Been to Prison? No Job For You Then

[collateral]

From the Stagg thread:

JJCW said:

Mc Lovin said:

I'd be fking pissed if that happened to me, some suspects spend half their lifetime in prison falsely accused.

I'd be happy with £700k after a year in prison though.

i'm not sure i would, i'd probably never get a decent job again

It's there on a lot of application forms, but why?

Special cases aside (looking after kids, big frauds ect - I've been CRB checked myself in the past and have no problem with it) I don't see logically why is there's a stigma attached to serving time when it comes to getting a job.

I guess the rationale is that because you did something wrong once you'll probably do it again...does this seem a little short sighted to anyone else or am I just weird?

[Pesty]

ive never been asked if I had a criminal record on an application

[fatwomble]

faced with someone who had been to prison and someone who hadn't who would you choose given only the information you see on CVs etc.

[anonymous-user]

collateral said:

I guess the rationale is that because you did something wrong once you'll probably do it again...does this seem a little short sighted to anyone else or am I just weird?

I suppose that unless you have very specific skills which an employer needs then why would they take the risk and employ someone who had been in prison?

I expect it depends hugely on what you were in prison for and what position you are applying for.

[welshbikerduck]

You really need to ask why the stigma?

I can only wonder what the area you live in is like if it seems normal to you.

[voicey]

I've been inside this year and lost my job and happen to work in a tightly regulated industry - it's been difficult to find employment and I've had to make many sacrafices but there are people out there who are prepared to give you the benefit of the doubt.

[davido140]

Depending on what you did, and how long spent in pokey, your conviction will be spent after a predetermined period of time as set out in the rehabilitation of offenders act.

Although your record is still there if anyone ever asks (insurance company, potential employer for a non-sensitive job etc) you can say you have no criminal record perfectly legitimately.

[jeff m]

I know an ex cop who employed ex cons, I beleive he got a federal payment each month ( Ex Philadelphia cop in New Jersey) Not a close friend may I add.

Another friend who left a fish filliting knife in his hand luggage (idiot) when flying back from Florida. He was charged with a felony which would have meant he lost his Trash business as Trash and Gaming are regulated in NJ. He paid a decent sum to have it reduced to a misdemeanor which he pleaded guilty to. A felony could have been time too, although unlikely.
I am making no accusation of who the money went to, he just paid a Dade County Lawyer. (multi thousands)

[tinman0]

collateral said:

I guess the rationale is that because you did something wrong once you'll probably do it again...does this seem a little short sighted to anyone else or am I just weird?

You have someone convicted of theft and someone who has never committed a crime and you are looking for someone to sit on a cash register. Which one would you choose?

Actions speaks louder than words.

[f13ldy]

tinman0 said:

collateral said:

I guess the rationale is that because you did something wrong once you'll probably do it again...does this seem a little short sighted to anyone else or am I just weird?

You have someone convicted of theft and someone who has never committed a crime and you are looking for someone to sit on a cash register. Which one would you choose?

Actions speaks louder than words.

You have someone who has done time for GBH applying for a Project Manager post.

Do you safely assume he is gonna kick the fk out of anyone who doesn't deliver?

In which case he'd be better than someone without a record as long as you filled everyone in on his past.

[Neil_H]

f13ldy said:

tinman0 said:

collateral said:

I guess the rationale is that because you did something wrong once you'll probably do it again...does this seem a little short sighted to anyone else or am I just weird?

You have someone convicted of theft and someone who has never committed a crime and you are looking for someone to sit on a cash register. Which one would you choose?

Actions speaks louder than words.

You have someone who has done time for GBH applying for a Project Manager post.

Do you safely assume he is gonna kick the fk out of anyone who doesn't deliver?

In which case he'd be better than someone without a record as long as you filled everyone in on his past.

So in some ways, being convicted for GBH is a good thing? Is that what you're saying?

Bloody hell.

[grumbledoak]

Surely if it is 'spent' you don't have one for job application purposes?

Otherwise, how the fk could anyone ever be rehabilitated?

[odyssey2200]

IIRC the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (or something like that)

makes it illegal for you to be refused a job on the basis of having been in clink, in the same way as age, race, sex etc.

