TAMPA, Fla. — Florida legislators are proposing a bill that would mirror one passed last month by Congress.
The Florida First Step Act is a criminal justice reform bill that will focus on creating incentives for education, focusing prison resources on dangerous offenders as opposed to low risk and creating more job opportunities for those just released from prison.
It goes right along with a new program encouraging employers nationwide to hire people with criminal backgrounds. It's called the "Getting Talent Back to Work project."
Imagine committing a crime, completing a sentence and wanting to start fresh. In many cases, it's hard to do because of the difficulty of finding a job with a criminal background.
The Society for Human Resource Management recognized that a huge portion of good, qualified workers were being left out of the job pool and they wanted to do something to change that.
According to their research last year, 82 percent of managers believe that the quality of work for those with criminal records is about the same or better than those without criminal backgrounds.
SHRM says this leads to three benefits for employers:
1. Getting qualified candidates from a truly diverse pool.
2. The value of giving people a second chance at employment.
3. The opportunity to improve the community around them.
SHRM spokesperson Johnny Taylor says giving people with criminal backgrounds a job can make the entire Tampa Bay community better.
"We can bring them into society to earn a fair living, taxpaying and productive citizens," Taylor said. "The community is safer and better if these people can earn a living honestly. "
Already, large companies like IBM and Walmart have taken the pledge to change the way they consider job candidates by changing their recruiting practices to include people with criminal backgrounds.
Taylor also notes that several studies show the former criminals who get back to work quickly have much less of a chance of re-committing crimes.
Many who are on parole or probation still have to report to authorities, which helps give the employer more peace of mind.
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