Later this month, EloquentSpace Blog (a.k.a. Me, Daniel Kelly) and a friend of mine named Kris will be doing an exclusive interview with one of Chicago’s most unique and somewhat controversial business’ owner – Jim Andrews of Felony Franks. Felony Franks was opened recently, it’s a hot dog stand with a great theme and an even better cause – giving felons a shot at a job.
Felony Franks has been in the news several times over the course of this year, and a few people don’t like what Jim is doing because they think it “glorifies crime.” I, like most people completely disagree with that idea. I think Felony Franks is a great idea, and Mr. Andrews hit the nail on the head when he decided to hire convicted felons. In the United States, once you’re convicted of a felony you’re branded for life. You will have a very difficult time finding a job, and those who do are in many cases taken advantage of which is just not right. Whether you’re a felon or not you’re still a human being and you deserve a second chance. There are a lot of laws that need to be changed, and we’re going to expose them in the interview and it’s accompanying post.
A good case in point is a [true] story that Jim told me on the phone when we last spoke. I don’t remember all of the details, so I’ll paraphrase: There was a man driving down the highway, traveling somewhere. His destination is irrelevant, but it is noteworthy that he was an upstanding citizen. As he was driving he had to urinate, but could not find a place to stop. I’m not sure if he had a medical condition or not, but some people do – some people HAVE to go within minutes of the sensation. The man found an establishment on the side of the road and pulled over. It was not open, so he walked around to a place where he would be out of sight and relieved himself. That was that, and he got back in his car and took off. Some time later, he was arrested; the establishment that he had stopped at had a security camera which recorded his act as well as his license plates.
The story is an outrage! I can’t count on two hands how many times I’ve done the same thing myself. Sometimes you just have to go! I also heard a story of an undergrad student who was studying to become a teacher, his lifelong dream. He was out partying one night and did the same thing and was caught by the campus police. He was convicted of indecent exposure and cannot get a job teaching because those who commit “sex crimes” can’t be around children. I don’t think child molesters should ever be allowed to teach or be anywhere near children, but this was a guy with a great upbringing, good grades, and a passion for teaching.
We need your help in the form of questions. What would you like to ask Mr. Andrews, the owner of Felony Franks and a paper company who only hires convicted felons? Any questions are fair game, though we may not be able to get to all of them in the interview. Please leave the questions in the form of comments on this post – you’ll be helping out a lot!
You can also help by stopping by the Felony Franks website, and by dropping in to grab a bite to eat. Business is tough for everyone right now, and there’s less disposable income so why not put your dollars towards a good cause?
I thank you ahead of time for any comments, questions and support you give. It takes a lot of people to make a change.
Awesome idea! It’s great that you’re taking some action, I’m sure he’s happy to get as much publicity as he can even in the “blogosphere.”
Here’s a couple of questions:
1: How have his (felon) employees been? Have there ever been any incidents?
2: What is the turnover rate at his companies?
3: What got him involved in this particular cause?
4: How is business doing in general? (Busy/slow/breaking even?)
5: Is he active in any other areas of helping felons?
I might have more later…
How does he select workers? Does he go with his gut on how the interview went? I’m sure some of their resumes do show consistencies about how they work when things are going well, but what about for the people who don’t have anything to back them up except their own word.
Ask him what laws he thinks need to be changed and what the real meaning of “equal opportunity employer means” maybe also a little bit about how other companies do their hiring and how over populated the prison system is.
I dont think felons should be hired ever and I don’t wnat to eat food made from them. They must pay for what they have done, and its just too bad for them. Dont want a lousy job, dont be a criminal and work hard always. Good for him if he watnts to hire, his choice not mine.
It’s great to see that there are people out there that recognize that this is a problem.
I would ask him what people can do to get jobs if they are a felon, how he knows which ones are ok to hire and which ones are not, what do most felons do to find work… do they give up? Also, is the problem with being a felon for your whole life making people commit more crimes?
And most of all, what can people do to help? What can business owners do to help?
Do you think incarceration changes the way someone thinks or the person makes that decision?
Do you think anyone who get out of prison and go to college and graduate should get their record expunge?
Do people treat felons as terrorist?
Do going to prison really help people or hurt them?
What do you think about the army not accepting felons? Especially those who have a college degree?
Is their any hope for felons that want to have more in life?
What do you think about certain felons who cannot get their record expunge because of state laws?
I saw him on the news, seems like a nice guy. I hope that sales are good and things are working out alright. I don’t really have any questions except what can normal everyday people do to help?
Hey what’s up guys? Allow me to join the discussion.
