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

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

#322

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just because political parties haven't kept up doesn't mean attitudes aren't changing quickly. In fact, if attitudes are changing fast enough, you'd expect political parties to be notably behind the curve.

Only about 10% of people support legalizing harder drugs. They will remain illegal, and people will continue getting felonies. So... I don't believe that "these attitudes are changing quickly." http://big.assets.huffingtonpost.com/druglegalization2.png

Man, just admit your comment was snarky and be done with it!

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

#323
post #289

This presents an interesting dilemma here for an ex-con. Most people can eventually get their records expunged after they're out for a while, at which point we as a society demand that they start responding "no" to the questions about having a criminal record during the interview process. It's dishonest but it's how the legal system works. If you're an ex-con who will eventually get his record expunged, is there any…

What's dishonest (and what's demanded?) about honestly stating that one has no criminal record (since the record was deleted)?

Change the wording of the question slightly, and answering 'No' to it becomes dishonest.

The change in wording may be illegal, but good luck proving that to anyone who cares.

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

#324

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Right you are. The US has 5% of the world's population, and 25% of the world's incarcerated population. Per capita, more than China, Iran, N Korea.

In fact they're not right. The parent is confusing criminal record with incarceration duration. The UK has nearly just as high of a criminal record ratio among adult men for example. The difference is the US assigns far longer incarceration times for the same crime vs the UK. Further, Europe as a whole has a higher crime rate than the US does. [1] 70 million jobs has plenty of room for international expansion accordi…

Thanks for citing your sources! Much appreciated

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

#325

I went through an IT technical degree at a community college. Three of my classmates were timing their graduation to the year their felony fell off background checks. These guys spent 5 years grinding it out at whatever shit job would hire them just to spend 2 more in school + working with the hope of getting a simple rack & stack job, all because of some mistake they made in their late teens/early twenties. It was t…

Thank you for sharing that. It's a common story. Attitudes are changing quickly, so I hold out hope. I very much appreciate your support.

It would be so great if attitudes were changing quickly in a positive direction. In tech, it is still impossible to get your first job after a career change as a woman, a person of color, or a person over say 35. Many of these people fall into one or all three of these categories. In addition to that, they have this ridiculous other hurdle to clear, and tech is still trying to figure out if women can do any technical work at all. It is great that people are making resources like this-- and for veterans, but I'm afraid that without penalties or major financial advantages for companies supporting "equality" and "diversity" it's gonna take longer than anyone actually has before homelessness. i wish we could find a way to get financial penalties/incentives for moral action to amplify the voices of the marginalized in tech. Ideas? Any takers on a partnership toward this? I'm fed up with companies not being held to account on this score. I may have to join Rosie O'Donnel's womens' party, since it seems it may take that kind of measure.

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

#326
post #322

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Only about 10% of people support legalizing harder drugs. They will remain illegal, and people will continue getting felonies. So... I don't believe that "these attitudes are changing quickly." http://big.assets.huffingtonpost.com/druglegalization2.png

Man, just admit your comment was snarky and be done with it!

It's not snarky, it's just reality. These felonies in question are either from violent crimes, which will always be illegal and a stain on someone's record, or from possessing hard drugs / selling drugs / or committing crimes associated with the black market due to the war on drugs. Obviously, from what I posted, the harder drugs will likely always be illegal and most people continue to support that.

We aren't "making progress" when 90% of people surveyed want to physically put me in a cage for years for having a few hits of LSD in my pocket, or for selling steroids to gym buddies.

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

#327

I went through an IT technical degree at a community college. Three of my classmates were timing their graduation to the year their felony fell off background checks. These guys spent 5 years grinding it out at whatever shit job would hire them just to spend 2 more in school + working with the hope of getting a simple rack & stack job, all because of some mistake they made in their late teens/early twenties. It was t…

Thank you for sharing that. It's a common story. Attitudes are changing quickly, so I hold out hope. I very much appreciate your support.

It would be so great if attitudes were changing quickly in a positive direction. In tech, it is still impossible to get your first job after a career change as a woman, a person of color, or a person over say 35. Many of these people fall into one or all three of these categories. In addition to that, they have this ridicoulous other hurdle to clear, and tech is still trying to figure out if women can do any technical work at all. It is great that people are making resources like this-- and for veterans, but I'm afraid that without penalties or major financial advantages for companies supporting "equality" and "diversity" it's gonna take longer than anyone actually has before homelessness. i wish we could find a way to get financial penalties/incentives for moral action to amplify the voices of the marginalized in tech. Ideas? Any takers on a partnership toward this? I'm fed up with companies not being held to account on this score.

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

#328
post #300

>Attitudes are changing quickly Are they now? Tell me, which political party is planning on decriminalizing drug offenses?

Unnecessarily bitchy defeatism aside, the answer to your question is the Democratic Party[1]. [1] https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/08/01/cory-...

Republican Rand Paul.. http://reason.com/blog/2016/01/15/rand-paul-says-pot-prohibi...

Suggesting the Democrat party wants to decriminalize drugs and drug offenses isn’t entirely accurate. Some people in both parties would like to see that happen.

States with vast Democrat majorities haven’t decriminalized drug offenses. Some states have to some degree, but you have to ask, when Democrats has the White House, House and Senate, they could have acted, but didn’t – even when they had a super-majority.

My point isn’t that Republicans are better, but the Democrat Party has had chances, but they failed to act, so the parent comment is correct – no party is actually doing anything when given the chance – just a few isolated people.

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

#329
post #316

Just because I believe the number of reported violent crimes suggests our prison population is underpopulated, doesn't mean I don't also believe the system may currently be overpopulated with the wrong sorts. That's why I used numbers for sex crimes only, but more broadly we have ~2.2M inmates and 1.2M reported violent crimes per year, throwing out all non violent offenders it would still be hard to conclude our pris…

From your original comment: 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. So, basically, you think everyone is violent criminal scum, and are happy to only discriminate against the ones who have a record as…

Based on anything I stated how do you conclude I "think all criminals are violent scum"?

I'm an attorney, have defended people accused of crimes, and I too have a criminal record, so please check your bias.

What I wrote is about a hypocritical practice that hiring managers engage in (rejection out right) when the reality is other employees they have hired and even themselves have engaged in the same acts, they just don't have a record as a result.

Further, I suggest given the opportunity it might be better to say "hey, I have a criminal record for possession of marijuana, if you haven't personally experimented, you probably know someone who has or even voted for a President who has, Unfortunately I have a record as a result and I feel I have to acknowledge it as a courtesy to you" that might be more powerful than the original suggestion of "it shouldn't have happened...". But maybe I'm way off and such a suggestion some how projects an opinion I believe all criminals as scum, but I assure you I don't have such a low view of myself.

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