RECAP Hiring Overview For 2023

Founded 1965

Type Not-for-profit

Headquarters Middletown, NY

Size Large Corporation

Industry Not-for-profit

If you’re looking for a job where you can help people and an organization with a cool acronym, then check out Regional Economic Community Action Program or RECAP, for short. As a local fixture, you’d be happy to learn if RECAP hires felons so you can give back to your community and reintegrate with it.

RECAP is a charitable organization in the Orange County, New York, area that provides a lot of different services including housing, head start, workforce development and training, addiction support services, and parole re-entry. Sounds great, right? Let’s help you get a job there.

We’re going to give you a lot of good information, including answering the following questions:

  • Does RECAP hire people with misdemeanors?
  • Does RECAP have special programs for hiring felons?
  • Does RECAP do background checks?
  • What are some entry-level jobs?

The working world is not kind to former felons. If you’re having a hard time finding work, then we’re here to help. Our team of researchers has directly contacted RECAP and over 1,000 companies in the US to ask them about their hiring policies for former felons. We also did a lot of research into them so that we could compile some great information to provide you for the application.

What’s in it for us? Our team has a lot of former felons on it. We know where you are at, and we truly want to help you get through it. Relaunch Pad’s goal is to assist former felons in achieving a normal life.

The remainder of this article will tell you more about getting a job here.

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Does RECAP hire felons?

Confirmed felon employer

Programs for hiring felons

RECAP logo

Official Company policy for hiring felons

As always, we asked the company directly about their hiring policies. Here is what they told us when we asked about their willingness to hire former felons:

“RECAP believes in second chances. We interview potential staff and if we feel the person with the felony is the best candidate we hire them. RECAP has a parole re-entry program so we will also try to hire folks from that program.”

As far as company policies are concerned, that’s about as good as it gets.

Has RECAP hired felons in the past?

Usually we have to do a little bit of digging to find out if they have hired former felons in the past. Not this time. As we were asking RECAP about their hiring policies, we also had the opportunity to ask them if they’ve hired former felons in the past. Their answer?

Yes.

Short, sweet and to the point, right?

Does RECAP hire people with misdemeanors?

We haven’t actually heard for sure if RECAP hires people with misdemeanors. However, even though they didn’t mention it specifically, it’s a safe bet that they probably will hire people with misdemeanors. If they won’t let a felony stand in the way of making a hire, chances are they take the same attitude towards misdemeanors.

Will RECAP hire you with pending charges?

RECAP did state that they will hire convicted felons, if they are the right candidate for the job. While they did not specifically answer this question, it would be reasonable to assume that they would also hire people with pending charges.

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What are the chances of RECAP hiring a felon?

Is RECAP on the Ban the Box list?

Ban the Box is a movement that is designed to ensure that questions about criminal records are removed from job applications. The hope is that former felons will no longer be disqualified from employment before their resumes have even been reviewed.

There is also the Fair Chance Business Pledge. With this movement, businesses promise that they won’t discriminate in their hiring policies. Businesses that have signed this Pledge vow not to hold a person’s criminal record against them during the hiring process.

RECAP doesn’t participate in either movement at this time. However, they did mention to us that they don’t ask about criminal history on their applications, which keeps with the same spirit as the two programs.

Does RECAP have special programs for hiring felons?

Some companies actually have programs that are specifically designed to make it a little bit easier for former felons to find work. These programs are very rare, but RECAP actually has one. They mentioned it right in their response to us when we asked them about their hiring policies:

They have what they call  a reentry program for people who are out on parole. This program serves as an excellent way for former felons to be taken seriously as a candidate without their record-holding them back.

What are the odds someone with a felony will get hired?

High likelihood of hiring felons

Let’s review what we’ve learned so far.

  • RECAP is open to hiring former felons.
  • They’ve hired felons in the past
  • They don’t ask about convictions on their applications
  • They even have special programs for helping people on parole get hired

Does RECAP hire felons? Based on everything that we’ve seen from this company, we rate your chances of getting hired as high. If you are a qualified candidate, RECAP will be open to hiring you.

How to get hired at RECAP with a felony

What are some entry-level jobs?

