November 08, 2009
What's Inside:
Former prisoners facing tough job market in recession
Photo by August Kryger / St. Joseph News-Press / Purchase this photo
From left, Don Crane and Darcy Dudley chat on the porch of the Fellowship House on Wednesday. While Mr. Dudley has a job, Mr. Crane is finding it difficult to get a steady job.
After 25 years in prison for kidnapping and armed robbery, Kenneth Clay came to St. Joseph two years ago. He had a job in two days.
In today’s recession-racked economy, re-entry officials say that’s rare. A newly released convict’s job quest is hindered by few job prospects, distrust of felons and a lack of real-world skills — all challenges that widen an ever-revolving door to re-offend or violate probation and return to prison.
It is news like that that makes Mr. Clay, 56, thankful for a job wiping cars dry at a local car wash. Near the Christian halfway house where he rents an apartment, he sees men come out with only their prison papers and pound the pavement for months in search of a work.
“They come home and they have inadequate job skills, no GED, just prison skills,” Mr. Clay said. “It’s a hard time to be competing with other ex-felons for no jobs.”
The Missouri Department of Corrections says each year 20,000 inmates are released back into the community. Nationally, more than two-thirds of released offenders are rearrested for a new crime within three years.
Kent Simpson, a three-time felon and director of St. Joseph’s only halfway house, said the recession has really begun to hurt ex-felons’ job prospects.
“This is the worst I’ve seen it,” said Mr. Simpson, now in his 10th year at the Fellowship House. “They’re looking. Wherever they can go. A lot are just asking employers to give them a shot.”
Contracts through local temporary work agencies have dried up — the largest on the production line at Kawasaki in Maryville ended in December. Even landing a job at pork processing plant Triumph Foods, a once-reliable ex-felon employer, is hit-and-miss, he says.
Employer distrust of ex-offenders is evergreen. However, job officials say that relationship has worsened in a recession when employers can easily find a qualified candidate without a criminal record. College-educated ex-felons are especially hurt.
“There seems to be that higher level of distrust in those better jobs,” said Marsha Miller, supervisor with Turnaround, an ex-con support project by Catholic Charities in St. Joseph. “When you’re weighing felons with non-felons, employers typically go with non-felons.”
Don Crane, 29, says he’s been looking for anything full time since being released from prison in March. He spent 18 months in prison for burglarizing an abandoned home. He says he’s recently applied for about 25 jobs.
“Some employers don’t even look at the work history I’ve had,” Mr. Crane said. “Sometimes it just gets frustrating.”
Ahmad Safi can be reached at ahmadsafi@npgco.com.
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The prison population has been growing over the last 10 years, and someday ALL those felons are going to be release, and in the end will need public assistance for the remainder of their life as this article clearly points out.
The prison industry needs prisoners, and in some cases have lobby congress and states for stricter laws to keep the prisons full.
Plus we have do gooders that think prison is going to force individuals to pay their child support. Key word to supporting one's self and children, a liveable income.
Then there is the court system of judges and lawyers that earn their incomes from proscuting or defending felons, and the list goes on.
At the end of this circle, no economic value is being generated. In fact, the prison system is draining Federal and State budgets.
We as a society need to become pro active, solve the problem before it becomes a problem. Why are people in prison, poverty and family life are the roots of the problem.
It really is just a big joke, until someone becomes a victim. We need harsher Judges giving harsher sentences and real prisons instead of pamper parlors. You give a person 25 years and then turn him loose to work in a car wash and live in a Fellowship house. That's a real life isn't it. Some would say it better than being on the inside. If two thirds end up back inside, then that does not hold water. I'm afraid what arch226 said is true. Plain ole job justification for the rest of us. Best you learn to live by the law of the jungle and decrease your odds of becoming a victim!
I'm for bringing back corporal punishment for small time offenders. A big stick is much more cost effective than locking them up.
Is the mafia not hiring? They could use a skill set like that.
Should this upset me when there are 1000's of law abiding citizens out of work also?
Mr America....... LOL great comment! (both of them)
Even if you leave prison, you are still a felon. I think the only way you can become an "ex-felon" is to have your record expunged or get pardoned.
i dont know what idiot box your refering to. what is crimes against self? crimes against the people? i think crimes against anybody needs to be delt with . yes it is hard all over, we have law abiding citizens out of work too. there are some laws that need to be lowered in time spent because of over crowding, but we also need to give these guys a chance at the american dream also.we all arnt perfect. all have made a mistake, just some wasent as bad as others. when the economy rebounds we might see some inprovement in the society as a whole.dope is bad. but children are caught more then adults and we treat them as such.some things need to be changed.
I know this may sound a little stupid, but Triumph Foods will turn down ex-cons so they can employee Illegal Mexicans, who are living better than any of our people here in St. Joe. I think it's wrong, but that's just my opinion.
