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mrswain · Mar 30, 2008, 07:36 PM

I have an felonly on my record will that hurt my career in the future.

mrswain · Mar 30, 2008, 07:42 PM

Will a felony stop your education in what you wonna do in the future

Fr_Chuck · Mar 30, 2008, 08:01 PM

Well if you are in prison it is hard to stay in college??

You can normally continue your education but it may limit some school choices Also you will have trouble gettng licensed for some professoins depending on what the crime was. So what carrer are you thinking about, and what is the crime

jstrike · Mar 30, 2008, 08:06 PM

No but depending on what the felony is, such as a sex offense, the school may have to be notified. In some cases you might also be eligible for special financial aid if you go to college.

Fr_Chuck · Mar 30, 2008, 08:11 PM

Normally yes, it will be harder to get a job, all things equal with another person, they pick the one with no record.

A lot will depend on how old the conviction is, and esp what I was for.
If you raped someone, or killed someone, it will be different than doing mail fraud or cheating on your income taxes

jstrike · Mar 30, 2008, 08:14 PM

That all depends on what you did and what you want to go into. Most employers will ask you if you are a convicted felon and most now-a-days for any type of professional position will do a background check. <I think> that by law they cannot discriminate against you because of your felony unless it pertains to your job. If you were a drug dealer don't expect to get a job at a pharmacutical company. You have to be realistic about it though, it's going to be an uphill battle, most people are going to judge you entirely by your record and that's going to make it difficult.

Fr_Chuck · Mar 30, 2008, 08:17 PM

Sorry but having a criminal record is not a protected class and they can discriminate against you for it.

jstrike · Mar 30, 2008, 08:54 PM

It really depends on what state you live in... a quick Google turned up this for Florida:
Pardons for Felonies Committed in Other States
In essence an anti-discrimination law prohibits employers from discriminating against you solely because you have a criminal record. That's just in Florida though.

There is some good federal information on the bottom of the page too.
Contact the attorney general in state you live in. Some are more supportive than others. Don't expect much and above all, don't lie on your job application.

JudyKayTee · Mar 31, 2008, 06:14 AM

Originally Posted by jstrike

No but depending on what the felony is, such as a sex offense, the school may have to be notified. In some cases you might also be eligible for special financial aid if you go to college.

Could you give me a site for the special college financial aid for convicted felons info, particularly sex offenders?

Depending on "your" level in the sex registry if you are not allowed "around" underage people you may not be able to attend college because someone could be under legal age.

JudyKayTee · Mar 31, 2008, 06:16 AM

Originally Posted by mrswain

will a felony stop your education in what you wonna do in the future

You posted this twice -

Anyway, a lot depends on just what you "wonna" do. If you get through College lots of professions are licensed and/or bonded and a felony could present a problem.

jstrike · Mar 31, 2008, 06:37 AM

excon: I guess I should have been more specific as what I was told pertains to minors... I'm not sure if adults would qualify or not. One of the case workers from the DT center where we live told us that minors who are felons are considered "at risk" and qualify for special funding if they decide to go to college. I specifically asked if that pertained to all felons including sex-offenders. She said it did. Wisconsin has some of the toughest sex offender laws in the nation... a la Jeffrey Dalmer.

excon · Mar 31, 2008, 07:37 AM

Hello j:

I just happen to be more cynical than you. I read the link you posted, and I see that you spoke with someone from the DT center...

But, upon further inspection, I see that the link was but ONE lawyer's viewpoint. And, I don't have a great deal of faith in legal advice obtained from bureaucrats.

A common thread from those folks is the stretching of words... The lawyer is trying to change felon into black man, and the bureaucrat is trying to change a child who's a sex offender into a minor at risk.

In the world where I live, most people consider the original word to have more meaning - both legally and practically.

excon

JudyKayTee · Mar 31, 2008, 07:59 AM

Originally Posted by jstrike

excon: I guess I should have been more specific as what I was told pertains to minors...I'm not sure if adults would qualify or not. One of the case workers from the DT center where we live told us that minors who are felons are considered "at risk" and qualify for special funding if they decide to go to college. I specifically asked if that pertained to all felons including sex-offenders. She said it did. Wisconsin has some of the toughest sex offender laws in the nation...a la Jeffrey Dalmer.

I'd ask again - no way can a sex offender (again, depending on the level) enter a College where there are under age students. No way.

I would be interested in where the special funding is coming from.

I looked at the website (quickly, I confess) and there's a lot of talk about pardons which certainly not everyone can get. Other than that it seemed like a little law and a lot of opinion.

Interestingly, if the law passes Iowa will be the toughest sex offender State in the US - including life in prison.

jstrike · Mar 31, 2008, 08:28 AM

This post is starting to get off-topic and leaning towards sex-offense felony rather than a generic felony but...

I didn't ask where the money came from but I would imagine it's a state level program.
There was info on that page in addition to the information on pardoning. One paragraph stated that it's against Florida state law to discriminate against someone solely because of a criminal record. Proving that has got to be next to impossible though.

A sex offender CAN go to college... they may need to get special permission and school officials at the college will probably be notified but part of it depends on the degree of the offense. I'd be curious to see any law that prevents someone from attempting to get an education.

JudyKayTee · Mar 31, 2008, 09:10 AM

Originally Posted by jstrike

This post is starting to get off-topic and leaning towards sex-offense felony rather than a generic felony but...

I didn't ask where the money came from but I would imagine it's a state level program.
There was info on that page in addition to the information on pardoning. One paragraph stated that it's against Florida state law to discriminate against someone solely because of a criminal record. Proving that has got to be next to impossible though.

A sex offender CAN go to college...they may need to get special permission and school officials at the college will probably be notified but part of it depends on the degree of the offense. I'd be curious to see any law that prevents someone from attempting to get an education.

I can only speak for NYS but felons are not a protected "minority" here. In NYS there is no minority class based on free will - you chose to commit a felony, you are not protected.

I thought felons - in general - couldn't vote, lost that right - ? I may very well be wrong.

I find it unreasonable and discriminatory for a class of people (and for purpose of discussion, let's consider felons a class of people) to be eligible for College aid (tuition, books, whatever) solely on the basis of being a felon.

We are in agreement on sex felons going to College - it depends on the level of the offense and whether they can be in proximity to minors. That law does NOT prevent anyone from getting an education - it protects minors from convicted felons.

I obviously am not speaking about in-prison education.

jstrike · Mar 31, 2008, 09:29 AM

They are not a protected minority and you're right, they can't vote. I they may be able to get that right back but I'm not sure.

The aid I spoke of was for felons who were minors at the time of their conviction. I'm also not sure of how much aid they get. Even though I consider myself a conservative I do think a program like that has merit. The more you educate someone the more productive they can be in society and the less likely they are to re-offend.

excon · Mar 31, 2008, 09:36 AM

Hello again, j:

I don't think either of us are saying the program isn't without merit. Indeed, it IS. We're just saying that most conservatives like you, who are running these agencies now, are NOT as empathetic as you.

As a matter of fact, I've found them to be more on the "let's get tougher" side, than on the "let's give 'em break" side.

excon