WBJ: Ex-convicts tell D.C. Council they need help finding work
by Jonathan O'Connell
Staff Reporter
Advocates for ex-convicts argued at a D.C. Council hearing Wednesday on behalf of two bills aimed at helping D.C. residents released from prison enter the work force.
Dozens of formerly incarcerated men told the council of the difficulty of getting a job in the city after being convicted of a crime. They were opposed on many points by the D.C. Chamber of Commerce, universities and other employers concerned about safety and loss of control in making hiring choices.
One bill, submitted by Councilman Marion Barry, D-Ward 8, would protect ex-convicts under the city’s Human Rights Act by preventing employers from using conviction or arrest records to make hire decisions in most cases. A less stringent bill, sponsored by Barry and Councilman
Michael Brown, D-At large, would require Mayor Adrian Fenty to create a strategy to incorporate returning convicts into housing, education and job opportunities.
“My philosophy is if you do your time, you have served your time, you’ve paid your debt to society. If you’ve paid your debt, that should be it,” Barry said. He said he had submitted the same bill under former Mayor Anthony Williams, which passed the council but was vetoed.
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Staff Reporter
Advocates for ex-convicts argued at a D.C. Council hearing Wednesday on behalf of two bills aimed at helping D.C. residents released from prison enter the work force.
Dozens of formerly incarcerated men told the council of the difficulty of getting a job in the city after being convicted of a crime. They were opposed on many points by the D.C. Chamber of Commerce, universities and other employers concerned about safety and loss of control in making hiring choices.
One bill, submitted by Councilman Marion Barry, D-Ward 8, would protect ex-convicts under the city’s Human Rights Act by preventing employers from using conviction or arrest records to make hire decisions in most cases. A less stringent bill, sponsored by Barry and Councilman
Michael Brown, D-At large, would require Mayor Adrian Fenty to create a strategy to incorporate returning convicts into housing, education and job opportunities.
“My philosophy is if you do your time, you have served your time, you’ve paid your debt to society. If you’ve paid your debt, that should be it,” Barry said. He said he had submitted the same bill under former Mayor Anthony Williams, which passed the council but was vetoed.
Go HERE to read the rest of the article.
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