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Ask HN: Any felons successfully found IT work post-release?

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Re: Ask HN: Any felons successfully found IT work post-release?

#311

Post by burner420042 »

I have first hand experience in this issue.

A felony record, in the context of passing a tech background check, is the following:

Does the word 'felony' appear on your record? It's all just string matching.

Felony misdemeanor? I'm a felon.

Felony misdemeanor as a juvenile? I'm a felon.

Felony for Adult Bad Things? Not me, but maybe someone else.

Either way, you're done for 7 years. I still wait to tell friends and family until after the background check passes... 15 years later.

Most background checks (basically all) though are local to the states you list, so if you say you've only ever lived in Texas, but your conviction was in Oregon, I think you'd still pass as long as it wasn't a federal level conviction. I know this because I've scrutinized every single background check I've ever had.

The experience will jade you and will leave a permanent bad taste in your mouth. Don't forget they need software developers in Latin America and Europe.

Re: Ask HN: Any felons successfully found IT work post-release?

#312

Post by felon1234567890 »

deadbabe wrote: post #88
hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Move to another country. Your plan sounded perfect except for the complete infeasibility of it. Countries don't let felons from other countries immigrate.

People underestimate how easily they can travel and how it’s really just a privilege. You end up on a no fly list or become a convicted felon and that’s it, your life of travel is snuffed out. I really feel for the OP.

This is not necessarily true. Speaking from experience as a DUI felon (no other charges) I have traveled to multiple countries in the EU, UK, Thailand, Costa Rica, Mexico and Dominican Republic. The only country that has denied me entry is Canada.

This likely depends on the felony of course. A DUI in which no harm/damage occurred is probably the lesser of the felonies.

Re: Ask HN: Any felons successfully found IT work post-release?

#313

Post by grinfield22 »

sneak wrote: post #205
kypro wrote: post #147

I know this is a controversial view, but I think employers should not be allowed to run background checks unless important for the role (government work, access to children, etc) and where it is important for the role it should only return the criminal convictions that might be relevant to the role. If you were arrested for robbery when you were younger perhaps because you had a drug addiction then that person should…

I think crimes of violence are relevant to any/all roles. I don’t want to hire or work with anyone who has ever at any point in their life used violence to attempt to solve problems. I am fine with a percentage of human beings being blacklisted permanently from access to much of society. Violence has no place in our world. I won’t even hire former cops. It is, unfortunately, illegal in the US to explicitly avoid hiri…

> ever at any point in their life

Ever? A 50-year old who punched a bully when he was cornered at 20 years old, 30 years ago? Not saying that's great behavior, but perhaps understandable after having been cornered.

Or at 15? 10? 5? Somebody who at 3 years old kicked their older brother of 6 with a bunch of legos? Not going to hire that maniac? Do you yourself have a job?

Re: Ask HN: Any felons successfully found IT work post-release?

#314

Post by grinfield22 »

sneak wrote: post #225
kkielhofner wrote: post #221

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is an extremely privileged position. In many environments violence is a part of life and necessary for survival. One hypothetical scenario of millions: You live and grow up in a high-crime area. Someone attacks you, a family member, etc. You defend yourself to protect your own life or that of a loved one. A cellphone video records the end of the encounter where you appear to be the aggressor. You get an assault…

It is definitionally judgemental and discriminatory. Hiring is the practice of discriminating against undesirable hires by using one’s judgement. We can discuss whether or not it’s naive, but it’s served me quite well for decades thus far. The rest of your comment seems like a simple emotional appeal. All hiring is discriminatory; there are more applicants than there are positions. Discrimination is not a bad thing,…

> choice of religion is not a built in trait, but a choice made as an adult

The strongest predictor of religios belief, worldwide, is the religion of the parents. If you've believed one thing for the first 18 years of your life, literally all your life up to this point, then it's hard to suddenly snap out of this at 18 and most people don't.

Do you think that all Christians in the US, including almost all of its members of congress, are Christian because it has such a convincing story?