First: I am a convicted felon in Illinois. I spent several years in shawnee for grand theft auto. What happened was that I was at a party and a girl let me borrow her car – I lied to her about what I was doing, but I told her it would take a few hours. I was going to buy drugs. To make a long story shorter, i passed out in her car and woke up in cicero (near chicago) after noon on the next day. By that time, she had called the cops and even though I went to return the car I was busted for car theft, drugs, resisting arrest and a whole bunch of other nitpicky things. I’m a good kid though and I’m from Barrington IL. I can’t get it off my record, and it’s impossible for me to do anything except pretty much work at McDonalds – i don’t want to work in fast food. I’ve been recovered for two years (im 27) and going to school for HVAC. I plan on starting my own company but I am very worried about the future, I know i need help and that this isn’t fair but I’m still greatful. I am lucky to have good parents and a good up bringing, but i was lost for many years. I was picked on as a kid and had a tough time in shcool. I think thats why i became so involved with drugs and a bad crowd. Every day i think about what my life should be like if I would have made better decsisions. I have a lot of regrets since I am almost 30 and Im a smart kid but in such bad shape. I’m glad i found your site… i was actually just searching different things about felons and getting jobs.
Any how if you interview him you should ask him what people can do to move up. Can people in his company move up? Does he have any really bright ones, or cases of people moving up in their careers? That would make my day if he had a story about that.
Thank You For The Post.
Richard
PS I have been to interviews where people laughed at me or lectured me or just gave me a look like I am scum. I hate being a felon, i feel like im trapped in the wrong body or somthing. Job interviews are the worst part about it.
Thanks Richard. Thanks to everyone else who has commented so far as well.
New one from Yahoo Answers:
“How do you decide which ex-cons to hire? Are there some that are just too bad? Does a friend have to vouch for them?”
By Vampires are not real
* 2 hours ago
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20091004125354AAUubng
Posted an inquiry on Craigslist as well:
http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/vnn/1406176890.html
Another anonymous one came in via one of my colleagues:
“I would ask him if he pays him employees the same as he would for non-felons… the point being is whether he is interested in giving them a chance at employment and working their way back into society, or taking advantage of their status, and potentially getting some really smart people working for peanuts. With really smart people, there can often be a very thin line between what is considered acceptable (savvy and clever politicians) and unacceptable (clever criminals who eventually get caught.)”
One of the best decisions I made in my last job was to hire a “felon” – when contacting an employment service, they asked me if I would consider meeting with someone with a record. The person had a drug conviction, but then got sole custody of his baby boy and completely straightened out his act. He worked for me for about five years and was the most dedicated and hard-working employee I ever had! Too bad that the label will stick with him forever… On the other hand, many years ago I worked in a County jail where one of the repeat female inmates was an embezzler and forger (and kept getting into the work program in jobs as a Bookkeeper!). I, personally, would not consider someone with that kind of felony record to work in a business I owned. I wonder if Felony Frank only considers non-violent felons or those who have commited victimless crimes.
What made him take up this cause as opposed to so many other causes?
What is his background?
What is his education like?
What laws need to be changed?
How do you decide which felons deserve a break, and which ones do not?
How long has his other company been in business and how many employees does he have?
What kinds of people and organizations are against him?
How are the personalities of the people who work for him?
Has he made good friendships with any of the employees?
Hope that helps. I’ll let you know if I think of more.
Is Jim Andrews a felon? Are any of his family members felons?
How can people be sure that the food is safe… that the felons he hires don’t do anything to it?
How many females does he hire?
What’s the demographic breakdown of his employees, and how many total does he have?
Have there ever been any altercations between his employees? Any good stories?
Hello iam a convicted felon here in florida who has been everywhere and is also on probation and i can’t find a job to seriously save my freedom i’m in lakeland florida and there is nothing for a felon company’s want background checks like im still doing wrong all i want is a chance to prove myself that i have change which i have i’ve made mistakes but who is perfect in this world the rich get richer and the one’s with no money or help suffer i’m trying to hold on but pressure bust’s pipes help me please. Sincerly marcus
Marcus,
I won’t ask what exactly it is that you did, but I can give you this piece of advice: Make it your full time job to look for a job. Apply for hundreds of positions, and keep track of them so you can call back later. Most people aren’t going to be willing to give you a chance, but the probability becomes high that you’ll run into someone who understands if you just get out there and put out as many leads as possible. You can and will get a job! This is a big problem in this country, and even if you’ve lost the right to vote you can still help to make a change. You explaining your problem to others will help raise awareness. Don’t lose hope, just give it all you’ve got – it’s a rough economy as well so it’ll be harder than normal but right now there’s some hiring manager looking for someone just like you – you just have to find him/her.
-Dan
Hey everyone! Daniel, it is good to see that you are doing an interview with him! I cannot wait to see it when it comes out, I have a feeling that as long as everything else goes to plan this could be the best exposure yet. The news rarely does justice to a story because of time or length constraints, but allowing the story to unfold on it’s own always does and it looks like that is what you plan to do. I hope you and Jim get a lot of coverage and I just wanted to say I believe in what you are doing!
