JLUSA Senior Movement and Capacity Building Specialist Lester Young testified on March 2 at the State House in Columbia, SC, in support of South Carolina’s Workforce Opportunity Act, which would prohibit the state and its agencies from asking about a person’s criminal history or record when they are applying for a job until they have gotten an interview or a conditional job offer.
Speaking with WIS News 10, he says, “It was kind of discouraging to walk out of prison and ready to go to work and start your life over, and people are telling you you are not good enough to work for them. It was not that you couldn’t do the job but because you had a felony conviction.”
Lawmakers’ consideration of the bill comes as more than 100,000 jobs across South Carolina remain unfilled. Supporters argue this could help fill open jobs, as state agencies, like so many other employers in South Carolina, are having trouble finding workers.
“You’ve got a pool of men and women who are out there unemployed that need a job,” says Young. “How do you solve that problem? It’s start hiring those with felony convictions.”
In our 10th anniversary year, JustLeadershipUSA’s work of educating, elevating, and empowering justice-impacted leaders continues and is growing even stronger!
This is going to be a very special time to look back on the past decade of JLUSA’s important work, the 1,600+ leaders we have helped get to the next level in their work, and even more importantly, we will look ahead to the next 10 years and beyond!
We can’t do this without you. We need your support to help us continue to do this work now and into the future. By making a donation in honor of JLUSA’s 10th anniversary year, you are saying to the amazing leaders in our network who represent the 70+ million Americans who have been directly impacted by the criminal legal system, “I see you, and I support you!”
Please give a one-time $100 gift or set up a recurring $10 monthly donation to celebrate JLUSA’s 10th anniversary year, and together we will build a fair and just U.S. Thank you!
Mail that includes checks only:
JUSTLEADERSHIPUSA, INC
P.O. Box 23681
New York, NY 10087-3681
All other mail:
P.O. Box 1730, New York, NY 10037
347.454.2195
© 2024 JustLeadershipUSA. All Rights Reserved.
JustLeadershipUSA is a non-partisan organization. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed belong solely to the individual author or speaker, and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the organization.