Re: Ask HN: Any felons successfully found IT work post-release?

#315

Post by logicchains »

Have you considered working overseas? Not a felon but I've worked for companies in Dubai and Singapore which didn't require background checks (although it's possible the government did a background check without explicitly mentioning it as part of the visa application process).

Re: Ask HN: Any felons successfully found IT work post-release?

#316

Post by felon1234567890 »

akira2501 wrote: post #268
minkiebun wrote: post #259

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Many companies handle background checks in exactly this manner; it’s common for seven years to be a cutoff where they stop caring.

Which is excellent, and should make it easy to codify that into law.

Soft on criminals is not usually a vote winner.

Re: Ask HN: Any felons successfully found IT work post-release?

#317

Post by Simon_ORourke »

nope00 wrote: post #49

Nov’22 is very recent, and won’t be your experience forever. It’s been a little over 20 years for me. Now, I get background checked every year. It doesn’t show. Initially I worked in food service and on phpfreelancer. I spun that into consistent consulting work until a client offered a full time position (less than 15 people, no background checks). As the years rolled by, I kept moving around. Eventually I tried at a…

> I do NOT recommend being upfront, unless there are no formal procedures in place and being honest actually helps. We are talking about your ability to feed and shelter yourself, so give up on the “honesty” thing. I have -never- been able to provide for myself after having been “honest”. [edit: after reading felonintexas let me update this. If someone point blank asks, tell them. Don’t volunteer this information. There is nothing to be gained]

No better advice has ever been given on HN, from minor things to major stuff. Never volunteer any information about yourself to anyone in the office beyond what is required to complete your job. Never say too much about previous roles and keep it very general.

Re: Ask HN: Any felons successfully found IT work post-release?

#318

Post by plondon514 »

This might be a good place to mention the Columbia Center for Justice which offers Justice Through Code, a bootcamp for the previously incarcerated. Someone I mentored there last year has successfully found work. I’d be happy to share more details through email.

https://centerforjustice.columbia.edu/justicethroughcode

Re: Ask HN: Any felons successfully found IT work post-release?

#319

Post by davidwritesbugs »

hluska wrote: post #169
gwbas1c wrote: post #136

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> [edit: after reading felonintexas let me update this. If someone point blank asks, tell them. Don’t volunteer this information. There is nothing to be gained] My Fraternity's cook, when I was in college, was a former fellon. He worked for us for a few years before he told me about his background. I don't remember the details, but we had a conversation where he mentioned he had experience in IT. Eventually he very b…

Why did you let the conversation drift around to “if you were making big bucks why are you cooking for us now”? That’s a remarkably rude thing to ask for absolutely no reason other than ego.

Not rude at all. I used to make several million a year. Then I got arrested and bank accounts frozen. I had to work stacking shelves in a supermarket. All my colleagues thought I was a BS artist when I said what I used to earn, and asked that question. Why wouldn't they? it's incongruous.

Re: Ask HN: Any felons successfully found IT work post-release?

#320

Post by HenryBemis »

nope00 wrote: post #49

Nov’22 is very recent, and won’t be your experience forever. It’s been a little over 20 years for me. Now, I get background checked every year. It doesn’t show. Initially I worked in food service and on phpfreelancer. I spun that into consistent consulting work until a client offered a full time position (less than 15 people, no background checks). As the years rolled by, I kept moving around. Eventually I tried at a…

> I do NOT recommend being upfront

I re-binged "Last Week Tonight" a month ago. There is an episode on the prison system in the USA and the obstacles people face upon release. I remember one case where the person wrote on his job application as employed by the "State of " while he was in prison. (it must be this episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Pz3syET3DY).

I haven't been convicted of any crimes, so I don't have own experience. From people I know, they continued working in tech as contractors/freelancers, but for small fry (as big banks will be very thorough on your background (criminal/credit scoring) checks).

Doing small gigs for small companies where you don't handle personal/sensitive data can give you enough time to (as the parent suggests) have this 'forgotten'.

Would you consider moving to another country?

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