Also, make sure to check out this recent article on the Wall Street Journal about Felony Franks – it says a lot that it made it that far. Sky is the limit – here is the article: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125538779820481255.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLENexttoWhatsNewsThird#articleTabs%3Darticle
God bless, Jim. I also am a felon, first and only arrest was a drug possession charge when I was 20 (39 now) and am still judged negatively and usually rejected by most people, even with a four year degree. I also am curious what Jim’s experience with regular employer issues, such as turnover, absenteeism, etc. compared to other workers he’s worked with. And does he think he may ever branch into other types of businesses with the same hiring standards?
Wow this is great to see. I am currently unemployed after a very successful 5 years as a senior account executive for a small, privately held business. I worked for a 3PL arranging supply chain, distribution, and U.S Customs services. I was convicted in 2000 and released on parole in 2001 (I was 21 years old, now 31). Since my release I went back and finished my bachelor’s degree in business/finance at a prestigious school. Immediately following graduation, I had a job through some networking that lasted over 5 years. Unfortunately for me, the global economic swoon forced my company (almost) under and they let many people go, myself included.
After many interviews and several job offers, my background check disqualifies me each and every time. It is a drug conviction (sale) and I find it ridiculous that a mistake by a college student will hang indefinitely over my head. My resume’ is strong (”impressive” as I’m told”) but it does not matter. The system here in NY is set up so that I can never have a career outside of medial work (cashier, stocking, driving, etc.) I would never consider another illegal act as long as I live, but I can see why the relapse rate is so high.
Question: Is there anything out there for people in my position? Did I waste 100k on college? As frustration mounts, I get closer and closer to devaluing myself and accepting a $10-$20/hour job. This would mean that everything I have accumulated in the last 6 or 7 years would be for nothing. My home, my car, my truck, my boat, my pride, and my self-esteem. I feel I have come so far and against all odds to still lose in the end.
I can’t say I know how you feel because I’m not a felon, but I do feel for you and I have friends in your position. The only thing I would say is create your own full time sales job: selling yourself to thousands of people. Eventually, you’ll run into someone who does understand that you’re getting screwed over for no reason. There are good people out there who are aware of this, and a lot more who want to take advantage of you because they have no soul. Also, I assume you have a business degree of sorts, so perhaps you could start something up. I know that’s not an option for everyone but based on your writing skills you seem like a fairly intelligent person and you’re probably a lot more capable of it than you think.
You’re not going to lose in the end though unless you say you are. Even if you did lose everything, as hard as it would be you could put it back together again and more. I think your mistake was investing in all those things and not a business first, but don’t take that as an insult. Odds are your first few businesses will fail miserably and you’ll be broke again, but numbers beat odds. If you keep going to the casino you’re bound to win eventually even though the odds are nowhere near in your favor. I’d say get all your ducks in a row and start over again if you have to; I’ve had to do it, and it sucks but the lives of many extremely wealthy people are spotted with poverty and [bullshit].
Short of that, take the best of the demeaning positions you can get and actively search for your next career job while you’re at it. Go get em’ and make a change while you’re at it! Life is waiting on you.
By the way, I’d like to hear back from you just to see what happens. Don’t be afraid to speak your mind because you’re exactly right, you don’t deserve the bullshit you’re getting right now.
Thanks for the comment,
Dan
Hi its a sham people do that im considered a convicted felon and all because of a cop hitting me and i wasnt going to take that and a friend accused me of stealing his credit card when he was drinking and askes me to buy him alcohol. Im 22 years old and about to have a baby. Ive applied for all kinds of jobs but they wont hire me because i have felons. All i want to do is work and get my life back to some normalcy. Ive been working since i was 15 and cuz of them felonies i cant get a job at all.Its terrible in midlothian, Va 23113
Does anyone know of a lead in Tennessee local to Nashville that would consider hiring felons..my son has been everywhere with no luck…he will be put back in jail soon if he does not find a job and now he is expecting his first child..he spent 8+ yrs in jail starting as a minor.. its just a shame that when u go to jail and pay for your mistake or crime that it does not ended there, u pay for the rest of your life…there’s no fairness anymore…i understand that folks should not be acting a fool to get the charge, but hey we all deserve a second chance dont we…i think so..i believe u do the crime u do the time, but everybody needs to live and if we dont help felons they will resource back to what got them there chances are. or worse..they can be very productive members of our society…i know this cause im a felon as well..its been 20+yrs for me since i got my charge..and i was stupid but i will say i will not make that mistake again…i work harder than most folks do…just because i feel i have to prove myself..and im ok with that…because i am working and i do good work at what i do..but for those out there that are having a hard time try looking in the construction field they are a lil more forgiving if u are a hard worker…this is what my son does from time to time…
I’m going to try to help you out, but right now I don’t know anyone.
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