1 in 4 US Adults Now Have Criminal Record - Around 65 Million Citizens

news.yahoo.com...

The basis of this article is about employment with a criminal record, but what caught my eye was this -

Sixty-five million Americans—or one in four adults—have a criminal record. But employers—including major companies like Bank of America, Omni Hotel, and Domino's Pizza—routinely post job ads on Craigslist that explicitly exclude such applicants, according to a new report conducted by the National Employment Law Center (NELP), a labor-affiliated advocacy group.

The practice appears in some cases to be against the law, and at a time of record long-term joblessness, advocates for the poor say it places yet another obstacle in front of people like Magee, who are working to get their life back on track. In addition, there's widespread agreement that helping those with criminal records to find stable employment is crucial for preventing recidivism and preventing future crime. Indeed, that's the reason that the government runs programs designed to make it easier for ex-offenders to find work.

Will this be an unsustainable policy?

Perhaps most important, effectively making more than one quarter of the American workforce unemployable may be an unsustainable policy for the economy as whole.

Wonder whats one of the newest fastest growing industries in the US? Guess...

Many employers use outside companies that specialize in background checks—a fast-growing industry—to help screen out applicants with criminal records. A 2009 investigation by the state of New York found that RadioShack, working with the background check firm ChoicePoint, created a system that asked applicants "Have you been convicted of a felony in the past 7 years?" and automatically rejected anyone who answered "yes."

Screening people for criminal records!!!!

Um, is it just me or is this kind of a um....bad thing in our society nowdays? 1 in 4 adults are "criminals" nowdays.....and now we have a fast growing industry that screens people for a criminal record......Am I the only one that cant wrap my head around this? Is there something Im missing here?

Dosent the US already have the highest amount of people imprisoned? Let me check....en.wikipedia.org...

The United States has the highest documented incarceration rate in the world.[3][4] The U.S. incarceration rate on June 30, 2009 was 748 inmates per 100,000 U.S. residents, or 0.75%.[5] The USA also has the highest total documented prison and jail population in the world.[3][6][7]

According to the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) 7,225,800 people at yearend 2009 were on probation, in jail or prison, or on parole — about 3.1% of adults in the U.S. resident population, or 1 in every 32 adults.[8][9]

I thought once you pay your debt to society, (whether it be through probation/incarceration), you are no longer a criminal. Well....I guess I was wrong.

Once a criminal, always a criminal, atleast in the freest country in the world, the United States.

Indeed, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has said that although considering an applicant's criminal record may be acceptable on a case-by-case basis, an "absolute bar to employment" for such people is illegal.

Wait, so what these companies are doing is sometimes "illegal" to? Doesnt that make them criminals also? Oh wait, they're a corporation with lots of money so I guess theyre immune...

Still, the practice looks likely to grow only more common: Thanks to the tight labor market—there are currently five unemployed workers for every job opening—employers can be especially choosy about who they hire. Indeed, as we've reported, the EEOC is currently looking into another problem with similar roots: hiring discrimination against the unemployed.

Plus, now theres discrimination against the unemployed......

I think I need to take a break.

there was a thread recently about jails in the netherlands closing due to LACK of prisoners


makes you think.........what is one major difference between us and them....hmmmmm

reply to post by BadBoYeed


I do remember hearing about that and I think I first heard about it here on ATS.

I personally think there are 2 major differences between us and them.

First is pretty much a given - their drug policy. Get caught here with a tiny bit, even less than a gram, of some stuff, and your looking at a few years in prison.

Second - We have a for-profit prison industry. The more people we put in jail, the more money the corporations that run the prisons make. Heck, they trade their stocks..... (humans) ......on the stock market.

Star and Flag because this is really important. I think if we keep convicting people at this rate than everyone will one day be on parole or probation or locked up. I recently lost a job that I had already been hired on at. They did a criminal history background check, and I had a warrant for my arrest that was 3 years old

I took care of it but still no jobs out there for a nice guy with a record. just how it is.

reply to post by BadBoYeed


You don't even realize how much you rock! star on ya.
I would question, of these crimes how many are actual crimes where someone was hurt.
Cuz in America, according to king Georges patriot act we are all criminals.

reply to post by g146541

I would question, of these crimes how many are actual crimes where someone was hurt.

