1 in 4 US Adults Now Have Criminal Record - Around 65 Million Citizens

I was talking to this guy that was totally convinced that only bad people go to jail, LOL.

I burst out laughing at this guy. Luckily, it didn't end in a phat lip. Instead, the guy looked a bit confused and seemed to have rethought his position for some time internally. Whatever I can do to guide the tards along their journey....

Originally posted by mblahnikluver

I knew someone who got pulled over recently for a broken tail light and the cop asked to search her car, something I told her to refuse from now on..

Never, ever, ever, ever, EVER consent to a search.

Everybody and their children should watch this regularly over and over until it sinks in like instinct:



Watch it, memorize it, and roleplay it until you have it absolutely down.

Originally posted by blackcat99
Sounds like the people in the US aren't as free as some of them think they are

Exactly, how in sam hill can americans project FREEDOM, when one out of four of us are in jail and its just a matter of time with the laws set in place for the rest

lol, what a sham the american dream has become nice find op

reply to post by buni11687

Plus, now theres discrimination against the unemployed......

That has ALWAYS been a hiring policy. If you have ANY gaps in your employment history you better have a DARN GOOD REASON!

My EX was stationed in the middle of nowhere in a foreign country. As an officer's wife I was last on the list for employment The official US Army policy was: Foreign citizens #1, Enlisted wives #2, Noncom wives #3 and Officer wives last. The US Army was the only real civilian employer available because local businesses were not interested in hiring ANY foreigners.

You would not believe the lengthy explanation's I had to go through to get a job with that year's gap even twenty years later!

If you have EVER been a small businessman, forget it no one wants to hire you as a permanent employee. If you are unemployed, especially after six months you are also considered "Unemployable"

Remember HR departments are in the business of looking for a reason to turn you down. They often get hundreds of applications so they are NOT looking for a match but for reasons to REJECT!

Criminal records/ gaps in employment (which might indicate a hidden criminal record) are the easiest thing to spot and therefore are part of the first cut. Now a days resumes and applications are fed into computers that make that decision. The computer program is also looking for certain buzz words so if you do not have a list of the CURRENT buzz words (they change periodically) you are also out of luck.

According to my Employment Law book (2005)

...Resume fraud (a recent survey by Colorado-based Avert,inc., of 2.6 million job applications revealed that 44 percent of the resumes contained lies)... pg 135

Employment Law for Business fifth edition
Dawn D. Bennett-Alexander
Laura P Hartman

The book also states:

Certain information is not available to employers and is protected by state law. For instance, if an employer asks about the applicant's prior criminal arrest record, or even certain convictions, in one of several states that statutorily protect disclosure of this type of information, the employer may be subject to a claim of invasion of privacy or other statutory violations... pg 127

This is the reason for HR departments using outside agencies to screen applicants and why employment gaps are the kiss of death for applicants. HR may not be able to ask about a criminal record but they CAN and DO demand the exact start and end dates for employment history and reject based on gaps.


On a brighter note. Small businesses hire over 50% of the US work force. The US government hires 17%, I am not sure how many the state and local government's hire but that leave less than a 1/3 of the work force working for the big Corporations.

...According to the 1997 report of the U.S. Census Bureau, the nation’s 17 million small, non-farm businesses constituted 99.7 per cent of all employers, employed 52 percent of private workforce and accounted for 51 percent of the nation’s sales. Small business-dominated industries provided 11.1 million new jobs between 1994 and 1998, virtually all of the new jobs created during that time period. Small businesses are most likely to generate jobs for young workers, older workers and women, provide 67 percent of first jobs and produce 55 percent of innovations.

Thousands of people with disabilities have been successful as small business owners. The 1990 national census revealed that people with disabilities have a higher rate of self-employment and small business experience (12.2 percent) than people without disabilities (7.8 percent).... www.dol.gov...

