Punishment After Serving Time

The supposed purpose of jail is making people pay for their crimes. But, even after someone has completed their sentence, their criminal record can keep punishing them for life. Even though it's illegal, many employers reject applicants, or even fire workers, because of a criminal record. According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, employers are only allowed to consider criminal records as one factor in the hiring process, and only if the conviction is directly related to the work. However, many employers aren't following that guideline, and the 65 million Americans with a criminal record can find it disproportionately harder to find, or to keep, a full-time job. People convicted for non-violent or drug-related crimes can find it nearly impossible to achieve a stable economic existence, and their loss translates into bigger problems for local governments. Cities and states can be denied important tax revenue, employers can exploit workers and keep area wages low, and communities are missing out on all that productivity. Once someone completes a sentence, they've paid for their crime – and that price shouldn't include their entire economic future.