Philadelphia to give Tax Credits to Businesses that Hire Ex-Cons

**Flag Guy** · 05-27-2008, 03:50 PM

Hire an ex-con in Philly, get a tax break - CNN.com

Interesting idea... it is sad right now that most people that go to prison return there due to the difficulties of re-integrating into society (finding a steady job being a key to that...) it certainly won't fix all of the problems but hey if it helps... it'd certainly be worth other cities/states adapting it.

**HILLCYD** · 05-27-2008, 03:52 PM

Iowa City HAS to be thinking about this.

**CycloneErik** · 05-27-2008, 03:54 PM

Originally Posted by cys_av8r

Iowa City HAS to be thinking about this.

I don't know. Are there EX-cons in Iowa City?

**CarolinaCy** · 05-27-2008, 03:55 PM

Originally Posted by CycloneErik

I don't know. Are there EX-cons in Iowa City?

I think there are plenty of cons-in-the-making in Iowa City.

**cybsball20** · 05-27-2008, 03:57 PM

I have a friend that had to do a year in prison based on a bar fight he didn't start, the guy hit his head on the bar and was severely injured. Despite being a good guy, having a finance degree, and even working for the state while in prison he can't get any kind of decent job. I think it sounds like a good plan as long as they don't go out looking to hire ex cons...

**cloneu** · 05-27-2008, 03:59 PM

Originally Posted by Flag Guy

Hire an ex-con in Philly, get a tax break - CNN.com

Interesting idea... it is sad right now that most people that go to prison return there due to the difficulties of re-integrating into society (finding a steady job being a key to that...) it certainly won't fix all of the problems but hey if it helps... it'd certainly be worth other cities/states adapting it.

Is this why you moved out east?

**Flag Guy** · 05-27-2008, 04:36 PM

They never proved anything...

**Flag Guy** · 05-27-2008, 04:37 PM

Actually though I work for the government. The nature of my job is such that right now, merely being accused of something like a DUI would cost me my job so... I fee alright about my record

**d4nim4l** · 05-27-2008, 04:50 PM

This is not at all uncommon on the Federal and State level. Tax credits for hiring ex-cons have been around for years.

That said, I like to see an individual city taking it upon themselves to give credits. I think that will have a much larger impact. Especially in areas like Philadelphia.

**Knownothing** · 05-27-2008, 05:04 PM

You should get a tax credit because if your an ex con. Most likely you are going to be stealing from the company you are going to. Thus the company will break about even.

How about tax breaks for people who do things the right way. How bout that. How about instead of rewarding criminals and people who hire criminals because they get a tax break. How about they reward good guys who hire hard working family men and women who work there butts off so they don't commit crimes. How bout those companies get a break.

**CYKOFAN** · 05-27-2008, 05:27 PM

I wonder how many of the good guys you talk about (and their bosses) have driven drunk more than a few times in their lives and could have ended up in prison had they been caught. I imagine most of us on here, including myself, fit in that category. I try to remember how lucky I've been before I trash convicts or the people that hire them.

**Flag Guy** · 05-27-2008, 09:59 PM

Along that note, there are plenty of people who make a stupid mistake in life, pay for it (prison sentance, their "debt to society") then continue to pay for it once they're out of prison because no one will hire them, which lends itself to putting them back in prison.

No it's not as black and white as that, but you would be hard pressed to argue that you aren't perpetuating the system by discriminating against all ex-criminals. Obviously some will be higher risk than others.... but you're amplifying the risks by not giving them a chance.

Besides, the $10,000 tax credit is cheaper than the $30,000 it cost to keep them in prison

**Phaedrus** · 05-28-2008, 12:49 AM

Originally Posted by Flag Guy

Along that note, there are plenty of people who make a stupid mistake in life, pay for it (prison sentance, their "debt to society") then continue to pay for it once they're out of prison because no one will hire them, which lends itself to putting them back in prison.

No it's not as black and white as that, but you would be hard pressed to argue that you aren't perpetuating the system by discriminating against all ex-criminals. Obviously some will be higher risk than others.... but you're amplifying the risks by not giving them a chance.

Besides, the $10,000 tax credit is cheaper than the $30,000 it cost to keep them in prison

Most criminals don't have a problem getting a job, but most of them also lie about not being able to get a job, as a justification for doing crime, which they mainly do because it's what they like.

The economic model for crime is just as corrupt as the medical model for crime. It sounds good until you get into the numbers and determine that the numbers are skewed by being self-reported by the criminals to researchers who are already looking for data that support their economic or medical models.

**CycloneErik** · 05-28-2008, 07:37 AM

Originally Posted by Phaedrus

Most criminals don't have a problem getting a job, but most of them also lie about not being able to get a job, as a justification for doing crime, which they mainly do because it's what they like.

The economic model for crime is just as corrupt as the medical model for crime. It sounds good until you get into the numbers and determine that the numbers are skewed by being self-reported by the criminals to researchers who are already looking for data that support their economic or medical models.

So you're saying that people with an agenda reporting data to people with an agenda (often the same agenda) leads to skewed reporting? Who could imagine?

Criminals and such tend to be pretty good at figuring out what people want to hear. These surveys aren't always difficult to figure out.
With all that said, I'm a big fan of making the point that the prison sentence is your debt to soceity, and once served, is finished. I think that was the whole purpose.
Question (and this doesn't apply to me): Does this count for sex offenders, too? Where do they fit in (besides, of course, prison)?

**Flag Guy** · 05-28-2008, 08:01 AM

Problem with sex offenders is it's currently a black and white policy in a lot of communities, and sex offenses are not all black and white. There is certainly a difference between a couple of kids under the legal consenting age (or one a little over and one a little under), vs someone who is a serial raper or molester, adult sexual crimes vs sexual crimes against children. It's like saying the guy that stole a candy bar from the store on the corner is the same as someone who commits armed robbery of a bank

I am not a fan of all of the laws that ban all sex offenders from so close to schools, parks, etc (aka anywhere in the city). Not all sex crimes are child related, and the people that are likely to repeat those crimes probally wouldn't have a problem walking/driving 2000 yards to go prey on a child.

It's a hard line to walk here... I think your debt to society is paid when you leave prison or are done with parole, but there are certainly people at high risk for re-offending... maybe that could factor into the sentance but... something needs to change