Former US inmate struggles to move on after jail

Global Business

People just released from incarceration face an uphill battle. Although they feel they have paid their debt to society in prison and are ready to start their new chapter in life, moving on isn’t that easy.

Former felons are barred from certain types of work where there are security concerns, but analysts say inmates are also unfairly stigmatized when asked about their criminal history up front.

There’s a move to persuade employers to remove the check box about criminal records on hiring applications for government and private sector jobs.

Advocates of the “Ban the Box” movement say disclosing a criminal record by ticking off a box in the application process severely reduces a former inmate’s chances of finding employment. The campaign seems to be gaining traction.

U.S. President Barack Obama expressed support for it when he was last in New Jersey. He signed an executive order banning federal agencies from doing background checks until later in the hiring process.

Todd Clear is a professor at the Rutgers School of Criminal Justice. He has helped former felons find jobs. Clear says that by delaying disclosure until the interview, employers were more likely to take a chance and they often said former inmates were their most loyal and hard-working employees.

CCTV’s Karina Huber reports.

Former US inmate struggles to move on after jail

People just released from prison face an uphill battle. Although they felt they have paid their debt to society in prison and were ready to start their new chapters of life, moving on isn't that easy. CCTV’s Karina Huber reports.


Steve Raphael on employment after prison
For more on the challenges facing inmates when they leave prison, CCTV America’s Michelle Makori was joined by Steve Raphael. He’s the co-author of the book “Why Are so Many Americans in Prison” and is also a professor at the University of California Berkeley.

Steve Raphael on employment after prison

For more on the challenges facing inmates when they leave prison, CCTV America's Michelle Makori was joined by Steve Raphael. He's the co-author of the book "Why Are so Many Americans in Prison" and is also a professor at the University of California Berkeley.