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 Oregon Says About Your Record
Oregon is one of fifteen states with ban the box protections for private employers. Oregon's law (ORS 659A.360, enacted through HB 3025 in 2015) applies to most public and private employers and prohibits asking about criminal history on initial job applications or before an initial interview. If the hiring process includes no interview, the inquiry is delayed until a conditional offer of employment is made. Exceptions apply for positions where law automatically disqualifies applicants based on criminal history, such as law enforcement and criminal justice roles.
Portland has its own Fair Chance Ordinance that goes further than state law: Portland employers must make a conditional offer of employment before any criminal history inquiry. Before revoking a conditional offer based on a specific conviction, the employer must make a good faith determination that the decision is justified.
Oregon also prohibits employers from discriminating against applicants based on an expunged juvenile record, unless the decision is based on a bona fide occupational qualification.
Federal FCRA protections apply statewide. Non-conviction records older than seven years cannot appear on consumer reporting agency background checks for most positions.
Oregon's record relief system is called a "set aside" under ORS 137.225. When a court grants a motion to set aside, all official records of the arrest and conviction are sealed. In the eyes of the law, the arrest or conviction did not occur and the record does not exist. Eligible: most misdemeanors (3-year wait), Class C felonies (3-year wait), Class B felonies including most drug offenses (7-year wait, significantly expanded from a prior 20-year wait by Senate Bill 397). Not eligible: traffic offenses, most sex offenses, most violent offenses, most offenses against vulnerable populations. Conditions: sentence must be completed, not currently on probation/parole/post-prison supervision, and no new conviction in the prior 10 years. Once set aside, the person may state in most contexts that the arrest or conviction did not occur.
Building the Answer Before You Need It
Oregon's ban the box law gets you past the application and through the first interview before your record can come up. Your answer is what gets you hired after that.
WorkSource Oregon Reentry made Oregon the first state in the nation to place American Job Centers directly inside state prisons. The program is now fully operational in all 12 Oregon DOC facilities, providing workforce services before release: resume building, job search, career coaching, employer connections, and mock interviews. At Deer Ridge Correctional Institution alone, more than 200 people went through the program; over a third found steady employment or completed a job training program after release. The program is coordinated through East Cascades Works and the Oregon Employment Department with support from U.S. DOL Pathway Home and Future Ready Oregon funding.
Oregon Correction Enterprises (OCE) provides skills programs inside facilities and maintains partnerships with Second Chance employers for direct post-release employment pipelines.
Start with what you did inside. A resume built through WorkSource Reentry is a real resume -- with your skills, your work assignments, and your accomplishments listed in professional format. OCE skills training, vocational programs, and any educational credentials inside are all content. Then connect it to what this employer specifically needs.
Oregon's economy runs on technology, manufacturing (aerospace, electronics, semiconductors), healthcare, agriculture, forest products, and a growing outdoor industry. Portland, Salem, Eugene, Medford, and Bend are the primary labor markets. Whatever you are applying for, make the answer specific to what that employer needs.
Practice it out loud. Until the hesitation is completely gone. Oregon law gives you the application and the first interview. Your answer earns the offer.
Companies in Oregon That Hire People with Criminal Records
Oregon's economy, anchored by the Portland metro with significant technology and manufacturing sectors and strong agricultural and forest products industries in rural areas, creates consistent demand across sectors.
Amazon, Intel, Nike, and major employers in the Portland metro area have fair chance hiring programs. Walmart, Home Depot, and major food service operators have extensive Oregon operations and national fair chance commitments. Healthcare systems including Providence Health, OHSU, and Legacy Health hire in support and entry-level roles. Manufacturing employers in electronics, aerospace, and forest products across the state face persistent labor shortages. Construction contractors statewide have consistent demand. Agricultural operations across the Willamette Valley, Rogue Valley, and eastern Oregon hire seasonally and year-round.
Oregon Correction Enterprises maintains employer partnerships for direct post-release placement. WorkSource Oregon offices across the state provide employer connections specifically for returning citizens.
SE Works in Portland (seworks.org) offers My Career Boost! for SNAP-eligible formerly incarcerated individuals in Multnomah County and PDX Reentry employment services.
Sponsors, Inc. in Eugene (sponsorsinc.org) provides reentry employment services for returning citizens in the Willamette Valley.
Staffing agencies across Portland, Salem, and Eugene are the most accessible first step, placing workers in manufacturing, logistics, 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.
WorkSource Oregon offices, operated through the Oregon Employment Department, coordinate WOTC certification and Federal Bonding access for employers statewide.
Where to Get Help in Oregon
WorkSource Oregon offices statewide, operated through the Oregon Employment Department, provide job search assistance, career counseling, training referrals, WOTC coordination, and Federal Bonding access. WorkSource Oregon Reentry is now operational in all 12 Oregon DOC prisons, giving returning citizens a head start before release. Find your nearest office at oregonworkforceexchange.com.
Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) provides vocational training, educational programs, Oregon Correction Enterprises skills training, and WorkSource Reentry services inside all 12 state facilities. Contact through oregon.gov/doc.
Oregon Correction Enterprises (OCE) provides in-facility skills training and Second Chance employer partnerships for post-release employment pipelines. Contact through oce.oregon.gov.
