It took Vikki Hankins 18 years to get out of prison. It's her bad luck she got out during a recession.
For an ex-felon to find a job these days is tough -- nearly impossible.
"Basically, nobody will hire you," said Stephanie Porta, spokeswoman for Orlando ACORN, a community-based advocacy organization that works with ex-felons looking for employment. "Even people with little felonies are not finding jobs."
Hankins, 40, released eight months ago from a federal prison in Florida, is living in an International Drive motel paid for by Advocate4Justice, a group that promotes prison reform. She has been turned down for jobs at Denny's, McDonald's, Golden Corral, Walmart, Home Depot, Ramada Inn, Hess and 7-Eleven.
Hankins was sentenced to 23 years for possession of 22 grams of cocaine, but the mark of her conviction is something she will carry the rest of her life.
"There are people who paid the penalty for their mistakes. Inside the soul and the heart, they have changed completely. For those people, do you continue to punish them by holding them to the fire for the rest of their lives?" said Hankins, who was convicted under the alias Vanessa Wade.
Resuming their lives
The plight of unemployed ex-felons is the unfinished business of the civil-rights restoration, a process Gov. Charlie Crist approved last year, making it easier for those same people to regain the right to vote, state Rep. Geraldine Thompson of Orlando said.
"It's a major problem at this point. That has been the hardest part of the whole restoration [of rights] project," Thompson said.
Florida, home to more than 600,000 released felons, should follow the lead of other states that offer employers tax incentives to hire them, state Sen. Gary Siplin said. And it needs to revisit a bill that stalled in the Florida Senate to make it easier for released felons to have their criminal records expunged, he said. Such a move would allow them to legally say on an application form that they have not been convicted of a felony.
"A person who hasn't committed a crime in 10 or 15 years, they should be able to resume their lives," Siplin said.
The bill to make it easier for records to be expunged died amid opposition from employers who said they need to know the criminal backgrounds of the people they hire. Others contend that criminal records might continue to exist in various databases, regardless of their official removal.
"Expungement doesn't really accomplish what you think it accomplishes. The arrest will be there although the conviction is expunged," said Michael Seigel, professor of law at the University of Florida. "More than likely, an employer will find out."
'It's like I'm blackballed'
What Vikki Hankins deals with is what Alice Laguerre has been living with for 23 years. Laguerre got out of the Orange County jail for drug possession and aggravated battery the same year Hankins went into federal prison. Laguerre went 12 years without a job before landing a position through a labor pool making $5.50 an hour moving cars at an auto auction.
During her unemployment, she learned how to apply for a job. She doesn't bother filling out an application without first checking for the question: Have you ever been convicted of a felony? Then she asks how far back the employer does criminal-background checks. If it's five years, or seven years, she answers no. That at least gives her a chance of landing a job. Answering yes means certain rejection.
"It's like I'm blackballed from the work force," said Laguerre, 55.
Venues hiring may help
One potential source of jobs for released felons in this economy is the promise of Orlando's Community Venues to hire former convicts for construction work on the Events Center, Dr. Phillips Orlando Performing Arts Center and Florida Citrus Bowl renovation.
So far, that hasn't happened.
Siplin and other black elected officials say they are closely watching the Community Venues projects to ensure that released felons are given the chance to work.
Like many others, Vikki Hankins came out of prison thinking the worst was over. She could start her life again. Little did she know she would end up out of work and living in a motel room slightly larger than her prison cell.
"Right now, I'm on a prayer," she said. "What is going to happen, when it is going to happen, how is it going to happen -- I try not to let that consume me."
Jeff Kunerth
Jeff can be reached at jkunerth@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5392.
I know how she feels. I was granted a full pardon in 2007 in Alabama for a 1997 felony conviction. Yet, with the pardon, the conviction still shows up on a background and I have excluded from sales jobs and from going to graduate school. I even have a degree in Business Administration, but nobody will hire me.
