has a network of employers who are willing to hire people upon release, but it's a constant process of raising awareness so others will open doors for those trying to start anew after prison. The bill's backers said it gives people a chance to explain their history, not omit it. Read More. |
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