If you are looking for a job, look at the local small businesses. They do not usually have the HR hoop to jump through so you can talk directly to the hiring manager. They do not have the higher pay or all the benefits but from experience I can tell you they are more likely to hire you and give you a lot more job satisfaction.

reply to post by buni11687


im one of the other americans who has "NO" criminal record. yes I had a ticket or two, payed them and poof its gone, but as for any other offenses nope i have kept my record squeeky clean.

America is under attack by forces unmentionable. It has been for quite some time. What you are seeing now is but the tallest (smoldering) skyscraper in the world, and soon it is going to collapse, but not from the inferno.

Two words: Privatized prisons.

As soon as Reagan said yes to profiting off of "criminals", guess what went up? Criminals. Not because we suddenly decided to act up, but because they have LOBBYISTS in congress lobbying for harsher laws, longer penalties, and to make more minor infractions illegal. Lobbying against We the People basically. Turning us into criminals for their benefit.

The US has more of it's own citizens incarcerated, both in sheer numbers and per capita, than any other known civilization in history. 2 million+.

just a heads up
when the Revolution begins,
then we all will have criminal
records

Teach your kids well

Originally posted by sliceNodice
America is under attack by forces unmentionable.

Valdemort ????
come on, let's put a couple real names
up instead of just a boogeyman.

If you live in America then we are all criminals 99% of us. Now sit down and shut up before they selectively enforce on one of the 3 probable felonies or dozen or so misdemeanors/code violations you have unwittingly committed today. The 1 in 4 ratio is skewed IMO because they don't catch everyone. Start protesting or making waves and find out how quickly you can "become" a criminal!

reply to post by teapot


These records are not destroyed. I have never been to court or convicted of a crime, only cautioned which is not a conviction and I have had my fingerprints, DNA etc taken and told that this could stop me from getting into the states when I visit my family which is ridiculous for something as petty as a caution.

Before I went to uni I had many different job interviews and one was to become a trainee radiologist and I had to state all my previous encounters with police even if they had not resulted in a conviction or if the caution was 'spent' and if you fail to mention anything then you are barred from applying for future jobs with them.

This didn't effect my oppotunity however and wasnt even mentioned in my intervied despite me having to explain every detail of why I was arrested for assault and I was sure that I would be flat out rejected, I was in the final 2 applicants and lost out to someone who had experience in the role, they told me that they would take me on in the future when a new opening became available so this suprised me.

Im sure though in the huge number of jobs that I have applied for this ha got me denied a few times. I have been rejected from jobs which I have good, strong experience in with no explanation despite being told on the phone that I would get an interview. A very large electrical company was omne of these.

It is ridiculous when you consider the minor things that you can get a record for, Problem is if a manager hires a person with a record and then they steal or something then you can bet the manager gets blamed, I hate when people say 'but they cant do that, thats illegal' well sorry but they CAN! Are you really going to put the time and money into suing aan employer because you have a hunch that why they didnt employ you? No! They dont have to give a reason and if they see that you have a record and throw your application away you're not guna know why they did this. Unless you can call them up and get them to say 'its because of your criminal record' (and btw you must inform them that you are recording the conversation if you wana use it in court) so they arnt guna fall into that trap, they know the laws and break them as they please.

reply to post by thisguyrighthere


She was too afraid to say no she said. I told her a broken tail light was an excuse for him to pull her over and look for crap in her car and that she made it easy on him by saying yes. I can't count how many times i have seen this happen around where I live.

I am asked everytime I am pulled over if it is ok they search my car and I say NO.

reply to post by mblahnikluver


I think even worse than somebody being afraid to say "no" or being ignorant to their right to say "no" is the cops who prey on peoples fears and use their image of authority and trust to manipulate people and take advantage of people.

I'm sure the whole time your friend was terrified that cop was getting off psychologically over this scared girl he was taking advantage of.

It's no less evil than straight up rape the way these cops handle a simple traffic stop.

Im sure the cop pulled that whole "I can help you if you just tell me the truth" bull# on her too when he found that roach.

