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 Louisiana Says About Your Record
Louisiana has moved significantly on fair chance hiring over the past several years. Two laws now work together to protect returning citizens with larger employers.
The 2016 Ban the Box law removed criminal history questions from initial employment applications for state and political subdivision employers. New Orleans and East Baton Rouge Parish had local ordinances before the statewide law.
The Louisiana Fair Chance Law (Act 406, RS 23:291.2, effective August 1, 2021) goes further. It applies to employers with twenty or more employees working in Louisiana. Under this law, when a background check reveals an arrest or charge that did not result in a conviction, the employer is prohibited from considering that information in the hiring decision. For convictions, the law requires the employer to conduct an individualized assessment, using the EEOC framework, to determine whether the conviction has a direct and adverse relationship with the specific duties of the job. A blanket policy of rejecting anyone with a conviction is not permitted.
Louisiana also limits the lookback period. Most convictions older than seven years cannot be considered in employment decisions. Non-conviction records older than seven years are also off-limits under the federal FCRA.
What this means for you: if you are applying to an employer with twenty or more employees, arrests that did not lead to conviction cannot be used against you, older convictions are generally outside the review window, and any conviction that is used must specifically relate to this particular job's duties. That is a meaningful level of protection.
For smaller employers -- those with fewer than twenty employees -- and for state and political subdivision jobs, the public sector ban the box timing protection applies, and federal FCRA rules govern background checks. Private employers below the twenty-employee threshold have more latitude under state law, though federal protections still apply.
Louisiana's automated expungement system changed what is possible. Since January 1, 2025, Louisiana's Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information (BCII) operates a simplified online process for expungement of qualifying records. If a record is eligible, BCII processes the expungement within 30 days. The system covers records back to January 1, 2006. This eliminated the court filing complexity and significant fees that historically made expungement out of reach for many returning citizens. If you have an eligible record and have not yet explored expungement, this is the single most impactful step you can take.
Building the Answer Before You Need It
Louisiana's Fair Chance Law protects you with larger employers. The automated expungement system may clean your record entirely. And your answer is still what gets you hired.
Start with what you did with your time inside. Louisiana DOC's transitional work program allows eligible offenders to work approved jobs in the community, returning to the facility when not working, for up to three years before release. If you participated in vocational training, education, the transitional work program, or any other programming inside, that is content, not a gap.
Then connect it to the job. Louisiana's economy runs on oil and gas, petrochemicals, maritime and port industries, tourism and hospitality, healthcare, construction, and agriculture. Whatever you are applying for, make the answer specific to what that employer needs.
Practice it out loud. To another person, until the hesitation is completely gone. The pause is what loses the room. Eliminate it before you sit down.
Companies in Louisiana That Hire People with Criminal Records
Louisiana's economy, centered on New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Shreveport, and a network of industrial and port communities, creates consistent labor demand in sectors that evaluate returning citizens individually.
Amazon, Walmart, Home Depot, and major food service operators have Louisiana operations and national fair chance commitments. The maritime and port industry in New Orleans and the industrial corridor along the Mississippi hire in trades, facilities, and operations roles. Oil and gas support operations, pipeline maintenance, and refinery-adjacent work have specific safety-screening requirements but also consistent demand for workers willing to do physically demanding work. Healthcare support roles across Louisiana's major health systems are accessible entry points. Hospitality, tourism, and food service in New Orleans create year-round and seasonal demand with high turnover that makes employers more flexible.
The SOLA Super Region reentry employment program, funded through the Bureau of Justice Assistance, specifically connects reentry talent to employers in the New Orleans and Baton Rouge metro areas before and after release. Contact through your Louisiana DOC reentry coordinator.
Louisiana's Fair Chance Law means employers with twenty or more employees must conduct individualized assessments before using a conviction to deny employment. This changes the dynamics with larger employers in the state significantly.
Staffing agencies across New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Shreveport, and Lafayette are the most accessible first step, placing workers in industrial, logistics, and construction 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.
The Louisiana Workforce Commission coordinates WOTC certification and Federal Bonding access through its Office of Workforce Development and statewide Louisiana Works career centers.
Where to Get Help in Louisiana
Louisiana Works career centers, operated through the Louisiana Workforce Commission, provide job search assistance, resume help, training referrals, WOTC coordination, and Federal Bonding access statewide. Find your nearest center through the Louisiana Workforce Commission at laworks.net.
Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections operates the Offender Rehabilitation and Workforce Development Program, assessing risk, education, and vocational training needs from the day of admission. The transitional work program allows eligible offenders to work in the community up to three years before release. Contact through dps.louisiana.gov.
The SOLA Super Region reentry employment program, funded through BJA, connects reentry participants to employers in the New Orleans and Baton Rouge metro areas through the Louisiana DOC. Ask your reentry coordinator about this program.
