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Launch HN: 70MillionJobs (YC S17) – Job board for people with criminal records

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251–260 of 541 posts

Re: Launch HN: 70MillionJobs (YC S17) – Job board for people with criminal records

#251
post #232
post #74

Hi Richard, great idea. I'm a UX designer and want to throw out some suggestions on how to improve the experience of the site. First, use more cheerful/positive messages/visuals. It was a joykill when I checked out your website and there's a sad guy placing his hand on the forehead. Show what's possible. How successful people can be once they get a job.. rather than their current state (unemployment). Don't focus on…

In addition to the above great ideas, here are some stats for you: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2015/04/... The US has about 4.4 percent of the global population and about 22 percent of the global prison population. The numbers are more startling using a different measure in the report: the prison population rate. Criminologists say this is a reliable way to compare incarceration practices betw…

>In other words, don't tell them "give a criminal a second chance." Tell them that many people with criminal records simply shouldn't have them...

That's a very interesting approach, but I believe a hard sell to potential employer. As true as it may be, an employer is more likely to appreciate the individual who says this is my background, this is what I learned and this is my vision of my own future...rather than, it's not my fault, I'm a societal statistic.

In fact, despite the ideas of US prison overcrowding and for profit drive conviction rates...I'd argue the opposite, that it's very likely the employer has already hired individuals who have committed various "crimes" and could but simply don't have records.

I know it's stance but all you need to do it look at the number of reported crimes (serious, not victimless like many would argue about drug possession) and the total prison population.

Example:

prison population = ~ 2.2M inmates

Every year in the US 60,000 children are sexually abused; ~220,000 adults sexually abused or raped; ~19,000 military members experience unwanted sexual contact. [1]

US prisons only seem over crowded until you see the number of violent crimes in the country, it basically works out to a sexual assault/rape every 90 seconds, it's pretty disturbing.

[1] https://www.rainn.org/statistics/scope-problem

Re: Launch HN: 70MillionJobs (YC S17) – Job board for people with criminal records

#252
Testing out the Job Search functionality, there seems to be some room for improvement for returning more relevant results first. Doing a quick test against a keyword search for "developer", I would much rather see all results with developer in the job title first. Instead seeing a lot of top results that are not relevant, some which I can't find a form of the word "develop" anywhere in the full job description, much less the job title.

Great concept and great start!

Re: Launch HN: 70MillionJobs (YC S17) – Job board for people with criminal records

#253

One of the first things I came across was "Police Officer" in Tallahassee, FL. It's an external link. Part of the description even says: "Have no convictions for any felony, perjury, false statement, or domestic violence. No DUI convictions past ten years. Other arrest histories are reviewed on a case-by-case basis." I love the idea, but it needs a bit more work.

What's the problem specifically with that listing?

"Have no convictions for any felony..."

Re: Launch HN: 70MillionJobs (YC S17) – Job board for people with criminal records

#254

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unfortunately some states (eg: Texas) don't allow you to expunge a felony no matter how long ago it was. My sister-in-law's HS boyfriend was a criminal jerk and she got caught up and charged as an accessory for something stupid (theft IIRC). She fully admits she was rebelling by going after a bad-boy. She had a public defender who met with her once and told her to take the deal to get probation. Unfortunately the ple…

Arizona, too, and you’ll find that’s common in tough-on-crime red states. I can petition to have mine “set aside,” but it sticks. I’m fortunate enough to have a great career in the Valley, but it comes up all the time as the upthread comment pointed out. We are looking into gubernatorial pardon (Arizona has a decent process) but not holding my breath.

This is a pretty common American attitude found in many "non red" states as well: As soon as someone commits a crime--any crime and just once--they become a criminal. It's as if their species permanently changed from human to something else. They're not a human that made a bad decision, they are an "other". Since this new thing they have become is not human, all kinds of inhumane and terrible things can be done to them and justified, including permanent removal of rights, brutalization and rape in prison, permanent loss of employability and access to normal livelihood. All of these things are seen as OK because it's a criminal we're talking about, not an actual person.

