<h3>What other ‘unintended’ consequences do convicted felons experience?</h3>

• Convicted felons experience confusion about what restrictions are placed on them and may be ignorant of laws intended to restrict and/ or restore their civil liberties. For example, convicted felons are allowed to vote in Ohio following release from incarceration, but may be unaware of their rights.
• Persons convicted of felonies experience restricted access to educational programming. They may be denied Federal Pell Grants/ access to degree programs or entrance to university because of a prior conviction. Job training opportunities may be limited or non-existent.
• Convicted felons experience housing discrimination. Many landlords now require background checks as part of the application process.
• Felony conviction affects the earning power of an individual. It is one of the biggest and most lasting consequences a convicted person will endure. Lack of employment options forces individuals to rely on Ohio’s welfare system as they struggle to support themselves and their families on transitional employment and less than adequate wages. This wage gap is placed not only on the felon but on the felon’s children who experience reduced earning power due to the reduced earning power of their parents.

The fact that Ohio keeps track of arrest and conviction in the form of a ‘criminal record’ may be evidence of the fact that the law intended the record to be used to protect the community from future offenses. However, the most glaring unintended consequence is the stigma and discrimination felons experience in the job market for their entire lives as a by-product related to the conviction. The law most certainly did not intend for these people to be discriminated against by the same community with which they are supposed to be reintegrated once the offender has been rehabilitated. The number of job descriptions explicitly asking for ‘no felony’ records and the data on felony hiring practices suggests

“Many employers seem to use the information as a screening mechanism, without attempting to probe deeper into the possible context or complexities of the situation. As we can see here, in 50% of cases, employers were unwilling to consider equally qualified applicants on the basis of their criminal record.” (Pager p.956)

How can those convicted of felonies in Ohio integrate themselves into society when society is taught to shun them? Few people want to acknowledge that by helping this undesirable segment of the population, they are helping themselves, as well as the community in which they live. Convicted felons who earn a competitive wage can then funnel their earnings back into the local economy and should be given the chance to unburden themselves from dependency on the public welfare system.