Abstract
Getting a stable and well-paying job has always been difficult for most Americans. As more and more people have similar qualifications, the job will be more competitive to a greater extent. This fact gives employers a reason to look for one flaw in order to eliminate a candidate. However, this makes it nearly impossible for someone who has a criminal history to get hired. Many people who have been imprisoned are also likely to resume their past lifestyle. Hence, one who has been in prison has a difficult time finding a job unless we advocate the “Ban the Box” bill, educate the public on this issue, and make education and employment accessible to individuals with a criminal record.
Introduction
Convicted felons usually lose the opportunity to receive a job due to the common question asking about one's personal criminal history in the application. Discrimination against felons is an issue we have witnessed. Recently, a bill against it was introduced in 2003. The "Ban the Box" bill aims to remove the question asking about one's personal criminal history from applications. The bill is currently being used in seven states according to the article, “It still haunts me: What it's like to get a job after prison in America." by Elena Holodny. One may argue that the parole officer can be helpful in finding a job despite the discrimination involved in the process of being selected for the position. However, the article “Out of Prison & Out of Work: Unemployment Among Formerly Incarcerated People” outlines that the parole officers have minimal effect. “In a 2008 Urban Institute study, only 20% of formerly incarcerated men found their parole officers helpful in finding a job when surveyed two months after release; after eight months, only 13% thought their parole officers were helpful. Yet 70% of the men believed that their criminal record had negatively affected their job search” (Couloute & Kopf, 2018). As more studies are releasing, it becomes more evident that one's criminal record can negatively affect a job search tremendously. Elana Holodny, a former worker at the Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia and a graduate with the concentration in economics, writes an article for the Business Insider saying, “A study by AEI's Daniel Shoag and Stan Veuger found that ‘ban the box’ increased employment for residents in high-crime neighborhoods by up to 4%, with increases particularly in public sector and lower-wage jobs.” Although a great deal of data is stored in the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research to prevent any leaks of private information, it was clear that removing the question on prior criminal activity increased the employment rate by a considerable amount. However, Elana Holodny also mentions that the same study by AEI's Daniel Shoag and Stan Veuger noticed an increase in education and experience requirements after these implementations as a response.
The Effect of Recidivism
As it is important to educate the inmates; it is also important to educate the public. For many of these changes, the support of the general public is required for the bill and making it a legislation. Educating the public on this issue will allow more participation in the movement. It will also increase the demand for education in prisons, which will result in a higher chance of implementation. Elena Holodny shares a story of a man named Gerald Alvarez who was concerned about the likelihood of getting a job with a criminal history of dealing drugs. By sharing this story, more people will be considerate of this situation. What's more, a study conducted by authors Peter Cove and Lee Bowes shows that employment reduces recidivism. Recidivism means the act of repeating an undesirable behavior according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary. After researching whether employment reduces recidivism to crime for ex-offenders, Cove and Bowes found that, “Statewide rates of recidivism range from about 31 to 70 percent, while the rates for those placed in jobs shortly after their release ranged from 3.3 to 8 percent.” With the effort of the public, we can make it simpler for people who have been formerly incarcerated to be employed and less likely for them to commit undesirable actions.However, some may argue that prison is already a form of rehabilitation rather than only a place for punishment since it allows one to contemplate their actions and fear the consequences (Hammill, 2016). Yet, we still see a large portion of people that commit a crime return to prison. The Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that “An estimated two-thirds (68 percent) of 405,000 prisoners released in 30 states in 2005 were arrested for a new crime within three years of release from prison”. That said, if prison was a place of rehabilitation, then ex-offenders would find opportunities rather than be losing them. Holodny’s article reminds us that the penalty for going to prison continues to haunt someone in the long term when she quotes, “When it's over, it's over. I have no 401(k). I have no pension. I have nothing," Alvarez said. "All I've been looking for is a job with a pension. Something I could do for 20 years or something, and at least be able to retire." In short, prison is a punishment that unfortunately extends even after one’s release. Hence, one may have difficulty finding a job and is forced to commit actions against the law. These actions can lead one back into prison with no hope for the future, which can explain why two-thirds of prisoners return to prison. However, through the support of the public, we can change the structure of the prison making it a place for rehabilitation rather than just a form of punishment. Regarding recidivism rates, Cove and Bowes also add that, “Our Maryland office had equally successful results. The state’s recidivism rate hovers just over 40 percent. We found that there was zero recidivism for ex-offenders who reached six months of employment.” In regards to preventing recidivism, making education and employment accessible to individuals with a criminal record will prevent them from returning to their old lifestyle. Which means, the public has to join to spread awareness of the issue and the movement in order to make education and employment accessible to individuals that were incarcerated. This event would make it possible for the majority of people with a criminal record to start over. As for starting over, the Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that recidivism was highest among males, blacks and young adults. While starting over may not be a priority for some older individuals, plenty of young people fall into the trap of recidivism and dream of a chance to straighten out their lives.
