After working for two years with people who have criminal & substance abuse histories, it is clear that the challenges for them to find a job are huge. Having the conversation with a potential employer end as soon as one shares their history can be so disempowering to a person. Our society is not easy to live in, even without these barriers. We expect people the be rehabilitated so they can function without further crimes and substance use problems, but we don't have all the necessary opportunities to assist that. Work is a big part of a person's recovery, and its imperative that we develop opportunities for people to help raise their sense of purpose and belonging in our community. These jobs may be the biggest piece of the puzzle to keep people sober and out of jail. I encourage the community to be willing to give people with a criminal record or a substance abuse history a chance to prove they can and will be amazing employees, dedicated hard workers with gratitude for the chance. Many of these people are connected with resources such as case management, counseling, probation, which helps balance some of the risk of hiring them. Everybody makes mistakes, and substance abuse does mean a person is weak or has bad morals....find someone in recovery from both and you may have just found a long-term asset for your business.
Wow, this turned outlonger than I thought. I should have put it in an editorial. Thanks for reading....and remember the Golden Rule.