People need to learn and know that no cop is ever going to help you. Even if they wanted to it isnt their job to. Every single thing you say is going to be used against you.

"Why have you stopped me?"
"Am I free to go or am I being detained?"

That's it. Dont even give them a "hi, officer" because they'll twist it into weakness and ruin your life for it.

reply to post by buni11687


Fix the drug laws and corrupt or overzealous law enforcement, and I actually have little problem with this.

Accountability isn't only lacking within government, but in people too. What this also means is that roughly 3 out of 4 adults take personal responsibility very seriously.

As a private employer, I don't want the government telling me that I have to hire a convicted criminal.

Incidentally, under federal law, only convictions may be considered indefinitely. There are a few states that limit consideration to seven years. Records of arrest, under federal law, are limited to seven years. But some states prohibit consideration of arrest records altogether.

Assuming the legitimacy of prosecution, if you don't like the consequences, then don't do the crime.

Harsh? Not really, imo.

reply to post by superwurzel666

If the American government is anything like ours then they probably spend most of their time outlawing as many trivial things as they can think of, so sooner or later we're ALL gonna be criminals.....

EXACTLY!!!!

The idea is to have citizens need permission from the government to do ANYTHING! We are nothing but Free-Range SLAVES!

...Individualists believe that the proper function of the state is negative and defensive. It is to protect, not to provide; for if the state is granted the power to provide for some, it must also be able to take from others, and once that power is granted, there are those who will seek it for their advantage. It always leads to legalized plunder and loss of freedom. If the state is powerful enough to give us everything we want, it is also powerful enough to take from us everything we have. Therefore, the proper function of the state is to protect the lives, liberty, and property of its citizens; nothing more.... www.freedomforceinternational.org...

Here is an excellent article on Free Range Slavery. I suggest you read the whole article.

2009– Year of the Slave

You are a slave. You probably do not realize it, but you are.

Setting aside the stereotyped image of a slave as a bleeding chain-bound wretch, slaves throughout history are often hard to recognize. In some cases, such as the Medieval Serfs, they were held slaves to the rulers by religious belief, and did not see themselves as slaves even though they were treated as such...

So, what is a slave? How do we define a slave? What test do we use to tell if someone is a slave. What makes them different from free people?

Free people can say “no”. Free people can refuse demands for their money, time, and children. Slaves cannot. There is no freedom without the freedom to say “no”....

Freedom is the freedom to say "no."

When you are forced to surrender half your life’s work to the government in ever-increasing taxes, then you are a slave.... For Roman slaves, the ratio of work-for-self versus work-for-rulers was about 50-50. The same ratio applied to Medieval Serfs... And, when you add up all the overt taxes, covert fees, tariffs, excises, plus the increased price you pay for products to pay the taxes of the companies that make those products, you will find that Americans are at that same “half-for-self” versus “half-for-rulers” ratio! [For me it was 64.5% in 1997 when I calculated it] Can you say “no” to the confiscation of half of your life? Can you even get the masters to maybe reduce the burden by a significant amount? No?

Congratulations. You are a slave.


The rulers want your children for their future wars. Legislation for a draft is already in Congress. Can you refuse the confiscation of your children? No?

Congratulations. You are a slave.

Also in Congress is legislation for a "voluntary" national service program. It is being called "voluntary" to get around the 13th amendment, but volunteerism implies a choice, and no choice is being offered here. You cannot say no.

Congratulations. You are a slave....



Just because you cannot see the slave-chains doesn’t mean they are not there. Chains made of steel are obvious, but chains made of beliefs are not always recognized for what they are. Hitler enslaved the German people to war with a belief that Poland was about to invade. LBJ enslaved the American people to war with the belief that Vietnam had attacked the USS Maddox in the Gulf of Tonkin. Poland wasn’t invading. There were no torpedoes in the Gulf of Tonkin, but the slaves, held by invisible chains of beliefs, went to war. Millions died....

In 2003, however, the chains started to become visible. The Constitutional right to freedom of expression was confined to “free-speech” zones. A slave may have an opinion, so long as it is not expressed where it might upset the other slaves.....

