NEW YORK (AP) — Don Christian had never held a regular job when he left prison. A conviction at age 19 for selling drugs kept him confined through young adulthood and into his early 40s.
\n\nWhen he got out after serving 23 years and started looking for work, “I had to start from the bottom. The very, very bottom,” Christian said. “I was willing to work anywhere. I just wanted to change my life.”
\n\nHaving a criminal record, as an estimated 1 in 3 American adults do, creates hurdles for people seeking employment, especially in fields that require licenses, according to the Vera Institute of Justice, a nonprofit that aims to end mass incarceration. Meeting with parole officers, a need to secure stable housing and other conditions of release, along with discrimination, compound the typical challenges of job hunting.
\n\n“Even when they come home with skills and credentials, they see fewer job opportunities and they earn less money than people who don’t have convictions,” Ruth Delaney, who directs a higher education initiative at the Vera Institute, said.
\n\nThis article is part of AP’s Be Well coverage, focusing on wellness, fitness, diet and mental health. Read more Be Well.
\n\nAfter Christian’s…
Original source: https://apnews.com/business