Jobs For Felons

We are currently seeking employers that are willing to give ex-felons a chance. If your company does not have a policy against hiring ex-felons please contact us so we can obtain permission to post information about your company. Remember, most ex-felons re-offend because they have no money or have no way of making money, and they are not accepted by society. They have a much greater chance at becoming a productive member of society when society has the willingness to accept them. After all, they have already served their sentence and everyone deserves a second chance.

For further information about Jobs For Felons, to contact us in regards to posting information about your company, or for any other questions please contact Nick at nck3631@aol.com

WHAT IS THE WORK OPPORTUNITY TAX CREDIT?
The WOTC is one tool in a diverse toolbox of flexible strategies designed to help move people from welfare into gainful employment and obtain on-the-job experience. It joins other tax credits, education, and job training programs that help American workers with barriers to employment prepare for good jobs; ease their transition from job to job; benefit from the creation of effective regional economic development strategies; and create high performance workplaces.

PROGRAM OUTCOMES: Use of the WOTC has substantially increased in recent years and use of the Welfare-to-Work Tax Credit (WtWTC) has decreased in line with welfare reform objectives. For example, during Fiscal Year 2005, over 630,000 certifications were issued by the state workforce agencies, and this figure is growing every year.

UPDATE: On December 20, 2006, the President signed into law the Tax-Relief and Health Care Act of 2006 (P. L. 109-432). This legislation merges the Welfare-to-Work Tax Credit (WtWTC) into the WOTC and extends the WOTC program, with a number of significant changes and provisions, for a two-year period through December 31, 2007. The following statutory changes apply to new hires who begin work for an employer after December 31, 2006:
the earnings test for ex-felons is eliminated;
the maximum age for food stamp recipients is increased;
the certification request filing deadline is increased;
the welfare-to-work provisions are merged into the WOTC.
This reauthorization is retroactive to January 1, 2006 and the amendments apply to new hires that begin work for an employer on or after January 1, 2007.

NEW: The consolidated WOTC for hiring most target group members can be as much as:
$2,400 for each new adult hire;
$1,200 for each new summer youth hire; and
$9,000 for each new long-term family assistance recipient hired over a two-year period.
WHAT NEW HIRES CAN QUALIFY EMPLOYERS
FOR THE WOTC?
The consolidated WOTC applies only to new employees hired on or after January 1, 2007 and before January 1, 2008.
The new employee must belong to one of the following nine target groups:
A member of a family that is receiving or recently received Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) for at least 18 consecutive months ending on the hiring date;
A member of a family that is receiving or recently received TANF benefits for any 9-month period during the 18-month period ending on the hiring date;
An 18-39 year old member of a family that is receiving or recently received Food Stamps;

An 18-24 year old resident of one of the federally designated Empowerment Zones (EZs), Enterprise Communities (ECs), or Renewal Communities (RCs);
Note: All Round I Enterprise Communities (ECs) including enhanced Enterprise Communities expired on December 31, 2004. Round II ECs are still in existence as are all the EZs;

A 16-17 year old EZ/EC or RC resident hired between May 1 and September 15 as a Summer Youth Employee
Note: All Round I Enterprise Communities (ECs) including enhanced Enterprise Communities expired on December 31, 2004. Round II ECs are still in existence as are all the EZs;
A veteran who is a member of a family that is receiving or recently received Food Stamps;
A Vocational Rehabilitation Referral who completed or is completing rehabilitative services from a State certified agency, an Employment Network, or the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs;
An ex-felon who has been convicted of a felony and has a hiring date which is not more than one year after the last date on which he was so convicted or released from prison; and/or
A recipient of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits.

MINIMUM EMPLOYMENT OR RETENTION PERRIOD
All new adult employees must work a minimum of 120 or 400 hours and individuals hired as Summer Youth employees must work at least 90 days, between May 1 and September 15, before an employer is eligible to claim the tax credit.

HOW CAN EMPLOYERS PARTICIPATE IN THE WOTC?
To receive certification that a new employee qualifies the employer for this tax credit, the employer must:
Complete the one-page IRS Form 8850 by the day the job offer is made.
Complete either the one page ETA Form 9061 or Form 9062 as appropriate. For example:
If the new employee has already been conditionally certified as belonging to a WOTC target group by a state workforce agency (SWA) or participating agency, complete the bottom part of ETA Form 9062, sign and date it.
If the new employee has not been conditionally certified, the employer and/or the new employee must fill out and complete, sign and date ETA Form 9061
Mail the completed and signed IRS and ETA forms to the employer's state workforce agency (To find the address of the SWA in your state consult the Directory of State Coordinators below).

NEW: IRS Form 8850 must be mailed within 28 days of the employee's employment-start date for all individuals who begin work for an employer on or after January 1, 2007.

