Employers Urged Not to Discriminate Against Job Seekers With Criminal Backgrounds

It’s a push for companies not to discriminate against job seekers with a criminal background. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission wants businesses to look past your rap sheet and focus on your job skills.

In April 2012 the EEOC updated its policy on criminal background checks. The change in interpretation made it harder for employers to disqualify applicants with criminal records.

The push is happening now because unemployment numbers are still high and recruiters say things are getting worse.

"They'll report they've been to 20-30 companies applying to positions but the fact that they have a background hinders them from being considered," said Ava Smith, the owner of Flat Fee Recruiting.

Donnie Brown with Tindall Corporations can sympathize with employers and their hesitation to hire a felon. He said their company is, however, willing to give someone with a background, a chance.

“Many employers are having a hard time finding people to fill jobs and qualified people to fill jobs and its important to look at those people we haven't looked at before,” said Brown.

The Greenville Society for Human Resource Management brought in an EEOC judge and a local attorney to speak to employers. The EEOC will continue to urge employers and HR specialists not to discriminate against a convict whose crime won't impact the work he'll do at a company like Tindall.

Holly Childs is a mother and wife and former hospital employee who was imprisoned for 5 years. After battling an addiction and theft convictions, Childs has turned her life around and is now applying for a job. She began recovery in prison through the SPICE Program.

The SPICE (Self-Paced In-Classroom Education) Program is a collaborative effort among the state departments of Vocational Rehabilitation; Probation, Parole and Pardon; and Corrections; and Midlands, Piedmont, Greenville and Trident technical colleges, the program prepares inmates for employment and helps them find a job when they get out.

Childs went through the program at Greenville Tech and said she will show any employer that will hire her, she is the best choice.

"All we need is a chance, or an opportunity to show we can do a great job. All of us make mistakes in our lives and especially early in our lives. If you don't give me an opportunity I can't show you what I can do," said Childs.

Accorsing to South Carolina Democraphics and arrest rates more than 8500 of the 280,000 residents of Greenville County have arrest records.

The number of South Carolinians who commit a crime a second time is below the national average at just under 32%.

Amoung felons who stay free of crime for 10 years after their original conviction, slightly more than 3% are convicted again.