Ive been trying to find the statistics and have found 2 sites that I can actually read/understand.

Heres the first. Its from 2009 so its a bit old, and this percentage is non-violent drug related offenses, plus this article was about people currently (not released yet, dosent include probation/parole) in prison in 2009.

Non-violent drug offenders fill prisons

According to a study by the U.S. Department of Justice, of the 2.2 million Americans that are currently incarcerated, 21.2 percent of them are non-violent drug offenders.

Heres the second article I found.www.drugwarfacts.org...

There is a chart that shows "Number of sentenced prisoners in federal prison by most serious offense", but Im not sure how to insert a chart on here so ill just list them.

Number of sentenced prisoners in federal prison by most serious offense - 2009
Violent - 14,773
Property - 10,913
Drug - 95,205
Public-Order - 65,678
Other - 1,317

Dosent really look like many violent offenses compared to every other one.

Thats just Federal Prison. Im still looking for state prison statistics to.

Its funny, I applied for a lousy part-time job with one of the aforementioned companies and was offered the job at the interview. The manager has to send your SSN to the company's own background checker and I eventually was rejected. The local manager doesn't know why, only green light or red light.

I looked into it and I think it was for a marijuana possession 6 years ago. I was convicted criminally for possessing a $5 bud of marijuana (about 0.3 grams of high grade).

Glad I didn't get the job actually. Wage slavery is for suckers. But I'm glad to see this thread as its an important and overlooked part of how the US actually is a soft police state.

You hit the f$%^&# nail on the f$%^&# head !!!
Star, Flag, Props, Karma, , high-five, woot, cheers, and right-on!
This has needed to be said for so long and you said it so well.

The reason for the USAs insatiable hunger for for punishment, and incarceration is the same reason for the military industrial complex. Money Money Money Mon-Eyyyy.... MON-EY !!

War, death, crime, and punishment are lucrative commodities.
How many are employed or are in an industry that profits from the above? Police, security guards, prison guards, administration, investigation, CSI, FBI, CIA, NSA, DEA, ICE, DOC, DOJ, prison builders, weapons, technology, lawyers, surveillance, trainers, and even the media.

The media is indirectly paid-off to create fear in the citizens that all these methods are needed for their own protection and if you dont buy into their game, they lock you up just the same.

I say we go back to the POSSE form of justice. Someone does something bad enough that the people get together with guns and go and catch or kill them. A few years of that and the deterrence will really set in and crime will drop to Dutch rates.

Im not saying we do away with justice, trials, juries etc. But we need to make it more like justice. We all know there are people in government and big business who are getting away with massive theft, corruption, and murder... but the system is too corrupt and broken to go after the real criminals, and create a REAL deterrence, not just for the poor, but for EVERYONE. No one should be above justice. Its Posse Time ! ! !

Do not acquiesce! Every person has the right to contract without unlawful government interference. There is no legislation that requires a person submit a Social Security Number as a term of employment. Employers have not been deputized as fiat tax collectors, or some other form of government agent. There is no legislation that requires a person acquiesce and sign a Withholding Authorization Certificate, otherwise known as a Form W-4. The employer is required by such legislation to request these things, but is clearly instructed on what to do in the event no SSN is supplied or Withholding Authorization Certificate signed, and no employer is ever instructed to refuse employment or withhold payment for labor or services, and is instead instructed to file an affidavit swearing to the fact that they complied with the request provision but failed to obtain either, or.

If you must work for a corporation, then negotiate a contract that is to your liking or turn them down. You are valuable and should never sell yourself short.

Support local black markets. Buy your fruits and vegetables from either farmers markets or black markets, (i.e., unlicensed vendors), buy your socks, shoes and other clothing, electronics, cell phones, soaps and other goods from black markets whenever you can. Support the unlicensed entrepreneur and small business person as much as possible.

