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The Indianapolis Office of Public Health and Safety is hosting a job and resource fair for all job seekers including individuals with criminal convictions.
The city has partnered with Fastenal, an industrial distributor company, to connect the formerly incarcerated with jobs as they re-enter society. A variety of jobs are currently open, from part-time work for individuals who may be in school, to leadership positions.
Applicants will not be asked about their criminal history, OPHS Deputy Director Carlette Duffy said, which is often a barrier for these applicants to be hired at other workplaces.
“It’s just letting individuals who fear that box that says ‘Do you have a felony conviction?’ It lets them know that’s not something that’s going to be listed, that’s not something that they’re asking,” Duffy said.
There will also be immigration services, expungement resources and a COVID-19 vaccine clinic at the job fair. The job fair is also open to those who do not have a criminal record.
Duffy said it’s important for individuals who have been incarcerated to find jobs to support themselves and their families financially. Having a job can also make the chances of someone reoffending and going back to prison or jail less likely, Duffy added.
“Just having the ability to have that financial security to not only survive, but thrive in the community without reverting to criminal thinking patterns and going back into a life that would lead you back to prison or to jail,” Duffy said.
In addition to finding a job, formerly incarcerated individuals face many other challenges including obtaining housing, Duffy said.
“As we move towards getting more and more employers on board, now we have to work on that housing piece,” Duffy said.
The event is Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Fastenal’s Indianapolis location in the 5800 block of Guion Road.
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