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| Cost of crime: Criminal records make finding jobs difficult |
| By foxcarolina.com - Dana Wachter |
| Published: 07/17/2012 |
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GREENVILLE, SC (FOX Carolina) - High unemployment rates continue to plague the country - by the end of June, the U.S. unemployment rate sat at just more than 8 percent. South Carolina's was higher, at 9.1, and North Carolina, at 9.4 percent. Those numbers can be overwhelming for any job seeker, but imagine having a criminal background. Many employers won't hire convicted felons, leaving them scrambling to make ends meet. But there are plans in the works to get non-violent offenders back on the payroll, but it may take a while. Cassandra Hawes, of Greenwood, has been trying for more than a year to get a decent job. She said she applies for multiple jobs a day, and sometimes even interviews, but then is turned down because she has a criminal background. Hawes has a record in South Carolina - a list of misdemeanors dating back to the 90s. She said it's the felony she was convicted of in 2008, criminal conspiracy, that continues to plague her job search. Hawes said she was in the car with someone who was arrested on drug charges, and potential employers tell her that charge is the problem. "They say the charge is not violent, non drug related, why is it hindering me from getting a job if it's not violent and not drug related?" Hawes asked. The job search isn't just a struggle for Hawes. Corinne Davis, with Greenville's SC Works, a state-run unemployment office, said she sees this every day. She said competition is especially stiff because so many people are out of work during this recession. Legally, companies have to interview a person with the right credentials for a job, but Davis said internal policies may keep them from actually hiring a convict. Davis said groups like the National Employment Law Project are trying to rectify the issue. NELP reports that one in four Americans have arrest and conviction records, which means more than a million people in America may be discriminated against during the job search. Read More. |
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