I have done 20 years in prison and not only does that fact in and of itself keep me from being hired, it's also that I have no real experience in anything. Prisons do not rehabilitate or even habilitate. They only degrade for the purpose of recidivism which is also job security for those who work in the prison system. Notice anytime there is talk of closing down a prison how people come unglued because they are losing their job. Isn't that really what should be happening? Prisons being closed. Anyway, I have been out for 3 years and can not get a job. Maybe I should file for SSI or something.
I was convicted in 1998 of a non-violent charge. Given 5 years probation, restitution and community service. I made the mistake of assuming that after having completed 58 months of probation, having completed all community service, and paid all fines and monies owed for restitution that I had completed my probation. I was violated for failure to mail in my 3 forms for reporting. Ok I accept that mistake. But as others have stated what has bothered me is I have continued to be persecuted for this now 11 year old and it is preventing me from gaining employment. Despite me not having any convictions except that one in 1998. Despite me working with the youth in both church and local little leagues. Despite having worked for two of the nations largest employers and having a successful tenure with each, I have had no less than 5 job offers withdrawn and the companies not even willing to discuss the incident with me. There is no "...having paid your debt to society..." . We continue to pay and pay unless you are wealthy and/or have connections. How do the States expect someone that made a mistake to ever turn around if they cannot put the past mistakes and debts behind them?
tks for the effort you put in here I appreciate it!
When did a background check for employment become a credit check? I think a background check is a good idea...did someone steal, embezzle, defraud? Did they make a late payment or did they keep their payments up and just have more debt than they wish they had? Right now, there is too much credit based EVERYTHING going on and not enough common sense being used to do anything.
I was convicted of a non-violent crime also my first offense when I was 19. I never serve no time in prison and only had a 1 yr probation and restitution still to pay back. My crime is now going on 6 yrs old and I have my Assoicate Degree in Electronic & Computer Technology and been out of trouble ever since. The state and city wonders why ex-offenders go back to there old ways of the criminal life you really have no choose when society put you in a hole for have a record. Society say that you will not be excluded from marking (yes) you did a crime but soon as the review ur resume in front of u and u tell them the truth and your not that person anymore (BANG) kiss that job away. I just wish the state or someone with power develop a place where u can go they will hire ppl with felonies 5 years or older instead of these programs in Phila only help out people that just got out of prision or out the half-way house or off parole thats how Philadelphia handle things here....a joke.
Some of these people say they can't find work due to a felony that occurred over a decade ago. That seems crazy to me, their are many places that should hire you after seven years.
my son will be out in 10, months after serving 5 years,, with no work in Florida,, just wondered if he can draw unemployment or something?
I was convicted of a violent crime in 1998 and was sentenced to 20 years incarceration. After completing 8 years, 4 momths and 8 days , I was released on parole. In 2001, I earned an Associates Degree in Electronics while incarcerated. My certification expired two years after receiving it. So now I'm left with a degree thats over 8 years old, and it's basically useless. Even though my crime was committed 11 years ago, the state that I live in can check my entire background and most often than not, they do.
I was convicted of a Theft of Property Charge for allegedly processing a return for a customer that I did not know and not charging them for the additional merchandise that they were purchasing. I did not due what I was convicted for and my attorney fought a good case in court but being a minority in good old Alabama will automatically convict you no matter what you try and prove. To make a long story short, I served time in the military and was able to get several jobs since my conviction and I recently lost my job over two months ago. I just could not believe how hard it is to get a job without someone holding your past aginst you and my conviction was 9yrs ago. You can forget the temp agencies as they are a joke and when I visited Mighty Men, they had on the top of their application that if you cannot successfully pass a drug and background check, just turn in the clipboard and leave. Now talk about some serious discrimination against those with a not so perfect background. I feel that if congress can erase bad credit after 10 yrs. then the same should go for convictions when the individual had paid their fines and have been pardoned or so forth. We need to really take a good look at our priorities. The government expects us to pay our taxes but treats us like second class citizens and won't give us another chance nor allow us to find decent humane work either.
