Would you ever employ someone that has been in prison?

[EternalOptimist]

Well I need to employ a 'minder' type person to guard the property and missus from the local thugs and yobbery. I need someone who is switched on, mean and hard. Someone with no scrupes.

There is no way I would employ an ex-con for that type of work

[MrMark]

To me some of the biggest criminals have not been in prison, but have destroyed millions of lives with their inept handling of the economy.
Don't get me wrong, I've met ex-cons who I wouldn't trust with a ha'penny, but there are plenty who fell by the way-side at a difficult moment in their lives, who deserve a chance to get back into normal society. If they don't get a chance to work again, you may as well give life sentences to people who steal a loaf of bread. Like they did in the old days (or was that a free ticket to Australia - blimey, they showed no mercy then did they?)

[jmo21]

To me some of the biggest criminals have not been in prison, but have destroyed millions of lives with their inept handling of the economy.
Don't get me wrong, I've met ex-cons who I wouldn't trust with a ha'penny, but there are plenty who fell by the way-side at a difficult moment in their lives, who deserve a chance to get back into normal society. If they don't get a chance to work again, you may as well give life sentences to people who steal a loaf of bread. Like they did in the old days (or was that a free ticket to Australia - blimey, they showed no mercy then did they?)

MrMark has a good point, like anything in life, there will be "good" ones and "bad" ones.

Like people have said, they know people who fallen by the wayside for want of a better phrase.

For me, there's is no way to tell the difference, so I wouldn't take the chance.

[wc2]

Depends on the crime.

Driving offence - No Problem.
Assault/Manslaughter - Depends on circumstances.
Sexual Assault - No way
Theft - No way
White collar crime - No way
Murder – No way

I know two people who have been in prison – Both are great people who happene to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. One of which I socialise with now.

[SantaClaus]

We live in a country where you can get a criminal record for travelling in the first class compartment of a train with a standard ticket. You can even get one for putting the wrong rubbish in the wrong bin.

The train episode nearly happened to me and would have wrecked my squeaky clean references that I needed to work in the city. It was nightime and there were rowdy drunks on the train, so I moved to the 1st class carriage. I had a standard ticket at the time. When the ticket inspector arrived, I didint realise that was my one and only chance to pay the fine. If you refuse the fine, its very hard to wiggle out of court proceedings.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I employed a solicitor and bribed the rail company with cash not to take me to court!

So, I think the question should also be, would you employ someone with a criminal record?

[HairyArsedBloke]

The ease with which it is possible to acquire a criminal record under the nuLieBore regime is terrifying. Under them, we are all criminals; just that some of us haven’t been caught yet. Coupled with the ability for almost anyone check these records will lead to it being impossible for any British person being able to get a job.

[minestrone]

The ease with which it is possible to acquire a criminal record under the nuLieBore regime is terrifying. Under them, we are all criminals; just that some of us haven’t been caught yet. Coupled with the ability for almost anyone check these records will lead to it being impossible for any British person being able to get a job.

You can only get someone's record with their permission. Access to any record is very strictly controlled and there are people who just look to see who has been looking at what.

[Churchill]

quid custodiet ipsos custodes?

[minestrone]

quid custodiet ipsos custodes?

A jury

[NotAllThere]

I don't think everyone deserves a second chance, it depends very much on their attitude to it now.

...we are all criminals; just that some of us haven’t been caught yet...

The cleverer, more intelligent criminals indeed have not been caught. ( Some of them are running the country...!) The prisons are full of failed criminals.