The government can now search through your private records without cause and without warrant, even break into your home and not have to tell you.

Simply by declaring a citizen an enemy combatant, the government can now lock up US citizens without a charge and without a lawyer.

You can be prevented from traveling simply for having the wrong name.

If you purchase too much gold or take home too much cash, or hoard food, the government will take notice.

Having a Farmer's Almanac is grounds for suspicion.

Talking about the Constitution is now deemed grounds to suspect a terrorist link.

Torture is now espoused as “necessary” to “deal with the crisis”. Were you able to refuse those changes to the Constitution? No?

Congratulations. You are a slave....



You are a slave. When you live under a government that takes your wealth and your children and lies to you to keep you docile and scares you to keep you obedient, how can it be otherwise?
whatreallyhappened.com...

Just in case you do not believe you are a SLAVE....

"Civil asset forfeiture has allowed police to view all of America as some giant national K-Mart, where prices are not just lower, but non-existent — a sort of law enforcement 'pick-and-don't-pay.'" —U.S. Representative Henry Hyde

Incredible as it sounds, civil asset forfeiture laws allow the government to seize property without charging anyone with a crime.

Until FEAR achieved the nation's first major federal forfeiture law reform at the turn of the millenium, the government was allowed to keep whatever property it seized without ever having to prove a case. Seized property was presumed guilty and could be forfeited based upon mere hearsay—even a tip supplied by by an informant who stood to gain up to 25% of the forfeited assets. Owners were forced into the untenable situation of trying to prove a negative—that something never happened, even though no proof of any illegal act had been offered at trial.... www.fear.org...

In July 2000, USDA officials claimed in our court hearing that, “The farmers have no rights. No right to be heard before the court, no right to independent testing, and no right to question the USDA.” - Linda Faillace www.vtcommons.org...

FDA’s Views on Food Freedom of Choice

S510 would give FDA significantly more power to regulate food... For those who think it’s a good idea to give FDA more power, here are the agency’s views on your freedom to obtain the foods of your choice; these are direct quotations from the agency’s response to a lawsuit the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund filed earlier this year...

* "There is no absolute right to consume or feed children any particular food." [A--p. 25]

* "There is no 'deeply rooted' historical tradition of unfettered access to foods of all kinds." [A--p. 26]

* "Plaintiffs' assertion of a 'fundamental right to their own bodily and physical health, which includes what foods they do and do not choose to consume for themselves and their families' is similarly unavailing because plaintiffs do not have a fundamental right to obtain any food they wish." [A--p. 26]

* "There is no fundamental right to freedom of contract." [A--p. 27]

www.ftcldf.org...

According to the US government we do not have the most basic freedom that of determining what food we eat and the right to enter into business contracts!!!!

STILL think you are NOT a slave??

reply to post by nrd101


I haven't read the rest of the posts on this. Had to stop to post to you. I know a person who also had a record that dated back when he was 18. He was 30 years old when they started back ground cks where I worked. He lost his job and had been there 5 years! Many other employees lost theirs too. These people were older and had bills and families that depended on them. They had become responsible citizens and the reward for them was to get booted from their livelihood. In cases like these, the people had already proven they were dependable.

added to..squeaky clean record too. My son calls me the last of the Girl scouts.

With so many educated , qualified and experienced people looking for work why would i as an employer hire a convicted criminal ? Many businesses deal in the transactions of money , private information and valuable goods and many require third party bonding . I don't care how small the conviction or how small the charge , that person has removed all doubt that they will ignore and violate the law . Caught with one joint , your problem as i have no way of knowing if you'll be smoking dope on my time . Petty theft , your problem as you won't get a chance to steal from me or my company . Violence for a conviction , your problem as my company works on the team aspect so you won't be coming here where in the midst of team resolutions to intimidate or fight my staff . A convicted criminal offers me absolutely nothing and i won't be wasting one minute looking into the particulars of your situation or conviction because the other 75% haven't been convicted of a criminal offense and that's the pool i'll draw from . Another thing , Facebook and Myspace along with other social networking sites . Even without a criminal conviction you can eliminate yourself from a job competition very easily and very quickly depending upon what you have posted there along with your friends . No , your privacy settings don't matter .

reply to post by PeasantRebellion

Two words: Privatized prisons.

