Jobs for Ex-Prisoners

Finding work upon the release of prison is essential for the rehabilitation of a prisoner into society, as employment provides stability, much needed income, and makes the person less likely to return to a life of crime. According to Phil Pierce, career consultant director at Colorado Springs' Pikes Peak Workforce Center, jobs with direct supervision and those that don't require much contact with the public, access to confidential company records or money handling often are a good match for ex-offenders.

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Work Crews

According to Peter Finn, author of the report, "Successful Job Placement For Ex-Offenders" written for the National Institute of Justice, "Work crews provide participants with short-term, low-skilled, minimum wage, day-labor employment." Finn explains that being on a work crew encompasses doing a myriad of low-skilled tasks which don't require extensive training, such as painting or pouring concrete. Work crews give ex-prisoners immediate cash, as they are paid at the end of each day, and these jobs also give ex-offenders a sense of what employers will expect from them. Work crew tasks include preparing walls and trimming surfaces for painting, then painting dormitories, classrooms, group homes and administrative offices. Crews remodel staff offices, tearing down old walls and installing new sections of drywall. They often do exterior work on buildings such as putting together concrete partitions, and concrete flatwork, such as sidewalks and handicapped ramps.

Groundskeeping and Litter Removal

A common job for ex-prisoners is the general upkeep of lawns, gardens, and parks: maintaining nature trails, trimming the overgrowth of plants and bushes and picking up litter. Ex-offenders can paint over graffiti in public areas. Another typical job for ex-prisoners in this category is cleaning up trash along highways and piers. Such jobs require minimum human contact and allow the ex-criminal to have an immediate sense of how they are making a positive impact.

Housekeeping and Food Prep

Housekeeping at hotels and motels is another common job for ex-criminals and is more suitable for someone who likes working independently and can meet deadlines. This job would require that the ex-offender be trustworthy around personal property. Food preparation is appropriate for an ex-prisoner who can work quickly and efficiently, and who perhaps might want a creative outlet that the culinary arts sometimes provide. This job might not be suitable for someone charged with a violent crime, as food preparation often involves the use of knives.