Take back the control you have always had. Begin using the inherent political power that rests with you. When summoned to a jury duty, embrace this call, and if the prosecution presents a defendant without presenting a victim, the refuse to convict. Nullify the bogus legislation on the books. Do not wait to see if the Supreme Court might do it. DIY!!

If the American government is anything like ours then they probably spend most of their time outlawing as many
trivial things as they can think of, so sooner or later we're ALL gonna be criminals. Just another way to increase their authority over us whilst still functioning as an "accountable" democratic administration.

Just out of interest, are you still allowed to vote if you have a criminal record?

Sounds like the people in the US aren't as free as some of them think they are

Originally posted by woodwardjnr
Just out of interest, are you still allowed to vote if you have a criminal record?

In the United States there are two states that impose a lifelong ban on voting for convicted felons. Those two States are Kentucky and Virginia. The registration of voting is handled by the states, and each state has their own policies regarding felony disenfranchizement.

reply to post by woodwardjnr


I think it varies state to state. Here is Texas, you are not allowed to vote if you are currently on probation/parole. Im not sure if it just applies to felony offenses or also misdemeanor offenses.

felonvoting.procon.org...

The legal ability of people with felony convictions to vote varies from state to state. Some states allow felons to vote from prison while other states permanently ban felons from voting even after being released from prison, parole, and probation, and having paid all their fines.

No federal laws exist on felon voting per se. Felon voting has not been regulated federally although some argue that Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act can be applied to felon disenfranchisement and that Congress has the authority to legislate felon voting in federal elections.

its just another round-about way of imposing gun control

if 25% of the population cannot purchase or own a firearm because of a criminal record
then the controlers can focus on the other 75% to get them on medications that also
negate the possibility of being allowed to purchase pistols or rifles...

I wouldn't put the blame on hiring companies. Come on, if your country has 25% off its population(or is it 25% of its work force?) with a crime record, companies are not to blame.

I don't know labor laws in US, but Brazil has one of the worst, most archaic and unbalanced labor laws in the planet! So, yeah, I would NEVER hire ANYONE with a crime record. That's not me being different. That's the norm around here. A few things that prevents you from getting hired here in BrazilÇ

1) Having a crime record
2) Having sued your ex-employer
3) Changing jobs too often
4) Having too many kids
5) No previous working experience(this one is a killer for the young people. Boy, do they suffer.
6) Being a young woman about to get married or recently married(nobody wants to hire a woman that could get pregnant anytime soon)

That's a few, but depending on the kind of company, you get some especific ones as well.

Maybe part of the statistic is to blame on the COPs TV show? Something that always seemed wrong to me is arresting people for soliciting service from a prostitute, especially when a female cops plays the role of a prostitude. I mean, come on... Do you guys really need MORE people in jail? Better let the guy pay for his prostitute than having the population paying the police to hunt those harmless people and putting them in jail, wasting a LOT of the tax payers money. Another stupid show is the Bait car. Funny to watch, but instead of fabricating a crime, go after crimes really happening. Geez. I get the feeling there is just not enough crime going on in US when cops have to fabricate them to justify their paycheck...

DNA collection and data mining may also be part of the problem. In the UK, people are arrested on the most spurious of reasons, taken to police stations and 'processed', ie, fingerprinted and swabbed.

Officially, unless the processed individual is convicted, the records are destroyed.

It wont be long now before there are two jobs in America: Criminal and Security.

That is an incredible number! That's roughly twice the population of Canada. Unreal!

I will go out on a limb and say more than half that number is from BS drug related "crimes." You will get more time if you have pills than a damn child molestor...that is just sick and wrong!

I knew someone who got pulled over recently for a broken tail light and the cop asked to search her car, something I told her to refuse from now on..Well he found a small piece of a joint, let me tell you it wasn't even big enough to be used and he also found a pill, one she had in her car for months from when she had back problems...Guess what? BAM instant jail and in the end they make about 10k off of her and now she has a criminal record. Total BS! She is the most quiet person I know, never gets into trouble and keeps to herself. She had never even had a ticket before this!

I mean look at the thread of the guy who was arrested for his belt buckle cause it was brass knuckles. I mean give me a break! They are too busy busting BS crap that real criminals walk by right under their noses laughing.