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 New Jersey Says About Your Record
New Jersey is one of fifteen states that has extended ban the box protections to private employers. The Opportunity to Compete Act (signed August 11, 2014, effective March 1, 2015) applies to employers with fifteen or more employees who work for twenty or more calendar weeks and do business, employ people, or take applications in New Jersey. This covers the vast majority of private employers in the state.
Under the Act, covered employers are prohibited from inquiring about criminal history during the "initial employment application process," defined as the period from the applicant's first contact through the first interview, the determination that the applicant is qualified, and the selection of the applicant as the employer's first choice for the position. The box cannot appear on the application. The question cannot be asked orally. And employers cannot publish job advertisements stating that people with arrest or conviction records will not be considered.
There are exceptions: law enforcement, corrections, and positions where federal or state law otherwise requires criminal history consideration. There is also an exception for employers who have a program specifically designed to encourage hiring people with records.
Newark and Atlantic City have their own local fair chance ordinances that may provide additional protections within those cities.
New Jersey also has a strong Clean Slate expungement law. Governor Murphy signed significant amendments in January 2024 that expanded expungement eligibility and simplified the filing process. Under New Jersey's Clean Slate provision, a petitioner may clear an entire record of offenses after a ten-year waiting period from the most recent conviction. Shorter waiting periods apply for individual offense expungements. Once expunged, a record is removed from public background checks.
Federal FCRA protections apply statewide. Arrests without conviction older than seven years are off-limits on consumer reporting agency checks.
Building the Answer Before You Need It
New Jersey law gets you past the initial application and through the first interview before your record can be raised. Your answer is what gets you hired after that.
New Jersey Department of Corrections provides education, vocational training, and Residential Community Release Programs before release. NJDOC's RCRPs offer job readiness training, counseling, educational support, and discharge planning beginning at admission. NJ-STEP (New Jersey Scholarship and Transformative Education in Prisons) is a consortium of New Jersey colleges providing higher education courses inside state facilities -- from GED completion through associate and bachelor's degrees.
Start with what you did with your time inside. Any NJDOC vocational certification, NJ-STEP coursework, program completion, or educational credential is content that goes directly into your answer. Then connect it to what this employer specifically needs.
New Jersey's economy runs on pharmaceuticals and life sciences, financial services, logistics and distribution, healthcare, technology, and education. The Port of Newark-Elizabeth is one of the busiest ports in the Western Hemisphere, creating consistent demand in logistics, transportation, and warehouse operations. Whatever you are applying for, make the answer specific to what that employer needs.
Practice it out loud. Until the hesitation is completely gone. New Jersey law gives you the first interview and the qualification stage before your record can come up. Your answer fills that space and earns the offer.
Companies in New Jersey That Hire People with Criminal Records
New Jersey's economy, anchored by the Newark metro, Trenton, Camden, and the Route 1 corridor of pharmaceutical and technology companies, creates consistent demand across sectors.
Amazon has major fulfillment operations in New Jersey and is a national fair chance employer. Walmart, Home Depot, and major food service operators have extensive New Jersey operations and corporate fair chance commitments. Johnson & Johnson, Merck, and other pharmaceutical employers in New Jersey hire in production, quality assurance, and support roles. FedEx, UPS, and logistics employers operating through Port Newark and the surrounding distribution network hire heavily. Healthcare systems including RWJBarnabas Health, Atlantic Health System, and Hackensack Meridian Health hire in support and entry-level roles. Construction contractors across the state face persistent labor shortages.
The New Jersey Reentry Corporation maintains direct employer relationships across Newark, Paterson, Jersey City, Elizabeth, Hackensack, Neptune City, Carteret, and Toms River. NJRC received a $300,000 Francine LeFrak Foundation grant for commercial driver's license (CDL) training, placing returning citizens into the transportation sector where demand for drivers is persistent statewide.
NJ One-Stop Career Centers (eight locations statewide) connect returning citizens directly to employers and training programs.
Staffing agencies across Newark, Paterson, Camden, Trenton, and the major New Jersey metro areas are the most accessible first step, placing workers in logistics, manufacturing, and healthcare support 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.
New Jersey One-Stop Career Centers, operated through the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, coordinate WOTC certification and Federal Bonding access for employers statewide.
Where to Get Help in New Jersey
New Jersey One-Stop Career Centers, operated through the NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development, provide job search assistance, training referrals, WOTC coordination, and Federal Bonding access at eight locations statewide. Find your nearest center at jobs4jersey.com.
New Jersey Reentry Corporation (NJRC) is one of the most established statewide reentry employment organizations on the East Coast. NJRC removes barriers to employment for returning citizens across eight New Jersey cities, providing case management, job placement, and direct employer connections. Contact at njreentry.org.
NJ Department of Corrections Residential Community Reintegration Programs (RCRPs) provide job readiness training, counseling, educational support, and discharge planning beginning at admission. Programs operated in Trenton, Newark, and Paterson. Contact through nj.gov/corrections.
