There is one question that determines whether you get hired. Not the application. Not the background check. Not what the charge was or how long you were inside.
The question is this: why you, over the thirty other people I could hire who don't have a criminal record?
If you walk in without a ready answer, you will not get the job. The interviewer can see the pause the moment you don't have something prepared, and once they see it, the room shifts against you. What you need is an answer practiced enough to say with confidence and humility at the same time.
The answer that works is this:
Everybody deserves a second chance. Somebody is going to give me one. And they are going to get the best employee they ever had, because I am never, ever going to do something that sends me back to prison.
Say it clean. Say it without flinching. It makes no excuses, asks for no sympathy, and tells the employer the one thing they actually need to know: you have more reason to perform than anyone else in that stack.
Then live it. The light is on you from the first day. Use it. Work twice as hard as the person next to you. Show up earlier, stay later, and make that scrutiny your shining light, not a shadow. The person standing next to you does not have anyone watching them that closely. You do. That is the advantage if you decide to use it.
What the Law in Delaware Says About Your Record
Delaware's ban the box law (House Bill 167, signed 2014) applies to public sector employers only. State agencies, public employers, and state contractors cannot ask about criminal history before making a conditional offer of employment. Once a conditional offer is made, they must consider the nature of the crime, evidence of rehabilitation, and the relationship between the criminal activity and the position before revoking it. Wilmington, Delaware's largest city, has a ban the box policy covering city government employment.
Private employers in Delaware are not covered by the statewide ban the box law. A private company can ask about your criminal history on the initial application and screen you out before you have had a chance to demonstrate your qualifications. This is the honest starting point.
What does protect you with private employers: Delaware law limits how far back a background check can reach. Felony convictions are limited to a ten-year lookback period. Misdemeanor convictions are limited to five years. Arrests that did not result in conviction, and older records beyond those windows, cannot be considered. This is a meaningful protection. If you are more than ten years out from a felony conviction, it may not appear on a private employer background check at all.
Federal FCRA protections apply everywhere. Any employer using a consumer reporting agency must get your written consent and give you notice before taking adverse action based on background check results.
Occupational licensing in Delaware can create barriers in specific fields including healthcare, childcare, finance, and law enforcement. Research the specific licensing board before investing time or money in training. The Delaware Department of Labor can point you toward licensing requirements for specific trades.
Delaware's economy runs on financial services, the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, healthcare, logistics, and poultry processing in the southern part of the state. Those sectors create consistent entry-level and skilled employment opportunities.
Building the Answer Before You Need It
The law in Delaware does not carry you far with private employers. What carries you is the answer you walk in with.
Start with what you did with your time inside. Delaware Correctional Industries provides job skills training inside facilities focused on developing marketable skills and work ethic. If you completed vocational training, earned a credential, or held work assignments inside, that is content, not a gap.
Then match it to the job. Delaware's financial and pharmaceutical sectors value reliability and attention to detail. The poultry processing industry in Kent and Sussex counties values consistent physical work. Logistics along the I-95 corridor needs people who show up. Whatever you are applying for, make your answer specific to what that employer actually needs.
Practice it out loud. To another person. Until there is no hesitation left. The pause is what loses the room. Eliminate it before you sit down.
Companies in Delaware That Hire People with Criminal Records
Delaware's small geography means the market is concentrated along the I-95 corridor from Wilmington through Newark, with a separate economy in Dover and the southern counties. The state's corporate density in financial services and pharma creates employment in support roles, logistics, facilities, and manufacturing.
Amazon, Walmart, and major food service operators have Delaware operations and corporate fair chance commitments. The chemical and pharmaceutical industry along the Wilmington corridor and the Christiana area hires in manufacturing support, facilities, and production roles. Bayhealth and ChristianaCare, Delaware's major health systems, hire in healthcare support roles that evaluate applicants individually. Perdue Farms and other poultry processors in southern Delaware hire in production, packaging, and logistics roles and are known to be accessible for returning citizens.
LiUNA Local 55 in Wilmington has partnered with the Wilmington Central Baptist Community Development Corporation to provide on-the-job training in construction trades through apprenticeships building local affordable housing. This is one of the most structured pathways available in Delaware for returning citizens entering the building trades.
Staffing agencies across the Wilmington, Newark, and Dover areas are the most reliable first step, placing workers in warehouse, manufacturing, and logistics roles with more flexibility than direct hire.
For the full national list of companies with public fair chance commitments, see the InmateAid Fair Chance Employer Reference List.
The Tax Credit Employers Get for Hiring You
Here is the closing argument for every conversation with an employer on the fence.
There is a federal program called the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, or WOTC. When an employer hires someone from a qualifying group, including individuals recently released from prison, the employer may receive a significant federal tax credit per qualifying hire. That is not charity. It is a business incentive the federal government created specifically to make hiring returning citizens financially advantageous.
You are not asking anyone to take a risk on you. You are telling them your hire comes with a tax benefit attached that none of the other thirty applicants can offer. Say it at the end of the interview, after you have made your case: I qualify for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit. Hiring me may put money back in your business. And I will give you the best work you have ever gotten from a new hire, because I have too much to lose to give you anything less.
Delaware's Division of Employment and Training coordinates WOTC certification for employers through Delaware JobLink and the Delaware Department of Labor.
Where to Get Help in Delaware
Delaware JobLink, operated through the Delaware Department of Labor, provides a free online job search system, career resource centers with computer access, job applications, and skills assessments, and special programs for economically disadvantaged individuals. Find your nearest career resource center through the Delaware Department of Labor at dol.delaware.gov.
