Business leaders look to give job seekers a second chance

About 50 thousand people in Santa Cruz County have a criminal record, according to the California Department of Corrections, and when inmates get out, finding a job isn’t easy.

“Here I am, trying to change my life now as far as seeking better employment or whatever it is,” said John Murillo, a former inmate. “And for them to judge me by my past is something that I thought I already paid for.”

Ninety percent of companies do background checks before hiring employees, but at Friday’s “Building Futures” seminar in Aptos, employers were told to give them a second chance.

“We want business owners, hiring managers, to select people who would be qualified loyal employees but not exclude them just based on their criminal record,” said Erin Nelson Serano, workshop coordinator

After a number of turn downs, Murillo now has a job. His boss, said he looked past the tattoos and criminal background.

“It’s just the right thing to do,” said Danny Bewley, owner of Bewley’s Cleaning. “It feels good to do that. We’ve had good success at hiring people with criminal backgrounds and we’ve had a few that had to move on or didn’t work out.”

Murillo and other former inmates shared their stories, knowing they wouldn’t be where they are now if someone didn’t see past their rap sheet.

One panelist said, “If people didn’t open the doors to me and give me the opportunity for a new future I would still be sitting probably on the streets doing what I used to do, but because the jail gave me the chance to start over and to give back to a community, that saved me. That’s what I’m able to do now and I hope you would see me as a full time employee giving back and has so much to give and not who I was three years ago.”

PREVIOUS STORY: Santa Cruz County business leaders met Friday morning to discuss the challenges and rewards of hiring people who have criminal records. According to the Department of Corrections, there are about 50,000 people with records in Santa Cruz County.

KION’s Brandon Castillo attended the workshop and spoke with employers and people who have been given a second chance and successfully re-entered the workforce. Look for the complete story tonight at 6:00.