Why don't they make use of people who have gone through the system in law enforcement?

Question

There are alot of good people out there with alot of good knowledge (street smarts), i think they could actually be of benefit to society. As long as they are reformed.

Answer 1

Some people do deserve second chances if they didn't commit violent crimes or crimes against children.   I don't think anyone is going to hire an ex-theif to guard  their store though.   You would be surprised at how many people are dishonest and criminal minded who haven't been caught yet.   Law enforcement probably has enough trouble trying to weed out the criminal element from people with clean records much less taking on someone who is a proved criminal.

Answer 2

Because those people don't stick out in the crowed, so they don't know who to call out to... but they do know how to call people in the army... amazing...

Answer 3

That;s a big if - reformed that is.  Unfortunately, a large number of those criminals are people drawn into the system because of vulnerabilities such as alcohol and drug addiction.  They've stayed out of trouble because they haven't returned to those same places that necessarily tie to their abuse probelms.  

You seem to be operating under the delusion that being a criminal is akin to a job that you've got experience in.  Being a criminal is a choice dictated by desire and desperation.  Likely criminals have picked up a thing or two, but only to satisfy their needs and wants, haredly a good frame of reference for OJT.  You also seem to think that crime is static - it's not.  Whatever experience that reformed criminals have pciked up is likely stale.  Finally, you seem to think that all criminals have an equal usability - not true.  Those with the greatest likelihood of being arrested - on the street, the poorest, tend to be at the lowest end of the rung because they have the least to offer law enforcement.  These are also the people who are most likely to be forced to consider reforming.

Umm, there's a difference between LE wanting near perfection in their candidates, and actually demanding it - the latter is determinative factor, but it is simply not true.  Feel free to post evidence that our law enforcement agencies are staffed by nearly perfect arbiters of justice.

"i belong to a fellowship of AA and you would be amazed at how some people have changed."

No kidding - I happen to be a prosecutor who has worked with men and women undergoing rehab for narcotics and alcoholism - you'd be shocked at how some people have changed back and forth.  The line between criminal and law abiding isn't impossible to traverse - it's not like the iron curtain, once you've gone over, you're safe.

As to your follow-up point, many jurisdictions offer drug treatment programs in lieu of incarceration, and those who sucessfully complete these programs can get their cases dismissed.  Those who end up with felony convictions include 1) refused drug treatment; 2) accepted it but failed and 3) were never offered it because either their record or the facts of the case indicated that they would pose a hazard to their communities or to the residents of a treatment facility.  People typically refuse drug treatment because they are offered probation which they believe (rightly actually) that it's less rigourous than treatment (they'll fail anyway, they think), and specifically reject it when they are told they will have to go to a residential faciltity despite the fact that 1) they are homeless and 2) won't have to spend much more time there than they would have had they opted for prison.

Answer 4

yes, thats a great idea,

  there are so many people being unnoticed and are great with differnt things,  we could all help eachother no matter " tthe experience writting on a resume"  i could be a concorlor at the hosp for mentle helth cus im intune that way i like listen and solving problems  but i dont have that exp on paper but i be good at it

Answer 5

If reforming criminals was that easy, we wouldn't need their services, as the recidivism rate would be quite low.

But because statistics show the recidivism rate is about 80%, four out of five criminals can not be trusted.