Let's be fair now. They will hire illegal imigrants from any country. I'd like to see more Illegal Swedes.
Let's be truthful ladyfireside, the comment you made was bigoted.
1. for you to label as hispanics working at Triumph as "illegal" is wrong, inaccurate and you have absolutely no proof.
2. What is the "living better than any of "our people" business?
3. To elaborate on your own commeent what you said doesn't sound a "little stupid" it sounds a "lot stupid"
Lets see here... Breaking the law equals jail and/or prison. If you don't break the law then you won't go to jail or prison. If you don't break the law you won't have a criminal record... I see a common pattern here! I feel no sympathy for those who've been in prision or in the county jail for any extended periods of time. If you can't do the time then don't do the crime! And finally, if you were not breaking the law in the first place, you'd probably be in school or at work doing the right thing! Lock 'em up I say!
hey howie, can you prove they are not illegal. i'd be willing to wager if INS came in there just to check documentation, a large portion of the workforce would face deportation. triumph says they check everybody's paperwork, but who's to say the paperwork is not forged? just a thought.
Do you think that if I go to prison, I might be able to find a job when I get out?
Sure can not seem to find a decent one now, but I'm not thinking about giving that a try -
Unless it is actually working for the department of corrections, at least then I could go home at night.....
Fast food places are always hiring.
Someone has to put the lettuce on the Whoppers.
Hey, you all are real funny. Now try seeing the real world. It happens, and depending on the "crime" some should get a second chance, after all they served the sentence imposed on them. Until you know the whole story,you shouldn't judge. ALL of us have broken the law in one way or another, however we all haven't gotten caught........yet. AND think about all of the laws before you attack me! Every one of us have broken the law (come on now, think really hard). Some of you will try to justify the degree of the law you broke, but you did it just the same. I do not believe 1 person is free of this. Maybe you should check your & your family's closet for skeletons before you start condemning others.
So by your logic there is no difference between murder and speeding – or armed robbery and running a red light?
My point is that there are jobs out there. You’ll never get anywhere by thinking a job is “below” you. You have to start somewhere.
There is a BIG diffrence between a misdemeaner prison sentence, and a FELONY prison sentence.....
Here is a quote from Jim Carey in Liar, Liar " STOP BREAKING THE LAW A$$HOLE!"
I agree with grannytuff...you guys need to stop and think of what your saying about other people and judge yourself first. One of the ex-felons this story is about is my BROTHER!! So please think of what grannytuff said and at least some people ex-felons or not are trying to better themselves.
I have to agree with Ladyfireside. I am tired of seeing all of these illegal mexican triumph workers sitting around the pool out in Lake of Twelve Oaks. Boy do they have it good! We need to pass a law so Triumph hires all of the ex-cons so they can be rich and live better than the rest of us too! Sounds fair to me!
Amd Jafo is right too. Any hispanic people in St. Joe should have notarized documents on hand to prove to everyone they are here legally. After all this is America, not Mexico. They are guilty until proven innocent by Jafo, one of the "true americans".
Maybe they could issue green sombreros to the legal immigrants and red ones to the illegals so we can more easily identify who we need to keep an eye on.
There are, and should be, different sentences for different crimes. I simply said we have all broken the law at sometime. You chose to be sarcastic with your remark. There are and should be different sentences for different crimes. If you hurt or kill someone, of course you should suffer a severe punishment, but there are many that are in jail that did not cause harm to anybody. They just made a stupid, careless decision and are paying their price.
There are sentencing guidelines; however the sentence imposed is completely at the discretion of the presiding judge. I worked for a man some called a "hanging judge" for 4 years. He was very fair and just in his rulings, others I have witnessed are not so much.
Love the Sombrero idea!
Hey Barb2008, a felon is a felon... No doubt about it! I didn't see anyone holding a gun to his head leading to the choices he made.... Come on, give me a break! Tell your brother McDonalds and Wal-Mart are always hiring!
Stjoelocalguy like I said before you have no clue on the situation that my brother is in. Some people need a second chance to start fresh. My brother had a great job that probaly paid more than you are making --and that is since he has been released from prison. The job market is not great and it doesnt matter if you are a college grad with great references or an ex-felon. My husband is not a felon and he cant get a job and he has tried everywhere, everyday. So until you have experienced prison and trying to better yourself you have no room to be degrading other people. I am sure you have done something illegal but just didnt get caught--so just think about that before you start to try to knock down people by degrading them for making a mistake. Yeah my brother had a hard life but he is a better man now than you will ever be. He would not degrade someone for their past mistakes. So maybe you should just think about yourself and your families past before you decide to post something hateful online.
Hey Barb2008, quit making excuses.... BooWho...
Stjoelocalguy just grow up and get over it...your not worth anyones time or effort. You will never change and you will always be a jerk...good luck on that one.