With our economy/job market being the way it is, if you were a former gang member, or anything of the like, your ARE screwed when it comes to getting a desirable job. There’s no shortage of good experienced people looking for work. Someone with a criminal record won’t have a chance when competing with such people, and for an increasingly limited numbers of positions. Hope and change isn’t gonna do them a damn bit of good!
“There’s no shortage of good experienced people looking for work”.
You are right. A friend of mine recently applied for a retirement job with the Park Service in Pennsylvania. The job requirements were a high school degree, clean record etc.. (nothing extensive). Who got the two jobs? Two people with Masters degrees. One of those candidates had some time working on a Ph.D. (salary is $30,000 grand a year). Employers have a vast number of very good qualified people to hire with no gang ties, felony records, drug convictions etc... The best candidate should get the job IMHO. Not the one who has brought pain and criminal activity with them as baggage.