Now that it seems possible to get a job at RECAP with a felony, let’s take a look at some entry-level jobs. The organization has a variety of positions that range from teachers to substance abuse counselors to case managers.

Most of these jobs require some experience or education. However, if you are qualified, they will serve as excellent opportunities.

The organization may also have maintenance or janitorial positions available.

Tips to get hired here with a felony

As with any other position, you need to submit a good application if you want to get a job at RECAP with a felony. Before you submit the application, think about having someone else go over it for you. If you have a friend or family member that is good with grammar, consider enlisting their help.

Otherwise, there are career centers that will help you get your application where it needs to be.

It may also be to your benefit to list recent professional skills that you’ve developed. For example, if you took any classes or led any groups in prison it may be a good way of demonstrating your commitment to finding a stable career.

Once you submit a good application, you will hopefully get an interview. As with any job, it’s important to show up looking professional. Wear nice clothes and try to cover up tattoos and remove piercings. If you feel excessively nervous, try rehearsing common interview questions with a friend or a family member. Even though it probably won’t go the same way as the actual interview, the practice may help you loosen up.

As for how you should address your criminal record during the interview, the company themselves provided a tip that might help you get hired. Here’s what they said:

“They should be upfront and honest and be eager to turn their life around. We have departments that require certified and uncertified staff. Whichever they fit into they can apply to. Most candidates do not have a certificate so they often fall into uncertified staff which means they may be in maintenance/facilities.”

That’s right, RECAP wants you to be upfront about your criminal record. Acknowledge your past, and make it clear that you want a brighter future. Your openness and honesty may just help you impress them enough to get the job.

Does RECAP do background checks?

RECAP has confirmed that they do perform background checks before they finalize a hire. This isn’t horrible news considering how open the company is to hiring former felons. However, even with that said, it can help to know what they will see.

Here’s what you need to know about background checks:

Not all background checks are the same. For example, in these states, the background check will only go seven years back.

  • California
  • Colorado*
  • Kansas*
  • Maryland*
  • Massachusetts
  • Montana
  • Nevada
  • New Hampshire*
  • New York*
  • Texas*
  • Washington*

Perhaps even better, if you live in one of these states, employers will not see information about crimes you were found not guilty of.

  • Alaska
  • California
  • Hawaii
  • Indiana (limited check)
  • Kentucky
  • Massachusetts
  • Michigan
  • New York

Unfortunately, though, there are also many places that feature everything, including not guilty convictions. Here are those states:

  • Alabama
  • Arizona
  • Arkansas
  • Connecticut
  • DC
  • Delaware
  • Florida
  • Idaho
  • Indiana (extensive check)
  • Iowa
  • Louisiana
  • Maine
  • Mississippi
  • Missouri
  • Nebraska
  • New Jersey
  • North Carolina
  • North Dakota
  • Ohio
  • Oregon
  • Rhode Island
  • South Carolina
  • Tennessee
  • Utah
  • Vermont
  • Virginia
  • West Virginia
  • Wisconsin
  • Wyoming

Company ratings

We also went online to find out what it is like to work for RECAP. To do this, we went to glassdoor.com. There we found that the company has a 1 out of 5 star rating.

It sounds very bad, but it is important to realize that this rating comes only from one review. With that in mind, it may be the opinion of a disgruntled employee.

What felonies RECAP will not hire

Does RECAP hire felons? Yes, they do! They did not provide any certain felonies that they wouldn’t hire. They say they’ll hire the best candidate for the position, regardless of their background.

What felony convictions might have a hard time getting hired here?

Based on what the company has told us, it’s possible that they are open to applicants with any background.

That said, there are hiring trends to be aware of. For example, since the company has many positions that require employees to work with people, they may be hesitant to hire people with violent or sexual offenses.

Does RECAP hire sex offenders?

They did not provide an answer to this exact question. Be aware that sexual offenses are often looked upon more harshly than other offenses, so we cannot provide a definitive “yes” on this one.

Does RECAP drug test?

It looks like the company may test for drugs.

Have you applied for a job or worked here? Share your experiences!

If you have worked at RECAP in the past then we want to hear from you! Does RECAP hire felons? Did our article help you figure out how to get hired at RECAP? Tell us what you know so that we can improve our information and better serve the community!

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