Employment Key Findings:
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Approximately 1 in 11 Texas adults has a felony conviction on his or her record.[i]
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Each year in the U.S., over 650,000 people leave prison unprepared for their return to society.[ii] Many have untreated substance abuse disorders, lack adequate education and job skills, and face homelessness.
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Many state and local governments exclude people with criminal records from public employment. [iii] Furthermore, many states do not have laws prohibiting discrimination by employers based on an individual’s criminal record. [xiv]
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According to a survey conducted in 2002, approximately 87% of respondents leaving Texas prisons who did not already have a job to go to thought they would need some help or a lot of help in finding a job.[iv]
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A 2004 survey found that approximately 80% of big companies in the U.S. reported conducting criminal background checks, up from 56% in 1996.xiv Other research shows that 30-40% of all employers actually check the criminal history records of their most recently hired employees.[xii]
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Approximately 65% of all employers would not knowingly hire an ex-offender, according to a 1996 survey.[xii]
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Studies also show that ex-offenders are 1/2 - 1/3 as likely to be considered by employers.[xii]
[i] Criminal Justice Policy Brief. Texas LULAC State Executive Office. August 2004.
[ii] President George W. Bush. State of the Union Address, 2005.
[iii] Zimmerman, Ann and Kortney Stringer. “As Background Checks Proliferate, Ex-Cons Face A Lock On Jobs.” The Wall Street Journal. Aug. 26, 2004
[iv] The Urban Institute. “Texas’ Prisoners Reflections on Returning Home.” October 2005.