As soon as Reagan said yes to profiting off of "criminals", guess what went up? Criminals. Not because we suddenly decided to act up, but because they have LOBBYISTS in congress lobbying for harsher laws, longer penalties, and to make more minor infractions illegal. Lobbying against We the People basically. Turning us into criminals for their benefit.

Good find.

Another couple of reasons for the abrupt rise in incarceration rates

See Chart: en.wikipedia.org...:US_incarceration_timeline-clean.svg
(Perhaps a computer type could put this chart up for others to see)

...Note that in the 50 year period between 1928-78 the overall incarceration rate stayed within a narrow range of 140 to 206. Federal alcohol Prohibition was in effect from 1920 to 1933. Federal marijuana prohibition began in 1937. The U.S. incarceration rate has quintupled since 1971 when Republican President Richard Nixon declared the "War on Drugs." 1973 was the year Nixon's DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) began... www.angelfire.com...

Here is the second part of the problem:

...Mental healthcare experienced a revolution at the mid-point of the twentieth century with the availability of the first anti-psychotic medications. For the first time, schizophrenic patients could experience partial symptom relief rather than simply being restrained or tranquilized. In this heady environment, a social movement came into being with the goal of deinstitutionalizing the mentally ill. This movement found expression in critical state and federal supreme court decisions supporting patient rights. Numerous state hospitals were shut down as a result, and previously institutionalized patients were released to live in society with the assistance of the newly created community mental health centers (CMHCs) built in most communities as a result of the 1963 US Federal Community Mental Health Centers Construction Act. The CMHCs continue to be the dominant source of front line care for most schizophrenic patients in America today. Only the most severely disabled patients are maintained in state institutions anymore.

This would be a happy note to end on save for the fact that the initially adequate funding for the CMHCs has eroded over the years to the point where many struggle to simply provide minimal critical services. The noble goals of deinstitutionalization have been largely accomplished, but the follow through has not been well supported;... www.mentalhelp.net...

Couple that with the Court's decision that those SAME mentally ill people can not be forced to take their medication and you end up with the street people we see today and the recent shooting of a Congress woman.

...The judges zeroed in on the issue of presumed competence of mental patients. Mental patients were presumed competent unless found incompetent by a court. In their decision they quoted a section of the LPS Act: "No person may be presumed to be incompetent because he or she has been evaluated or treated for mental disorder...regardless of whether such evaluation or treatment was voluntarily or involuntarily received."

Moreover, said the court, since treatment with antipsychotic drugs "has profound effects...on mind and body," the right to refuse treatment with these drugs "clearly falls within the recognized right to refuse medical treatment." ... mentalillnesspolicy.org...

reply to post by LastStand

If you live in America then we are all criminals 99% of us. Now sit down and shut up before they selectively enforce on one of the 3 probable felonies or dozen or so misdemeanors/code violations you have unwittingly committed today. The 1 in 4 ratio is skewed IMO because they don't catch everyone. Start protesting or making waves and find out how quickly you can "become" a criminal!

BOY ain't that the truth!


In the Peoples Republic of Taxachesetts if you put peelings from store bought veggies in your compost heap you broke the LAW!

AND there is always some do-gooder neighbor spying on you to make sure you never step on any of those rules and regs. Our next door neighbor walked around the neighborhood every evening and "reported" to the town officials any "infractions" she could find. After having the blasted inspectors at my door at least once a month I packed up and moved south.

She is Darn lucky she didn't tick off the guy a couple doors down.... He went to jail as a serial killer a few years after we left. She did get all her tires slashed and other forms of retaliation.