The Delaware Correctional Reentry Commission, established by Governor Carney's Executive Order 27 in 2018, oversees reentry policies and procedures across the state. Contact through the Delaware Department of Correction at doc.delaware.gov.
Delaware Correctional Industries provides job skills training inside facilities, preparing returning citizens for post-release employment through vocational programs focused on marketable skills.
Delaware DOC Probation and Parole hosts Second Chance Month community resource events in New Castle, Dover, and Georgetown, bringing together employers, service providers, and returning citizens for job connections and social service referrals. Ask your probation or parole officer about upcoming events.
A $1 million investment program in Delaware connects justice-involved individuals with high-growth careers in information technology and healthcare, combining legal aid, workforce development, and direct job placement. Ask at your Delaware JobLink career center for current program availability.
LiUNA Local 55 in Wilmington offers on-the-job training through apprenticeships in construction trades for people with criminal records in partnership with community organizations. Contact the Laborers' International Union of North America Local 55 in Wilmington directly.
The Federal Bonding Program, available through the Delaware Department of Labor, provides free fidelity bonding to employers who hire returning citizens. Ask your Delaware JobLink counselor to connect a prospective employer with this program.
Frequently asked questions
Can employers in Delaware ask about my criminal record?
Public sector employers and state contractors in Delaware cannot ask about criminal history before making a conditional offer of employment under House Bill 167. Private employers face no statewide timing restriction and can ask on the initial application. However, Delaware law limits private employer background checks to a ten-year lookback for felony convictions and five years for misdemeanor convictions. Arrests that did not result in conviction are generally not reportable. Federal FCRA protections require written consent and notice before any adverse action based on a background check.
Does Delaware have ban the box for private employers?
No. Delaware's ban the box law applies only to public sector employers and state contractors. Private companies are not required to delay criminal history inquiries under state law. Wilmington's ban the box policy covers city government employment only. The meaningful private employer protection in Delaware is the lookback limit: felony convictions are limited to ten years and misdemeanor convictions to five years on background checks. If you are more than ten years out from a felony conviction, it may not appear on a private background check at all.
What jobs can I not get with a felony in Delaware?
Delaware licensing boards for healthcare, childcare, finance, and law enforcement retain background check authority with specific restrictions for certain conviction types. Research the specific board for any licensed profession before investing in training. For most private sector employment, the ten-year lookback limit on felony convictions and the five-year limit on misdemeanor convictions are the most significant legal protections in Delaware. Older convictions may not appear on background checks at all.
How do I explain my record in a job interview?
Do not pause. Come in with the answer ready: everybody deserves a second chance, somebody is going to give you one, and they are going to get the best employee they ever had because you are never going back. Connect what you did inside to what this employer needs specifically. End by mentioning that your hire qualifies for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit. Make it about value, not apology.
What is the Work Opportunity Tax Credit?
The Work Opportunity Tax Credit, or WOTC, is a federal tax credit available to employers who hire workers from qualifying groups, including people recently released from prison. The credit can be significant per qualifying hire based on wages and hours worked in the first year. It is administered through the IRS and the Department of Labor. Delaware's Division of Employment and Training processes the certification through Delaware JobLink. It is a real financial incentive, not a formality, and you should mention it at the end of every interview.
Do employers get a tax credit for hiring ex-felons?
Yes. Under the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, employers who hire qualifying returning citizens may receive a meaningful federal tax credit. Bring this up at the end of your interview as a closing argument. Your hire comes with a tax benefit the other applicants cannot offer. Ask your Delaware JobLink counselor for documentation you can share with a prospective employer so they can apply for the credit.
What Delaware programs help people with records find work?
Delaware JobLink career resource centers offer job search assistance, computer access, and skills assessments statewide. The Delaware DOC Probation and Parole holds Second Chance Month employer events in New Castle, Dover, and Georgetown. Delaware Correctional Industries provides vocational training inside facilities. A state-connected program places justice-involved individuals into IT and healthcare careers with direct job placement. LiUNA Local 55 offers construction trade apprenticeships for returning citizens in Wilmington. The Federal Bonding Program is available through the Delaware Department of Labor.
Can I get a license with a felony in Delaware?
It depends on the license and the offense. Delaware licensing boards in healthcare, childcare, financial services, and law enforcement have specific background check requirements for their fields. Research the specific licensing board before investing in training. The Delaware Department of Labor can point you toward the requirements for specific trades. For older convictions beyond the ten-year felony lookback window, background check barriers may not apply at all for most unlicensed private employment.
What companies in Delaware hire people with felonies?
Amazon, Walmart, and major food service operators have Delaware operations and corporate fair chance policies. Perdue Farms and poultry processors in Kent and Sussex counties hire in production and logistics roles accessible to returning citizens. ChristianaCare and Bayhealth hire healthcare support roles individually. Chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing along the Wilmington corridor hires in facilities and production roles. LiUNA Local 55's construction apprenticeship program provides structured pathway into the building trades. Staffing agencies across Wilmington, Newark, and Dover are the most accessible first step. For the full national list, see the InmateAid Fair Chance Employer Reference List.
How do I get hired if I have a long gap in my work history?
Name what you did inside and frame it as work with context. Delaware Correctional Industries vocational programs, work assignments, and certifications are content, not blank time. Delaware's ten-year felony lookback limit means older records may not appear at all on private background checks. Staffing agencies are the fastest path back into regular employment. LiUNA Local 55's apprenticeship program is one of the best structured pathways in Delaware for building a new work record in a high-wage career. Build ninety days of solid performance anywhere and that recent record becomes what employers see instead of the gap. ---