SE Works (seworks.org, Portland) offers My Career Boost! for SNAP-eligible formerly incarcerated Multnomah County residents and PDX Reentry employment services. Phone: 503-772-2300.
Sponsors, Inc. (sponsorsinc.org, Eugene, 541-485-8341) provides reentry employment services in the Willamette Valley.
Legal Aid Services of Oregon (lasoregon.org) provides free legal help for eligible low-income Oregonians, including set aside (expungement) petition guidance.
Oregon Law Center (oregonlawcenter.org) provides free legal services in rural Oregon, including record relief assistance.
The Oregon Judicial Department's self-help expungement page (courts.oregon.gov) provides forms and instructions for filing a motion to set aside under ORS 137.225.
The Federal Bonding Program, coordinated through WorkSource Oregon, provides free fidelity bonding to employers who hire returning citizens.
Frequently asked questions
Can employers in Oregon ask about my criminal record?
Under ORS 659A.360 (HB 3025, 2015), most Oregon employers cannot ask about criminal history on initial applications or before an initial interview. If there is no interview, inquiry is delayed until a conditional offer. Portland employers must make a conditional offer before any inquiry and must make a good faith determination before revoking an offer based on a conviction. Exceptions apply for law enforcement, criminal justice positions, and roles where law requires earlier screening. Federal FCRA protections apply to all third-party background checks. Non-conviction records older than 7 years cannot appear on most background checks.
What is Oregon's ban the box law for private employers?
ORS 659A.360 covers most public and private employers in Oregon. Employers cannot ask about criminal history on initial applications or before the first interview. If no interview, the inquiry must wait until a conditional offer. Portland's Fair Chance Ordinance adds a stronger requirement: conditional offer first, then criminal history inquiry, with a required good faith process before a conditional offer is revoked based on a conviction. Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) enforces the state law; violations can result in significant fines.
What jobs can I not get with a felony in Oregon?
Law enforcement, criminal justice positions, healthcare with direct patient care, childcare, education, and some financial services have statutory background check requirements. For most private sector technology, manufacturing, healthcare support, agriculture, and construction employment, Oregon's ban the box law means your record cannot even be raised until after the first interview. A successful set aside under ORS 137.225 seals the record entirely for eligible conviction types, removing barriers in most employment contexts.
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. Oregon law means the interview is already underway before your record can come up. If you went through WorkSource Oregon Reentry, bring your resume and lead with the work you prepared for. Connect your OCE skills training, vocational credentials, or any program completion inside to what this employer needs. Then close by mentioning that your hire qualifies for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit. End strong. And check your set aside eligibility -- a set aside seals your record entirely.
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. WorkSource Oregon offices 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 WorkSource Oregon counselor for documentation you can share with a prospective employer so they can apply for the credit.
What Oregon programs help people with records find work?
WorkSource Oregon Reentry is operational in all 12 Oregon DOC prisons; returning citizens build resumes and get employer connections before release; over a third of Deer Ridge participants found employment or completed job training after release. Oregon Correction Enterprises provides in-facility skills training and Second Chance employer pipelines. SE Works (seworks.org, Portland) offers My Career Boost! and PDX Reentry employment services. Sponsors, Inc. (sponsorsinc.org, Eugene) provides Willamette Valley reentry employment services. WorkSource Oregon offices statewide coordinate WOTC and Federal Bonding. Legal Aid Services of Oregon (lasoregon.org) provides free expungement guidance.
Can I get my record expunged in Oregon?
Oregon's process is called a "set aside" under ORS 137.225. When granted, all official records are sealed and the law treats the arrest or conviction as if it never occurred. Eligible: most misdemeanors and Class C felonies after 3 years; most Class B felonies including most drug offenses after 7 years (Senate Bill 397 reduced drug offense waits from a prior 20-year requirement). Conditions: sentence completed, not on supervision, no new conviction in the prior 10 years. Not eligible: traffic offenses, most sex offenses, most violent offenses, most offenses against vulnerable populations. Oregon courts self-help pages and Legal Aid Services of Oregon (lasoregon.org) provide free forms and guidance.
What companies in Oregon hire people with felonies?
Amazon, Intel, Nike, and major Portland metro employers have fair chance programs. Walmart, Home Depot, and major food service operators have Oregon operations and national fair chance commitments. Providence Health, OHSU, and Legacy Health hire in healthcare support. Manufacturing employers across electronics, aerospace, and forest products face labor shortages. Agricultural operations in the Willamette and Rogue Valleys hire seasonally. OCE employer partners provide direct post-release placement pipelines. SE Works and Sponsors, Inc. provide employer connections in Portland and Eugene. Staffing agencies across Portland, Salem, and Eugene 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?
WorkSource Oregon Reentry builds your resume before you walk out -- bring it with you. OCE skills training, vocational programs, and any educational credentials inside are all content. Oregon's ban the box law means your record cannot come up until after the first interview, giving your resume the chance to speak first. Check your set aside eligibility under ORS 137.225 -- eligible records are sealed entirely. SE Works My Career Boost! provides career services post-release in Multnomah County for SNAP-eligible formerly incarcerated individuals. Staffing agencies across the state 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. ---