Are You Serious? Convicted Criminals getting hired In Monmouth County

Patience doesn’t pay the bills.  Especially if you are a local business in New Jersey trying to hire workers.  Forget about hiring “good” workers.  Anyone will do at this point.  This pandemic has caused so much pain to so many people.  And yes, when it comes to the economy it’s also hurt the worker too.

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Layoffs were rampant through most of 2020.  Businesses were forced to close.  Those that weathered the storm and survived to reopen are still finding it difficult to find workers.  The unemployment insurance that the state and the feds are handing out has lessened the incentive for people to go back to work.  Some businesses have leveraged singing bonuses of amounts up to $1000 to attract the help they need. Even more, money is being offered in some cases.

As I said in a previous article

"It goes without saying the Jersey Shore tourism is in a great position to do very well this summer.  But if businesses can’t staff their services that goal may not be achievable.”

Is there anything anyone can do to help?

Some business owners are getting even more creative. In addition to holding a Job Fair earlier this week in Monmouth and Ocean County, officials are looking to give convicted criminals on parole a second chance.  If you are asking yourself, has this ever happened before, I can answer you by saying no.  Not in Monmouth County it hasn’t.

Monmouth County Board Commissioner Thomas A. Arnone says...

"I think there's people that really want to work that we can reach out to."

 

Superior Court Judge Lisa P. Thornton chimed in...

"We all tend to look at criminal justice as not my backyard, not my life, what's in it for me.  Re-entry and providing good job opportunities to folks is a public safety issue.  When you take low-level offenders, low-level drug offenders, folks that are low risk, and continuously get them into this rat wheel of jail incarceration, jail only makes smarter and better criminals.  And if our goal is to create a community that is safe and vibrant and full of jobs, we need to highlight the public safety part."

This may be new to Monmouth County, but former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie signed the “Ban The Box” law.  This new law which took effect March 1, 2015, is designed to prohibit New Jersey employers from asking applicants about their criminal histories until after a first interview.

I think the idea fills a desperate need.  These are low-level offenders.  We’ve all made mistakes and didn’t get caught.