My boyfriend can't get a job because of a prior felony when he was 19. Any suggestions?

Question

He is now 26 and i am pregnant. He has been trying but no one will give him a chance. The charge was for a fight he got into when he was younger and he has matured greatly since then. We just moved to Illinois from California and i'm starting to loose hope. Has anyone been hired with a felony on their record?

Answer 1

Keep trying.  After all this time, it must be more than just his record.  There is something else about his personality or character.  Perhaps he simply scares people.  I know dozens of felons with great jobs, but if he can't work for wages for one reason or another, then explore the self-employment route.

Answer 2

If he hasn't been in any other trouble, he can try to have his felony reduced to a misdemeanor and then have it expunged.  We do that sometimes in our courts, here in CA.

He's have to go back to Court, in the county where he was on probation, and request this.  He can contact the Probation Department for that county... talk to his former probation officer... and find out what the rules are on getting the record expunged.  It'll require that he did everything he was supposed to do while on probation, including paying the fines/fees... and that a certain amount of time has passed since probation terminated... with no new offenses.

Good luck to you!

Answer 3

Reading about your problems makes me feel better about my own life.  At least I haven't gotten myself pregnant by a criminal, am I right?  

Anyway, my advice is to suggest construction work to your boyfriend, and then break up with him.  Trust me, life will be much better for you and your unnecessary child.

Answer 4

In Illinois you can have a record expunged, not sure about california. I'm going through the process right now. It's a pain but you can pretty much get your entire criminal record erased. Go down to the courthouse and ask about it at the county clerks office.

Answer 5

If he wanted to work, he would.  There are plenty of places he can work.  They may not be his ideal job, but tough, that is part of being a felon.  He has not matured too much or he would take whatever he can find and pay his way in life.  And he would not be making babies without a job or moving some girl to another State without a way to earn income.  That is not responsible at all.  He is 26.  Not 16.  He needs to take any job and then on his days off apply for others.  And if he is not working, looking for work is his job.  Mature adults know that you have to start at 8 am and look all day every day until you are working.  Not roll out at noon.  So urge him to make job hunting his full time job.  And remind him that any money is better than ZERO dollars.

Even if he has to clean kennels or do construction clean up, etc. it is a job.  If he wants to work, he can get a job.  

I know plenty of felons who work.  They take what they can find and continue to look for better jobs when they are off.  They pound the pavement on foot with a sack lunch beginning in the early morn and do not come home until dark.  And they find jobs.  And they truly change their lives.  They also do not make babies while they are broke.  Kids cannot eat dreams.   Almost or Maybe does not put diapers or formula in the house.  It does not pay the electricity and it sure doesn't pay rent.

You need to find your own job and your own place and go to welfare and get help for YOU and YOUR unborn in the meanwhile.  You are about to be responsible for a life.  You are losing hope because somewhere inside you see your future and it looks dismal.  But YOU can change it.  Waiting for a man that does not have his life together is futile.  It will not take care of your child's needs.  You have to do that and let him really get his stuff on track.  I know you love him, but love won't feed your kid.  That is on you since he isn't doing it.

Answer 6

tell him to get more education or go to a tech school, a lot of labor jobs will hire felons..(factories, construction..etc)

Answer 7

My uncle has muliple theft and possession record.

a local grocery store hired him on the spot.i hope this helps.

congrats on the youngin=)

Answer 8

One thing that he may try is getting involved with a Church and getting to know people there.   I'm saying this because there will be people there who own businesses of their own, people who may be more apt to give him a job.  People who go to Church often believe in giving others a second chance.

I know that my Church does volunteer work with people who have been and are locked up and doing time.  They try to help these people, so that they can help them selves.

Its always worth a try.  If he gives them a chance they may give him a chance to have a job.

He should allow people to get to know him, to be able to see that he is a good person.  He should also after a while let people know about his past, so that they can see that he's a changed person.  So that they can see that he's not attempting to hide any thing about what was in his past.  

As I've stated there are a lot of people who go to Church who own their own businesses, that may be the best break that he will ever find.  He may find that these people are the people that will be willing to help him, so that he will be able to get back on his feet.

One more thing tell him to never give up on him self, that if he believes in him self strongly enough others will also believe in him.  He shouldn't ever give up believing in him self.  There have been people who have been in prison who have gotten jobs and gotten their lives back on track, they just never gave up on believing in them selves.

I hope that this information will be of a help to him.  I wish you both the best in your lives, and with your new baby to be.  God Bless.

Answer 9

What kinds of jobs has he been applying for?  I know plenty of people with a felony conviction on their record who have jobs.  It might not be exactly what they want, but it pays the bills.