Published: November 07, 2009 07:49 pm      

JOHNSON: When being honest works against you

This is a story about one of the men in my program; I’ll call him “Joe.” I met Joe a few years ago, while he was still serving time in one of our local correctional facilities. Over the next couple of years, we talked as circumstances and time allowed.

Joe had been made a trustee, a position of responsibility and trust. He ran the commissary (the jail store), kept track of inventory, and helped to make sure that new officers received their uniforms and equipment. He worked as a clerk in the Classification Office and the Treasurer’s Office, maintaining the files and making identification wrist bands. He also worked in maintenance, helping to keep the facility clean and in good working order. During his time behind bars, Joe earned the trust and respect of the administration and staff, and kept it.

While serving this last sentence, Joe experienced a genuine encounter with Christ. His is not the typical jail house religion, to be picked up when useful, discarded when not useful, and dropped altogether at the moment he walked out of the joint a free man. Joe possesses the kind of faith that hopes much and endures much. Joe’s faith has been tested on many occasions ... and he has passed every time. Real faith does what is inconvenient.

Joe was released last winter and joined our Successful Re-Entry Program. He moved into our residential facility for newly-released offenders and immediately became a strong and positive influence on the other men in the program. He attended life skills classes, support groups, and did everything required of him. As his mentor, I got to know him a lot better, now that he was a free man no longer constrained by life on the inside. We’ve had countless conversations about faith and life, conversations that I greatly enjoy.

There’s just one problem; since his release, Joe has not been able to find steady, gainful employment.

This may have something to do with the fact that the job market is not as robust right now as it was a year ago. The economy has tanked, and taken many jobs with it. There are also more people applying for the jobs that are still out there. With so many people looking for work, employers can afford to be choosy about who they hire. Given the choice between hiring a qualified person with no criminal record, and a qualified person with a criminal record, most employers are reluctant to take a chance on the guy with the criminal record.

During the good times, answering “yes” to the criminal record question on the job application might not have hurt an ex-offender’s chances of landing a job; but right now, it’s the kiss of death. At least, it is for Joe.

Many job seekers with criminal records are finding jobs, in part because they are leaving the answer to the criminal record question blank. Joe refuses to do that. He answers the question truthfully ... and his application goes right into the wastebasket moments after he’s turned it in.

When job seekers ask me how to handle this situation, the best advice I can offer them is not to leave the question blank, but to write “please give me an opportunity to explain.” This approach doesn’t always get them a job interview, but sometimes it does ... and it is not dishonest.

This is what Joe has been doing; answering the question honestly, and asking for an opportunity to explain. But so far, no job.

It would be easy for Joe to leave the question blank ... a lie of omission ... or to lie outright and answer “no.” But Joe rightly believes that telling this “small” lie in order to find gainful employment could be the first step in a series of lies that might eventually put him back behind bars.

Ironic, isn’t it, that a man whose old life depended on living a lie, cannot find a job today because in his new life, he insists on telling the truth?

All of these months, I have watched Joe pay the price for being honest ... and I cannot adequately express how proud I am of him. His faith is being tested daily, and he keeps passing the test.

Only two ex-offenders have the keys to our Center in New Albany. Joe is one of them. As I have gotten to know him, as I’ve watched him handle adversity, I’ve come to admire him. He has earned my respect ... and my trust. That’s why I gave him a key to our building.

Joe has several marketable skills; he’s a welder, an auto mechanic, and does construction work. He picks up odd jobs here and there, but he needs a steady income. He has a family to take care of. All he needs is a chance.

Employers who hire ex-offenders may be eligible for a substantial tax benefit. If bonding is required, there’s also a federal bonding program available. I’ve got the information on these benefits handy, if you need it.

The company that hires Joe will be getting a loyal and hard worker who will be thankful for the opportunity to work. You’ll also be hiring a man who is honest even when it works to his disadvantage.

As his mentor and friend, I am asking any employer out there willing to give Joe a chance to call or e-mail me. You need a good employee; Joe needs a good job.

Call me.



Johnson is executive director of Christian Formation Ministries. His organization has numerous volunteer opportunities available. For information, e-mail richard@christian-formation.org, or call 812-945-0886.