In reality though....

But If I had £700,000 tax free would I really want to work again?

If invested reasonably and spent sensibly you could make that last 40 years or so!

[anonymous-user]

f13ldy said:

You have someone who has done time for GBH applying for a Project Manager post.

Do you safely assume he is gonna kick the fk out of anyone who doesn't deliver?

In which case he'd be better than someone without a record as long as you filled everyone in on his past.

Why bother taking the risk?

99% of employers will employ someone who hasn't been partaking in GBH. Is there a shortage of good project managers without records about?

[paoloh]

grumbledoak said:

Surely if it is 'spent' you don't have one for job application purposes?

Otherwise, how the fk could anyone ever be rehabilitated?

Any sentence over 3 years is never "spent" IIRC.

[tinman0]

f13ldy said:

tinman0 said:

collateral said:

I guess the rationale is that because you did something wrong once you'll probably do it again...does this seem a little short sighted to anyone else or am I just weird?

You have someone convicted of theft and someone who has never committed a crime and you are looking for someone to sit on a cash register. Which one would you choose?

Actions speaks louder than words.

You have someone who has done time for GBH applying for a Project Manager post.

Do you safely assume he is gonna kick the fk out of anyone who doesn't deliver?

In which case he'd be better than someone without a record as long as you filled everyone in on his past.

Comes down to the responsibilities of the job and when and what the crime was. You can't make sweeping generalizations, you just work on a case by case basis.

[grumbledoak]

paoloh said:

Any sentence over 3 years is never "spent" IIRC.

fk me! So why don't 'they' just kill all the witnesses, and hope to get off through lack of evidence?

[f13ldy]

Neil_H said:

f13ldy said:

tinman0 said:

collateral said:

I guess the rationale is that because you did something wrong once you'll probably do it again...does this seem a little short sighted to anyone else or am I just weird?

You have someone convicted of theft and someone who has never committed a crime and you are looking for someone to sit on a cash register. Which one would you choose?

Actions speaks louder than words.

You have someone who has done time for GBH applying for a Project Manager post.

Do you safely assume he is gonna kick the fk out of anyone who doesn't deliver?

In which case he'd be better than someone without a record as long as you filled everyone in on his past.

So in some ways, being convicted for GBH is a good thing? Is that what you're saying?

Bloody hell.

'I'm gonna need your project briefs by Monday'
'Well that might not be possible'
'Well you know my history and I ain't scared of going back inside'
'Ok you can have it Friday afternoon'
'Cushty'

Or something like that.

What I was actually saying in my original post, is that in some ways a persons conviction has absolutely no bearing on their ability to do the job. But as has been thrown about recently on PH. Mud sticks.

[anonymous-user]

What a strange thread.

Is it really easy to end up in prison all of a sudden? It's hardly the norm to have a prison record is it?

Are posters honestly surprised that a prison record is going to make it difficult or impossible to get certain jobs?

[Neil_H]

f13ldy said:

Neil_H said:

f13ldy said:

tinman0 said:

collateral said:

I guess the rationale is that because you did something wrong once you'll probably do it again...does this seem a little short sighted to anyone else or am I just weird?

You have someone convicted of theft and someone who has never committed a crime and you are looking for someone to sit on a cash register. Which one would you choose?

Actions speaks louder than words.

You have someone who has done time for GBH applying for a Project Manager post.

Do you safely assume he is gonna kick the fk out of anyone who doesn't deliver?

In which case he'd be better than someone without a record as long as you filled everyone in on his past.

So in some ways, being convicted for GBH is a good thing? Is that what you're saying?

Bloody hell.

'I'm gonna need your project briefs by Monday'
'Well that might not be possible'
'Well you know my history and I ain't scared of going back inside'
'Ok you can have it Friday afternoon'
'Cushty'

Or something like that.

What I was actually saying in my original post, is that in some ways a persons conviction has absolutely no bearing on their ability to do the job. But as has been thrown about recently on PH. Mud sticks.

Maybe in some cases, but would you employ someone who was convicted for fraud in bank where they, for example, carry out £million fund transfers daily?

In some cases a criminal record will speak volumes about the strength and integrity of someone's character, hence the stigma.