Why We Should Hire More Criminals

Ex-convicts are 10 times less likely to commit another crime if they’re employed.
By Lydia Richins, Marketing —
You’re at work looking over a job application. You’re quite impressed by the application, he or she is more than qualified for the job. Unfortunately, at the end of the application, you see that they’ve checked the box that asked: “Do you have any past criminal history?” How do you react?
If you’re like most employers the resume goes directly in the trash. And if you’re like most employers you’re supporting a national problem.
Employment Keeps Ex-convicts From Committing Another Crime
A group called the Sentencing Project found that one year after they are released from prison 60 percent of ex-convicts are still unemployed. Those who are lucky enough to find jobs are paid 40 percent less annually. Once the released realize they can’t pay their bills legally, they turn to committing crimes in order to make money. In fact, one study by Redemption Bridge found that employed ex-convicts were 10 times less likely to be rearrested than their unemployed counterparts. Employment is the driving factor in helping stop ex-convicts from committing more crime.
The Three-Pronged Solution
The first step to changing these stats lie in the hands of employers. Rather than toss the applicant as soon as you see they have a criminal history, give the applicant a chance to elaborate. Chances are it could have been a minor crime (like one of the 600 thousand marijuana-related arrests per year). The government can help too by simply banning “the box” and requiring that criminal history questions wait until the interview process. Lastly, nonprofit groups can help by providing programs to help retrain ex-convicts to prepare them for employment.
Finding True Integrity
If you want more help assessing the true character of an applicant (especially if they’ve had past criminal history) consider IntegrityDetect™. IntegrityDetect™ is a new type of character or imployee integrity testing. The applicant takes the integrity assessment test and the computer analyses their typing and clicking pattern to uncover the true integrity of the potential hire. This test can predict who is prone to committing crime (like stealing from the workplace) with 80 percent accuracy. This will give a greater opportunity to criminals who have since changed their ways and who need someone to give them a second chance.