Parolees find some employers give them a chance

By Jennie Rodriguez
February 04, 2007
Record Staff Writer

STOCKTON -- Job searching is always a gamble. You invest effort pursuing employers, meanwhile your pockets might shrink. Add to that a past criminal record and your odds decrease. Odds are your work prospects will also be less appealing.

Just ask Boyde Gay, 45, of Stockton. He said he works a total of 72 hours a week at two jobs, owns two cars and has a credit score of 736. But life wasn't always good, he said.

At age 20, Gay was convicted for burglarizing someone's home. After being released from prison a year later, he wanted to change his ways. He began searching for a job. His options were limited: seasonal work, then back to the unemployment line.

"I applied everywhere, but no one would hire me," said Gay.

Even today, finding a decent apartment to rent, when you can't pass a criminal background check, is even tougher, Gay said.

"I have good credit. But 'til this day, 25 years later, it (his record) still haunts me," said Gay.

Gay is one from only a handful of convicted felons, who turn their lives around.

Only about 35 percent of parolees change their criminal behavior, said Derrick Martin, coordinator of the parole and community team with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. About 200 state prison parolees are released in San Joaquin County every month, according the department.

San Joaquin County WorkNet wants to help keep parolees from going back, said Mary Castellanos, customer management division supervisor at WorkNet.

WorkNet works with San Joaquin County Probation and the state and federal prison parole systems, to match parolees and those on probation with willing employers.

Most end up in manual labor jobs, said Castellanos. But it all depends on the employer's background restrictions. For example, an embezzler probably can't work with money, but can do something else.

Paul Canepa has been employing parolees at Canepa's Car Wash in Stockton for more than 17 years, he said.

"I always gave them a chance, if they are willing to work," said Canepa, who is also a Lincoln Unified School District Trustee.

"Our turnover is not high. Most of my guys stick around." Besides, "with parolees, they're already drug tested." Canepa, who is also one of Gay's employer, admits to having one altercation with an employee in 17 years.

WorkNet cannot discriminate against people with a record of crime. But some companies will not consider the candidates and "that's okay too," said Castellanos.

"It's a trust factor. Many employers believe that if they did it before, they will do wrong again," said Allet Williams, customer management division manager at WorkNet.

That is something Michael Zapata, 46, has found true. Zapata, of Stockton, is scheduled to graduate from the state parole office's Substance Abuse Treatment and Recovery Program, after a few run-ins with the law.

"I ruined my career as a computer operator. About 99 percent of the places I apply to, do background checks," said Zapata. His applications don't lead to interviews.

"What I loved to do is gone."

By law, employers may only check for things that are job related.

San Joaquin County Office of Education does background checks on both volunteers and employees, through the Department of Justice and the FBI system.

"We don't necessarily disregard someone's application based on having a conviction history. It all depends on the position. But, if they don't disclose it, they're automatically no longer capable of applying to the county office. And some offenses, we do automatically discredit," said Jacqueline Montelongo, spokeswoman for County Office of Education.

"We do it for the safety of our organization and for the kids we work with," said Montelongo.

Williams said nondisclosure on an application is never recommended. It's often the reason for termination, rather than the criminal record itself.

WorkNet teaches job seekers how to properly disclose information.

WorkNet's job developers partner with employers on providing background checks. The organization teaches parolees how to prepare a resume, how to interview for a job, how to dress and how to retain a job. Parolees have to be deemed "qualified" by their agents, which means they are drug-free and have completed required programs.

Contact reporter Jennie Rodriguez at (209) 943-8548 or jrodriguez@recordnet.com.
2005 parole statistics

• More than 4.9 million adult men and women were under federal, state or local probation or parole jurisdiction nationwide.

• Among those on probation, 50 percent had been convicted of felony charges; 49 percent for misdemeanor and 1 percent for other infractions.

• 94 percent had been sentenced to incarceration of more than one year.

• Women made up 23 percent of the nation's probationers and 12 percent of parolees.

• 55 percent of the adults on probation were white; 30 percent black; 13 percent Hispanic.

• 41 percent of parolees were white; 40 percent black and 18 were Hispanic.

Source: U.S. Department of Justice