Parolees find some employers give them a chance

Recordnet.com: Parolees find some employers give them a chance: "Job searching is always a gamble. You invest effort pursuing employers, meanwhile your pockets might shrink. Add to that a past criminal record and your odds decrease. Odds are your work prospects will also be less appealing.

Just ask Boyde Gay, 45, of Stockton. He said he works a total of 72 hours a week at two jobs, owns two cars and has a credit score of 736. But life wasn't always good, he said.

At age 20, Gay was convicted for burglarizing someone's home. After being released from prison a year later, he wanted to change his ways. He began searching for a job. His options were limited: seasonal work, then back to the unemployment line.

"I applied everywhere, but no one would hire me," said Gay.

Even today, finding a decent apartment to rent, when you can't pass a criminal background check, is even tougher, Gay said.