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.

After costly criminal checks, schools can get valuable info from Web

MySA.com: Metro | State: "The Madison High School teacher accused of sexual misconduct with a student passed a criminal background check.

The Wilderness Oak Elementary employee accused of inappropriately touching a student passed a criminal check.

Collectively, San Antonio's three largest school districts spend more than $250,000 each year searching criminal databases. And each year scandals explode, revealing the limits of the screening system.

Job applicants may have no criminal history. But that doesn't mean they pose no risk.

Very often, school districts miss warning signs seen by hundreds and available to millions. Those warning signs are posted in cyberspace.

Don't believe me? Check out the postings of future educators on Facebook.com and MySpace.com."

Sex offenders are slipping easily through the school safety nets

MySA.com: Metro | State: "Rape. Inappropriate touching. Indecent exposure. Sexual misconduct.

These were the stories percolating on four San Antonio school campuses from mid-December through last week.

And then came news that broke Tuesday: A student at Madison High School alleged she had a sexual relationship with a female teacher.

'We're in shock,' says Northeast Independent School District spokeswoman Laura Calderon.

The allegation at Madison follows others at Wilderness Oak Elementary, Rhodes Middle School, De Zavala Elementary and Clark High School.

No one has been arrested in any incident, but a teacher at Clark is dead. Tommy Ford took his life in late December after a student accused him of sexual misconduct.

The Northside Independent School District investigated and substantiated the student's claim."

Youth coaching rules to change

Hillsborough: Youth coaching rules to change: "Armand Cotnoir spent more than a year in federal prison but was still allowed to coach a youth football team in Plant City.

Lee Arthur Chavis failed a county background check, which showed more than a half dozen arrests - including one accusing him of aggravated battery on a pregnant woman. But he asked for a second chance to coach football and got it.

Two months later, Chavis was back in jail, accused of having a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl.

Hillsborough County officials couldn't say for sure how many more volunteers with criminal pasts took the field after showing remorse and pleading their cases to a volunteer appeals board."

Background screens now required

Background screens now required - NEWS: "Students majoring in education at Ball State University are required to submit a criminal background check before teaching at Burris Laboratory School.

Marilyn Deweese, instructor of elementary education, said Burris officials began requiring the background checks in Spring 2007 to protect the children in the school.

'We have to do everything to protect the safety of our students,' she said.

More and more schools in Indiana are requiring teachers to submit a background check, which includes criminal history, arrest record and any sex offender charges, she said.

No students have complained about having to submit the background checks, Deweese said.

'Everyone agrees it's a good thing,' she said. 'Anything you can do to protect the children is a wise thing.'"

Background check lapse shuts Ohio schools

Background check lapse shuts Ohio schools | Chicago Tribune: "Schools in Columbus canceled classes for 56,000 students Thursday after a contractor responsible for some school bus routes discovered it had not done complete criminal background checks on drivers.

First Student Inc. had not submitted any of its bus drivers' information to the state for checks since August 2004, said Jennifer Brindisi, spokeswoman for Atty. Gen. Marc Dann."

A Closer Look At Bus Driver Background Checks

Investigation News - A Closer Look At Bus Driver Background Checks - PInow.com Investigator Directory: "There are 20,000 school bus drivers in the state of Ohio and 15,000 of them work for the public school districts. The other 5,000 are hired by private contractors.

How much do the districts really know about the drivers they don’t hire themselves?

10 Investigates learned a school bus driver police say they caught with cocaine drove a private school bus for 20 years. Is it possible there were no red flags?

First Student Inc., a private bus company, hired Lawrence Battle to drive Columbus children to charter and private schools. The Columbus School District says it’s up to the company to make sure Battle passed a background check."

Background checks won't stop airborne terrorists

MercuryNews.com | 01/24/2007 | Background checks won't stop airborne terrorists: "Clear has arrived at Mineta San Jose International Airport. Run by Verified Identity Pass, it's one of several airport ``trusted traveler'' programs being tried around the country. Fill out an application, let the company capture your fingerprints and iris pattern, and present two forms of ID. If you pass the Transportation Safety Administration's background check, you'll get a card that will get you through airport security more quickly.

Sounds great, but it's actually two ideas rolled into one: one clever and one very stupid."

School volunteers don't have to pay for background checks

School volunteers don't have to pay for background checks : School-City : Albuquerque Tribune: "School volunteers don't have to pay for their background checks under a memorandum of agreement between the city and the school district.

The city has budgeted $100,000 to cover the $34 background check, including fingerprinting. About 2,000 volunteers in Albuquerque Public Schools last year had to pay for their own background checks, although some volunteer programs, including Albuquerque Reads, picked up the tab.

Background checks are required of all volunteers who have unsupervised contact with a child."

Online Criminal Background Checks-Importance & Ease

Online Criminal Background Checks-Importance & Ease: "In today's world of lawsuits and identity theft, it is important to check the criminal background of other people and even yourself to help ensure you do not become a victim of crime or fraud. Individuals and organizations need to carefully check out any potential employees or service providers admitted into the home before they make commitments. For example, contractors, plumbers, live-in care providers, nannies, even physicians or surgeons should pass online background checks before they are hired. Make sure you are making a sound investment by doing a criminal background check first. "

Stenehjem announces background check legislation

AP Wire | 01/15/2007 | Stenehjem announces background check legislation: "A Barnes County jailer who is accused of murder and sexually abusing female inmates has prompted state officials to support criminal background checks for security guards, health care workers and other employees in sensitive jobs.

'Obviously, it's long overdue,' said Sen. Larry Robinson, D-Valley City, who called the proposed legislation 'aggressive and comprehensive.'

Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem and legislators who are sponsoring the bill - Robinson and Reps. Phillip Mueller, D-Valley City, and Kim Koppelman, R-West Fargo - held a news conference Monday to discuss the proposal.

They said it was prompted by the case of Moe Gibbs, a former Barnes County jailer who is facing a murder charge in the Sept. 13 death of Valley City State University student Mindy Morgenstern. At the news conference, Robinson wore a button with Morgenstern's photo on it.

Gibbs also is charged with sexually abusing female inmates while they slept at the jail. He has pleaded not guilty.

Gibbs had a criminal history before he worked as a jailer, and Stenehjem said present state law does not require criminal background checks for people who apply to be corrections officers."

Stricter background checks for care providers in Alaska

KTVA - Stricter background checks for care providers in Alaska: "Alaska's kids and elderly could be safer with their care providers, thanks to new fingerprinting and criminal background checks for those who work with them. The new background check regulations are set to go into effect next month. But already, increased scrutiny for daycare workers and elderly health care providers has revealed over a third of those who want to work with kids and the disabled have been involved in some sort of criminal activity.

The increased scrutiny has revealed: one murderer, 13 with felonies, five with crimes against children and eight with sexually-based offenses. Those are the people who wanted to care for our kids and elderly, but were weeded out, thanks to the new background checks."