I feel your pain guys. A misdemeanor weed charge has me working less than menial jobs for crappy pay. I accepted long ago that I would always have to make my own way. Don't let it stop you. Just stay positive and think of skills that you jave that you can market on your own and SAVE MONEY!!! Literally...SAVE MONEY! Cash is kink these days guys. Even McDonalds is okay if it's what you gotta do. Heck, I worked two jobs for 1 1/2 years and saved all the money from one job. In one year, I had 10grand. After that, I went into business for myself. I own a small deli in my city. I make way more than the bums that told me they wouldn't hire me!!! Stay motivated guys and remember...Where There's a Will, There's a Way! Peace and Love
I was convicted of a cocaine feloney possession charge and cant find a job. I want to get my record cleared but from what i have read will having my record cleared let me be able to get a job? Will it still show up?
I know how everyone feels. I pray God intervenes on some type of legislation being passed. I like so many others was addicted to drugs and made some unwise choices in my life 20 years ago. God blessed me to be drug free through AA and really turned my life around for 10 years was employed as an Accounting Clerk for those 10 years because of the recession the company closed and I have not found a job since. Within 5 minutes of turning in applications the employer knows all about me. I thank God for unemployment because God blessed me to be buying a home and a car who would have thought a someone who was on crack for years would really turn their life around yet today my name is in the phonebook. Amazing. But now noone wants to touch me in the workforce. I pray Jesus has mercy and touch these lawmakers hearts because the employers will not budge without them.
I was convicted in 2003, and served two years. I have been home since 2005 from Flordia DOC. I can not get a job. Nowhere unless I want to work at McDonalds for the rest of my life. I am 40 years old. I see now why they have so many repeat offenders. There is no help out here for us. WE ARE NOONE in this world but someone who made a mistake. I am considering writing the Gov. of my state and the President. I believe after a certain amount of time out of prison and with no trouble again. There should be some kind of release of your record. I mean we paid with time and restitution does this mean we pay with our LIFE? I have the right to the American Dream as anyone else. Dont you? I believe if enough letters flooded our politicans something if it is a small something could happen to allow us the AMERICAN DREAM.
I plead with an Alford plea in 1986 to a class 4 felony. No drugs, no theft, no fraud, and no robbery was involved. I was young, out of State (to AZ visting family) when the event happened. I took the plea because I was scared to death, feeling for all the world alone, and because my public attorney suggested that it was best - Not because I felt (or did) anything wrong.
I was out and off parole by mid-1988. I went to school, got a technical degree, and went to work. I worked for almost 20 years without an issue. I dealt with personal information, with private records, and with clients for all of those years. I've never been fired from a job. But after the last company I worked for closed its doors I found myself unemployable because of that 25-year-old felony. My work record since making that Alford plea means nothing. My otherwise clean criminal record, with not even a parking ticket on it, means nothing.
So yes, a felony is a life sentence.
Most job applications say after 7 yrs they don't care about past crimes. Also employment places usu. tell us don't put your job history down after the past 10 years so you could always say you thought the same standard unwritten "rule" applied to that too. there's extra money the obama administration has put aside especially for people just out of prison and ex-felons to go to school. now is the time to get a trade or update your skills- example: learn computer skills... Remember our president said he's all for education and for volunteerism.. but if you dont stay away from the people, places and things that triggered your drug use before (i think most of the crimes are due to drug/alcohol use and a sense of entitlement or being around the wrong people and just going along with their thinking- to take the easier/softer way at the time.. think the drink/drug use through to the end- see the negative consequences- not just the good time; discipline self to control thinking by turning to a power greater than yourself and ask for help to do the right thing.. cause it's easy to fall back into familiar destructive ways...if God wants us to get a job, I believe we are going to get that job NO MATTER WHAT. But I also believe we have to have the right motives at heart- to serve others and God, or else we'll lose that job. Ive found if Im feeling sorry for self if I help someone else with their problems, afterwards I feel great and my problems seem more manageable.(Just my own beliefs based on experience). also i just heard from one of fl senators or congresswomen diane weisserman that fl got a lot of money to create jobs; stimulus money... i wonder whats going on with that... she prob. has a website we can look on to find out.