The automated expungement system (Article 985.2, operational January 1, 2025) allows eligible individuals to submit simplified requests through the Louisiana Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information for expungement of qualifying records back to 2006, with a 30-day processing timeline. This is one of the most important actions you can take. Contact BCII through the Louisiana State Police or louisiana.gov.
The Justice and Accountability Center of Louisiana (JAC) is a leading advocacy and legal organization supporting expungement, reentry, and criminal justice reform. JAC has been central to the Clean Slate legislative effort and provides resources on expungement eligibility. Contact at jaclouisiana.org.
Louisiana Legal Services and legal aid organizations across the state provide free expungement assistance and guidance on Fair Chance Law rights.
The Federal Bonding Program, coordinated through the Louisiana Workforce Commission, provides free fidelity bonding to employers who hire returning citizens.
Frequently asked questions
Can employers in Louisiana ask about my criminal record?
For state and political subdivision employers, Louisiana's 2016 ban the box law prohibits criminal history questions on initial applications. For private employers with twenty or more employees, Louisiana's 2021 Fair Chance Law prohibits using arrests without conviction in employment decisions and requires individualized assessment of any conviction's relationship to the specific job. Most convictions older than seven years cannot be considered. Federal FCRA protections apply to all background checks run through consumer reporting agencies.
What is the Louisiana Fair Chance Law?
It is Act 406 (RS 23:291.2), effective August 1, 2021. It applies to employers with twenty or more employees in Louisiana. It prohibits those employers from using arrest records or charges that did not result in conviction in hiring decisions. For convictions, it requires an individualized assessment using the EEOC framework to determine whether the conviction has a direct and adverse relationship with the specific job duties. Most convictions older than seven years are off-limits. Employers who violate the law face civil liability.
What jobs can I not get with a felony in Louisiana?
Specific licensed fields including healthcare, childcare, education, and certain financial and oil and gas safety roles have statutory background check requirements. Research the specific licensing board before investing in training. For most private sector employment with twenty or more employees, the Fair Chance Law means the employer must demonstrate a specific connection between the conviction and this job before using it to deny you. Blanket exclusions of everyone with a record are prohibited for covered employers.
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 your time inside specifically to what this employer needs. If you have completed programs, held the transitional work placement, or earned credentials, name them. Then close by mentioning that your hire qualifies for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit. End strong.
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. Louisiana's workforce commission coordinates certification through Louisiana Works career centers. It is a real financial incentive, 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 Louisiana Works career center counselor for documentation you can share with a prospective employer so they can apply for the credit.
What Louisiana programs help people with records find work?
Louisiana Works career centers statewide offer job search help, training referrals, WOTC coordination, and Federal Bonding access. Louisiana DOC's Offender Rehabilitation and Workforce Development Program provides pre-release training and the transitional work program. The SOLA Super Region employment program connects New Orleans and Baton Rouge reentry participants to employers. Louisiana Legal Services and JAC provide expungement assistance. The automated expungement system (operational January 2025) provides simplified online expungement. The Federal Bonding Program is available through the Louisiana Workforce Commission.
Can I get my record expunged in Louisiana?
Louisiana's automated expungement system (Article 985.2, operational January 1, 2025) allows eligible individuals to submit a simplified online request through the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information for expungement of qualifying records dating back to 2006. If eligible, BCII processes the expungement within 30 days. Qualifying records include arrests without conviction, certain misdemeanor convictions, and certain felony convictions after required waiting periods. This eliminated much of the cost and court complexity that previously made expungement inaccessible. Contact BCII through louisiana.gov or reach out to the Justice and Accountability Center (jaclouisiana.org) for eligibility guidance.
What companies in Louisiana hire people with felonies?
Amazon, Walmart, Home Depot, and major food service operators have Louisiana operations and national fair chance commitments. Maritime and port industry employers in New Orleans hire in trades and operations roles. Oil and gas support operations, construction, healthcare support, and hospitality in New Orleans create consistent demand. Louisiana's Fair Chance Law means covered employers must conduct individualized assessments before using a conviction to deny employment. The SOLA Super Region reentry employment program connects returning citizens directly to employer networks in New Orleans and Baton Rouge. Staffing agencies across major Louisiana metros 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 present it as work with context. LDOC vocational programming, transitional work placements, certifications, and GED completion are all content. Louisiana's automated expungement system may have cleared older records from your background check entirely -- check your eligibility. Louisiana's seven-year lookback limit means convictions older than seven years often do not appear on background checks run by larger employers. Staffing agencies are the fastest path back into regular employment. Build ninety days of solid performance anywhere and that recent record becomes what employers see instead of the gap. ---