Parolee Employment Placement Program (PEPP), a collaboration between NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development and NJ State Parole Board, places parolees in employment specifically to reduce recidivism.
NJ-STEP (New Jersey Scholarship and Transformative Education in Prisons) coordinates higher education inside NJ state facilities, from GED through bachelor's degrees, providing certifications and credentials that go directly onto a resume.
New Jersey Association on Correction (NJAC) operates Residential Community Release Programs in Trenton, Newark, and Paterson, and Community Resource Centers in Hamilton and New Brunswick providing reentry support for parolees.
Reentry Coalition of New Jersey (reentrycoalitionofnj.org) coordinates statewide reentry resources and provides rental assistance for parolees.
Legal Services of New Jersey (lsnjlaw.org) provides free expungement guidance and legal assistance for eligible low-income New Jerseyans.
The Federal Bonding Program, coordinated through NJ One-Stop Career Centers, provides free fidelity bonding to employers who hire returning citizens.
Frequently asked questions
Can employers in New Jersey ask about my criminal record?
Under New Jersey's Opportunity to Compete Act, employers with 15 or more employees cannot ask about criminal history during the initial employment application process -- defined as the period from first contact through the first interview, qualification determination, and selection as first choice for the position. After that point, inquiry is permitted. Exceptions apply for law enforcement, corrections, and positions where federal or state law requires earlier criminal history consideration. Newark and Atlantic City have additional local protections. Federal FCRA protections require consent and adverse action notice for any third-party background check.
What is New Jersey's Opportunity to Compete Act?
It is New Jersey's statewide ban the box law, signed in 2014 and effective March 1, 2015. It applies to employers with 15 or more employees who do business or take applications in New Jersey. It prohibits asking about criminal history during the initial employment application process, including on applications, in oral inquiry, and in job advertisements. The initial employment application process ends when the employer has conducted a first interview, determined the applicant is qualified, and selected them as the first choice for the position. After that, employers can conduct background checks and ask about criminal history.
What jobs can I not get with a felony in New Jersey?
Specific licensed fields including healthcare, childcare, education, law enforcement, corrections, and some financial services have statutory background check requirements. Research the specific licensing board before investing in training. For most private sector pharmaceutical support, logistics, healthcare support, retail, and construction employment, the Opportunity to Compete Act gives you the first interview and qualification stage before your record is even raised. New Jersey's Clean Slate expungement is the most powerful tool for removing barriers in licensed fields.
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 me one, and they are going to get the best employee they ever had because you are never going back. By the time your record can legally come up under the Opportunity to Compete Act, you have already demonstrated your qualifications. Connect your NJDOC programming, NJ-STEP coursework, or any credentials inside directly to what this employer needs. 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. New Jersey One-Stop Career Centers coordinate certification for employers statewide. 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 NJ One-Stop Career Center counselor for documentation you can share with a prospective employer so they can apply for the credit.
What NJ programs help people with records find work?
NJ One-Stop Career Centers provide job search help, training referrals, WOTC coordination, and Federal Bonding access. NJ Reentry Corporation (NJRC) operates in eight New Jersey cities providing job placement and direct employer connections. NJDOC RCRPs provide pre-release job readiness and employment support. Parolee Employment Placement Program (PEPP) places parolees in employment through NJ DOL and Parole Board collaboration. NJ-STEP provides higher education credentials inside facilities. NJAC operates Community Resource Centers for parolees. Legal Services of New Jersey provides free expungement guidance. Reentry Coalition of NJ coordinates statewide resources and rental assistance.
Can I get my record expunged in New Jersey?
Yes. New Jersey's expungement law was significantly expanded by Governor Murphy in January 2024. Under the Clean Slate provision, a petitioner may clear an entire criminal record after a ten-year waiting period from the most recent conviction. Individual offense expungements are available at shorter waiting periods. Once expunged, records are removed from most background checks. Legal Services of New Jersey (lsnjlaw.org) provides free guidance on expungement eligibility and the petition process, including information on the 2024 filing process changes.
What companies in New Jersey hire people with felonies?
Amazon, Walmart, Home Depot, and major food service operators have NJ operations and national fair chance commitments. Johnson & Johnson, Merck, and pharma employers hire in production and support. FedEx, UPS, and Port Newark logistics employers hire heavily in transportation and warehouse operations. RWJBarnabas Health, Atlantic Health, and Hackensack Meridian hire in healthcare support. NJRC maintains direct employer relationships across eight NJ cities and placed clients through CDL training funded by the LeFrak Foundation. NJ One-Stop Career Centers provide second-chance employer connections. Staffing agencies across Newark, Paterson, and Camden 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. NJDOC vocational training, NJ-STEP college courses, RCRP participation, and any education or work inside are all content. New Jersey's Clean Slate expungement may clear your record entirely after the 10-year Clean Slate waiting period or at shorter periods for individual offenses. NJRC provides immediate post-release employment support across eight New Jersey cities. PEPP connects parolees directly to employment through NJ DOL and Parole Board. CDL training through NJRC opens doors in transportation. 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. ---
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