People line up at job fair for convicted felons

[Jenna]

More than 3,000 people turned out in downtown Houston, Texas, Wednesday for a job fair designed for convicted felons.

Organizers of the Road to Re-entry Employment Fair, created to help those with criminal records find work and reintegrate into society, had expected a few hundred job people. The line of job seekers, which ran for a few blocks and tied up traffic, as reported by CNN affiliate KHOU, took the planners by surprise.

"These were not individuals trying to get concert tickets or a free dinner," said Jarvis Johnson, a Houston City Council member who helped sponsor the inaugural event. "They were individuals who were waiting in line because they want to be productive members of society."

Lavell Byrd was just one of the people who came out in search of work. He told KHOU that he hadn't had a full-time position since December.

"I'm an ex-con, and that's the main thing that's holding me back," Byrd said to KHOU. "It's a very, very, very hard thing that people still look at what you did in the past and not what you can do in the future."

More here: People line up at job fair for convicted felons - CNN.com

[depdog]

I like the idea. Its like kids if they don't have anything to do they will get into trouble. Felons will continue to be felons if they don't have a way to earn honest money. I would like to know the types of companies that are offering the jobs.

[sgtbear111]

I like it. After these people have served their sentences, getting (and keeping) "straight" employment puts thm on the path to changing their lives. I know some felons who are solid citizens now, the common item was getting a job and keeping it. The sucessful people also are off booze and dope, and they have better quality friends,

Felony convictioins remove many civil rights; some for the duration of their sentence, some for life. Felony history is often referred to as "economic suicide" or
"civil death".

I think it is great when employers extend that tenative trust to someone who comes out of prison. Sincerity is what the employer looks for.

There are two types of "sincerity" that people display:

(1) Genuine (real) sincereityi s not "sold". A record of job performance, trust and promises kept, being responsible, the person's behavior backs up what they say.

(2) Instant or situational sincerity. The "con job" that I refer to as "instant convict sincereity". These are the ones who swear on a "stack of Bibles", make promises never kept, waffles, etc..... Use of blame transference and being the "victiim" is another classic sign of deceit. Look for the words that have no 'face value' based in fact. Politicians subscribe to this level of sincereity. I would not buy a used car, a vacuum cleaner, magazines, or encyclopedias from any of them.