Las Vegas NowJob Fair Held for Ex-Offenders

Job Fair Held for Ex-Offenders

Many employers are not willing to take a risk by hiring an ex-felon, but some companies have gone out on that limb and learned there can be some great benefits.

Ex-offenders know they have to prove themselves on the job, and that means having to work even harder than the next guy. But they say a lot of employers aren't willing to look past that checkmark on the application:

If given the opportunity to interview face to face, James Lewis knows how to sell himself, "I looking for a long-term opportunity - a chance to be a team player and to grow with the company."

Lewis says his work ethic has always been his greatest strength, but then came a three-year stint in prison for grand larceny. Now, a month after his release, Lewis is one of more than 500 job-seekers who came to an ex-offender job fair, looking for the opportunity to prove himself again.

"Everybody deserves a second chance," said coordinator Bradford Glover.

The first of its kind job fair in southern Nevada was co-sponsored by a dozen community and government agencies committed to helping ex-felons like Lewis reconnect successfully with society after being cut-off for several years.

"Give this individual a chance. Let them come talk to you. Don't just assume he's a bad seed and throw away his resume or application," said Glover.

The CFO of a local temp agency, Manpower, says he went out on a limb and hired an ex-felon years ago and it changed his whole mindset about ex-offenders.

"Of all the workers I had, he was the most honest and the most motivated," said Tom Haynie.

Unfortunately, there were far more potential employees than employers at the event, so Haynie encourages the owners of other companies to take the same chance he did.

"These men and women with felony convictions who are going through this program are so serious and so motivated that a company really needs to look at them, because you're gonna find some really good employees," he said.

And in the case of James Lewis, he's not out to be just a good employee, "I'm gonna try to be the best."

There are some benefits to hiring ex-offenders. Companies are given a $2,000 tax credit for each ex-felon hired, and many of these ex-offenders are under the supervision of a parole or probation officer and must check in on a regular basis and even undergo urinalyses to check if they are using drugs.

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