For IRS Form 8850, the Work Opportunity Tax Credit Pre-Screening Notice and Certification Request and its Instructions go to http://www.irs.gov, or call 1-800-829-1040.

Click here for ETA Form 9061, the WOTC Individual Characteristics Form.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE WOTC:

Call or visit your local public State WOTC Coordinator (use the State Directory above), or

Call the U.S. Department of Labor Regional WOTC Coordinator nearest you (use the Regional Directory above), or

Call Karin Loverud at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) on 202-622-2080

Information for Employers About Hiring an Ex-Offender

Persons who have served time in jail or prison are faced with challenges when returning to their communities. Persons who are unemployed are more likely to fail and return to prison than those who are employed. When an ex-offender becomes a tax-paying citizen and a partner in the community, we all benefit.

Question: Why would an employer hire an ex-offender when there are so many other unemployed people available?

Many ex-offenders are under supervision of a probation or parole officer who is a contact person and resource for the employer. The officer can assist with job retention and success by addressing obstacles to employment such as transportation or counseling. Many ex-offenders are required to undergo random drug testing. Through referral, ex-offenders can have access to job readiness and skills training. Moreover, because former offenders typically have difficulty finding work, they are often very loyal employees once hired.
The Federal Work Opportunity Tax Credit provides up to $4000 in credits for hiring felons convicted or released within one year of hire. Specifics of this program are available at www.michigan.gov/uia.
The Federal Bonding Program provides employers with insurance coverage at no cost to the employer as an incentive to hire hard to place applicants such as ex-offenders. The fidelity bond can be requested from any Michigan Works! Service Center. Visit www. michiganworks.org for locations or call Michigan's bonding coordinator at 313-456-3160.

Question: Is it Legal to Have a Blanket Policy Prohibiting the Employment of People with Criminal Records?

In most cases, no. Because policies prohibiting the employment of people with records have an adverse impact on people of color, such policies may violate anti-discrimination laws. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission recommends that, to ensure compliance with these laws, employers consider the nature and gravity of the offense; the time that has passed; and the nature of the job before disqualifying an individual from employment based on his or her criminal record.

Question: How does an employer assess someone's criminal history?

The definition of a felony offense is a crime that could be punished by more than a year in prison. A misdemeanor is a crime that could be punished by a year or less in prison. In actuality, circumstances surrounding the crime or the offender may lead to sentences that are more severe for some misdemeanors than for some felonies. Many persons serve no imprisonment at all for a first time felony conviction.
Assessing a conviction to make a reasoned judgment about risk is fairly simple. It involves obtaining the criminal history and then checking it against some simple criteria. Asking the applicant about his or her criminal history will provide an employer with information about their attitude and acceptance of responsibility. It would be important to determine circumstances such as alcohol or drug use that may have contributed to the offense and how the applicant has addressed those issues.
Criminal histories of applicants can be retrieved from a probation or parole officer if the applicant will consent to that disclosure. The prospective applicant should be able to provide an employer with the name and phone number of their supervising officer. If the applicant is not under community supervision, convictions from the state of Michigan can be obtained from the Michigan State Police through the Internet at www. Michigan.gov. Select the Internet Criminal History Access Tool (ICHAT). For a fee of $10.00, the Michigan Criminal history is displayed. Reading the resulting criminal history can be difficult for the layperson. This website provides a tutorial with how to read the various entries on a criminal history report. Click on How to Use ICHAT for the tutorial. The website also has other information of interest to employers, as well as a link to the sex offender registry where employers can check to see if the applicant is a registered sex offender.

Question: Should I be concerned about Negligent Hiring Lawsuits?

If you are hiring an ex-offender for a position that does not involve contact with the public - such as factory or production work - negligent hiring is generally not an issue. Even if the position does involve contact with the public, the courts have made clear that the mere fact that an employee has a criminal record does not establish a claim for negligent hiring.

Question: What Questions Should I ask about a Prospective Employee's criminal history?

The questions to ask with regard to the person's criminal history are simple.
1. What is the relevance of the offense(s) to the job being applied for?
2. How long ago did the offense(s) occur? Note: Research has shown that after seven years of law-abiding behavior, an individual with a criminal record has essentially the same risk of committing a new offense as a person who does not have a criminal record.
3. How many times has the person offended?
4. What is the nature and seriousness of the offense(s)?
5. What is the background to the offenses (circumstances such as drug dependency, homelessness, etc.)?
6. Were the offenses work related?
7. What is the person's attitude regarding the offense?
8. What has the person done since being convicted of the offense (treatment, education, skills training, volunteer work, etc.)?
The employer's assessment of the offense and the applicant can lead to an ex-offender finding the right job that will assist in his or her effort to become a self sufficient law abiding citizen. It is an effort worth making to better our community.