Felony Convictions and Consequences

Dealing with consequences following unhealthy, impulsive decision making can often be with people for a lifetime.  Anyone who has committed a crime, been charged with a felony and has been convicted know all too well what I am talking about here.  The felony follows you wherever you go particularly when dealing with attempts to find employment.

A group of providers have been asking questions that would potentially enable them to help the felon find reasonable employment.  The four main questions are as follows:

1. What do you see as the biggest obstacle today, for someone trying to gain employment, when the disease of addiction and a felony record is now a part of their resume?
2. What is missing as people move through the steps of recovery that, at the end of a program, they still struggle to find employment which is a major part of an independent life?
3. What successful attempts to find employment for clients with addictions and felony backgrounds have you found?  What methods work?
4. What is the most important advice you can offer to a person who has addiction issues and a felony record when seeking employment?

How would you answer these four questions?  Do you have ANY helpful advice to offer those folks, who by their own decisions are now in this predicament?  Please send us your feedback……

Kathleen Arch of Silent Heroes reported that her organization contacted 275 companies and “a whopping 3” stated that they would “consider” someone having addiction and felony issues in their background.  The other organizations reported that they would interview the applicants they would probably hire the applicant without this “history”.

We absolutely agree that people should be held accountable for their actions but once the “dues are paid” then it is time to allow people to move forward with productive lives.

“Success is not final; failure is not fatal; it is courage to continue that counts.”  —  Winston Churchill