Insta Job App: The Product
To prevent recidivism, a mobile called Insta Job intends to assist all individuals including ones who have been incarcerated. I developed this application as a tool for people to find jobs with other educational resources for guidance. It gives access to the O*NET platform which assists people with choosing career paths and understanding the requirements for that specific field. A resume maker is built into the app for individuals who need to create one for employers and cover letters to make them stand out. There is also an option to include a previously made resume. In addition, we will distribute our profits to help expand the business and fund non-profit organizations. The goal is to support people all around the world no matter their circumstance because helping others is paramount to our morals and religion.
Islamic Perspective
Islam encompasses all aspects of life and promotes the helping of others. It teaches how to interact and live in our daily life. Islam, however, is percieved to be destructive by the media by displaying poor people who are subject to bad judgement. In addition, literacy is important among these men since they lack it to understand the fundamentals of Islam and interpretation. On the contrast, Islam is a humanitarian religion to a greater extent. Dictionary.com defines humanitarian to be, “having concern for or helping to improve the welfare and happiness of people.” In regards to the happiness and well being of people, the Holy Quran covers this topic chapter after chapter with advice retaining how we should deal with others. An example of this is a verse covering backbiting where it says in the Quran, “O you who believe! Avoid much suspicion, in deeds some suspicions are sins. And spy not neither backbite one another. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would hate it. And fear Allah, verily, Allah is the One Who accepts repentance.” (49:12) This clearly shows that the Quran gives advice on how to interact. Although, the Holy Quran contains multiple verses on how to interact with others, so do the Hadiths. Hadiths are reports of the sayings or actions of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) . In one narration, the Prophet Muhammad is reported to tell us to help others. This is shown on Sunnah.com that it is Narrated by Anas saying, “Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Help your brother whether he is an oppressor or an oppressed," A man said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! I will help him if he is oppressed, but if he is an oppressor, how shall I help him?" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "By preventing him from oppressing (others), for that is how to help him." A lot of the so-called violent verses can be simply explained by reading the content before and the context in the commentary. Many of the books regarding the commentary and interpretation of such verses explain how the verse was speaking to a group of people at the time in a specific situation. One verse for example told us to do the action of jihad and stop the fitna (transgression). Yet, this was referring to the prosecutions of early Christians by the Romans and told the Muslims to interfere and prevent the oppressor from oppressing to save the oppressed. In other words, even in the most violent and disturbing situations, Islam preaches helping others. These are just a few examples of how Islam continues to promote the welfare of others. There are plenty of other verses, hadiths, and organizations that emphasize the importance of supporting one another in difficult times. As a practicing Muslim, I find it important to contribute to society in order to support brothers and sisters who are struggling due to the systematic incarceration of young folks. We have been conditioned to be inconsiderate of our brothers, mothers, and sisters who are suffering.
Conclusion
Finding a job with a criminal history has been very difficult. The “Ban the Box'' campaign aims to eliminate the question on criminal history and give people who have been formerly incarcerated a better chance in finding a job. However, one of the problems that can occur is an increase in education and experience requirements by employers. Fortunately, prisons and schools are willing and open to allow prisoners to receive education. Also, educating the public will help speed up the process in passing bills. Therefore, it is clear that we must reform the employment methods of imprisoned persons by eliminating the criminal history question, educating the public, and make education and employment accessible to individuals with a criminal record
Back of Book Summary
Effectively reinstating incarcerated people back into society continues to be a challenge. Without the "Ban the Box" bill and proper public education,education and employment will continue to be inaccessible to those with a criminal record, making the likelihood of them returning to prison higher. Mobile applications that provide employment and education access to this population can more effectively address this issue.
References
Couloute, L., & Kopf, D. (n.d.). “Out of Prison & Out of Work.” Out of Prison & Out of Work | Prison Policy Initiative, July 2018, www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/outofwork.html. Retrieved October 27, 2020,
Cove, P., & Bowes, L. (n.d.). “Immediate Access to Employment Reduces Recidivism.” RealClearPolitics, 11 June 2015, www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2015/06/11/immediate_access_to_employment_reduces_recidivism_126939.html. Retrieved October 27, 2020,
Dictionary.com. (n.d.). Retrieved December 20, 2020, from https://www.dictionary.com/ Sayings and Teachings of Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه و سلم). (n.d.). Retrieved December 22, 2020, from https://sunnah.com/
“Identity Theft Reported by Households, 2005-2010 from the Bureau of Justice Statistics.” Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), www.bjs.gov/content/pub/press/rprts05p0510pr.cfm. Retrieved October 27, 2020,
Hammill, R. (n.d.). “Why Punishing Criminals Can Be More Merciful Than 'Rehabilitation'.” The Federalist, 21 Nov. thefederalist.com/2016/11/21/punishing-criminals-can-merciful-rehabilitation/.Retrieved October 27, 2020,
Holodny, E. (n.d.). “'It Still Haunts Me': What It's like to Get a Job after Prison in America.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 30 July 2017, www.businessinsider.com/finding-job-after-prison-2017-7?op=1. Retrieved October 27, 2020,
“Recidivism.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/recidivism. Retrieved October 27, 2020,