Former Prisoners Can Become President, But Other Job Options Are Limited
The conviction on May 30, 2024, of former Pres. Donald J. Trump (R) on 34 felony charges in New York did not derail the current GOP nominee’s campaign to return to the White House. But it would prevent him from holding many other jobs. His criminal record will not seriously crimp the style of Trump because he is a billionaire. But for millions of other Americans, it does.
There are over 19 million people with felony convictions in the U.S., almost all facing barriers to employment. As a result, criminal records frequently trap former prisoners in a cycle of poverty that returns them to crime. Statistics from Prison Policy Initiative reveal that nearly 40% of those in state prisons were unemployed before their arrest. The pre-incarceration jobless rate is even higher for Black prisoners (46%) and women prisoners (53%).
Once their sentences are served, over 600,000 prisoners are released each year, and almost all of them struggle to find employment, housing, healthcare and childcare. The jobless rate for those with criminal records is five times higher than the general population.
When they do find work, former prisoners are often relegated to low-paying jobs with little job security—especially in those states with restrictions on employment for those with felony convictions, many of them bewildering and illogical. In North Carolina, former prisoners must wait three years to work in pest control. In Florida, the wait to tend bar is five years. Virginia imposes mandatory license suspensions for healthcare workers convicted of felonies. In Mississippi, they are presumed to lack the “good moral character” required to sell cars.
Beyond outright disqualification, the discretion given to licensing agencies often discourages those with criminal records from even applying. In Texas, a plumber’s apprentice with a criminal record must submit extensive additional paperwork. In New York, former prisoners need express permission from the Secretary of State to obtain a real estate license.
Studies prove that supporting released prisoners with cash, housing and job opportunities costs less than re-incarceration. Other worthwhile reforms include automatic record expungement for former prisoners meeting certain conditions, as well as expanding bond insurance and tax benefits for employers hiring those with criminal records. Trump’s case spotlights the unequal impact of a criminal record and should prompt a re-evaluation of employment policies—especially automatic disqualification for occupational licensing.
Source: Prison Policy Initiative