Re: Launch HN: 70MillionJobs (YC S17) – Job board for people with criminal records

#255

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Remember that many states do not allow expunging records no matter how old (eg: Texas). For some people a conviction will follow them literally for the rest of their lives.

If I remember correctly Texas has at least one thing that can be done, an ex-con can petition the court to seal their records, which is similar in effect. (a pre-employment background screening place cannot report expunged or sealed records) I don't really know what the politics are like in Texas but I suspect getting that done isn't easy...

Like a lot of legal matters, it's probably more dependent on whether you can afford to have it done.

Re: Launch HN: 70MillionJobs (YC S17) – Job board for people with criminal records

#256
post #5

Hey Richard, love this idea. I firmly believe in the notion that once you've paid your debt to society you should be able to participate in society as anyone else would. That this is not the fact is atrocious to me. Do you need a remote full-stack programmer?

Thank you for your insight. When the dust settles, we should talk.

Another full stack dev here, I would also love to help with something meaningful. Feel free to PM me in the future, if I can be of assistance. Remote, from Canada, Pacific timezone.

Re: Launch HN: 70MillionJobs (YC S17) – Job board for people with criminal records

#257

Isn't yet another case that startup is trying to fix systematic screwup of law in the USA? In USA once you got criminal record, by default it stays for rest of life with you. Implications of that may be even more severe than actual punishment. On the other hand in most of the European countries criminal records are limited and after X years they disappear and you can't legally discriminate based on that. Some ppl wil…

"Not giving them another chance is a major problem and actually can cause a lot of damage for everyone."

To build on this: disallowing them from becoming productive members of society means that they're that much more inclined to revert to a life of crime.

Re: Launch HN: 70MillionJobs (YC S17) – Job board for people with criminal records

#258
post #188

A friend of mine finally had his record cleared of incidents from when he was 19-20. He took courses to learn to program but even now it's still hard for him to get a job because people want to know about the huge gap in his employment history from when nobody would hire him.

"Personal crisis." I was a homemaker for a lot of years. I also happened to be too sick to hold down a job during that time, but homemaker sounds so much better on a resume. Find a preferably true and accurate description that is palatable to employers. Then realize it is tough all over at the moment. LOTS of people are having trouble getting hired at all.

Do you mind if I ask if you're a woman? IIRC there's pretty substantial hiring discrimination against men who claim to be homemakers (because it's less common so people assume that they're lying). The other side of the coin obviously being that women with kids are discriminated against in hiring due to assumptions that they'll be distracted by their family obligations.

Re: Launch HN: 70MillionJobs (YC S17) – Job board for people with criminal records

#259

A friend of mine finally had his record cleared of incidents from when he was 19-20. He took courses to learn to program but even now it's still hard for him to get a job because people want to know about the huge gap in his employment history from when nobody would hire him.

"Incidents"? You mean his crimes? No need to abstract reality.

Doesn't "had his record cleared" make it obvious that we're talking about his crimes? This seems needlessly pedantic.

Re: Launch HN: 70MillionJobs (YC S17) – Job board for people with criminal records

#260
post #188

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Personal crisis." I was a homemaker for a lot of years. I also happened to be too sick to hold down a job during that time, but homemaker sounds so much better on a resume. Find a preferably true and accurate description that is palatable to employers. Then realize it is tough all over at the moment. LOTS of people are having trouble getting hired at all.

Do you mind if I ask if you're a woman? IIRC there's pretty substantial hiring discrimination against men who claim to be homemakers (because it's less common so people assume that they're lying). The other side of the coin obviously being that women with kids are discriminated against in hiring due to assumptions that they'll be distracted by their family obligations.

Yes, I am a woman. No need to ask: It is listed in my profile.

Also: I did not suggest a man call himself a homemaker. So, I am not sure what the point of your comment is.

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