what kinds of policy recommendations would help ex convicts just getting out of prison for the job market?

[Alex]

Ex convicts are a step behind most people in the society with job training and education, because of being incarcerated for so long. What policy's would help them. I am writing a paper on a crime unit for my college social problems class.

[Sarri]

it won't matter what policy you have, most companies will never hire an ex con, there are so many background checks and qualified non criminals to choose from...

[Ranger4402]

Many inmates have grade school reading levels. They are often hooked on drugs too. Education is needed to qualify for the better jobs out there and drug treatment is needed for inmates who want it.

But it all starts with the inmate. He or she has to want to turn things around. You can't make someone learn to read. You can't make someone kick drugs. If someone has a bad attitude about being a law abiding citizen then why do you think people like that end up in prison? We have prisons for people with such attitudes.

So policy is nice to have and it can work for the people who want help. It all centers around an inmate wanting help. It all starts there.

[trooper]

Teach them to speak french. They can go to the French Foreign Legion.

[george]

Most every prison in the US has vocational training/job training and educational/college training provided to the inmates for free.The main problem is that most inmates dont take advantege of such programs and Many inmates wont even get their GED becasue they dont feel like it..
If a person serving a life sentence (without parole) can spend 4 years getting a college degree that they will never use outside of prison then a person serving 5 years can do the same yet they fail to do so..
Their criminal record is the biggest strike against them as well...
Employers would rather hire a person with no convictions rather than an ex convict with 2 felonies no matter how much education or job training they have.