Can Felons Work As Security Guards

Many felons would like to work as a security guard, but the fact is that it’s not a simple answer. The answer varies state by state. Most states such as California do not want violent felons working as security guards. New York State is one such state that does not want violent felons working as security guards.

But there are many caveats to this law. In many instances, the states allow felons who have had their record sealed or who have undergone certificate training to become a security guard. Felons who have not undergone any sort of rehab training or who have not had their felonies sealed cannot become security guards. But that does not mean that these felons will not end up working as a security guard somewhere.

While many felons are attracted to working as security guards because so many ex-offenders end up working in security, it’s not really one of the best options. In a prior article I covered the best jobs for felons. These jobs inclde: customer service, car dealerhip jobs, and for higher pay nursing and medical work.

No, But That Doesn’t Stop Felons From Slipping Through

The truth is that there are many companies end up hiring felons to work as security guards. How is that possible? Well, in many states someone can work as a security after taking a simple 8, 12, or 16 hour security guard course.

There is such a need for security guards that many companies will hire any individual who takes these courses and put them to work while a background check is being run. This is especially true in large urban cities where security guards are hired by property management companies, retail establishments, and large office buildings.

One of the main problems with hiring security guards is many felons operate as short term and temporary employees for outside agencies such as temporary employment agencies. They are able to slip through the cracks because the employers are so desperate to find people to work as security guards.

Non Profits Aid Felons In Becoming Security Guards

One of the common ways for people to get into the security guard line of work is to obtain their 12 hour or 16 hour certification through non-profit programs.

Many large cities such as Chicago and New York have publicly funded non-profits that help in reintegration of ex-offenders into society. This includes job training, resume writing, and even support assistance with housing and paying bills.

One of the loopholes that come up is that unscrupulous companies that are looking to hire security guards and do not want to wait to run extensive background checks or else they don’t want to hire them at all. In many cases, what they want is to hire them out as contractors or else use staffing agencies.

A common situation might be where a felon is released from prison. They are then connected with locally funded non-profit that is paid by the government to help integrate felons into society. That felon might have their rent handled by a housing case manager and job training  by the non-profit.

This might include paying for them to have OSHA or a security guard license. In some instances, the non-profit employees do not do the correct due diligence to ensure that the people that they are setting up for training are not felons (many non-profits help a variety of ex-offenders). So, that person might obtain a certificate and then end up applying for a job from temp  agency that fills immediate openings and work positions.

Do Security Companies Run Background Checks?

Well established security companies that hire full time security workers are likely to run a background check. However, not all security companies are going to be diligent. There are many stories of companies that need to hire security guards and simply don’t run background checks on their staff.

This is not a proper way to go about things, but it’s not that uncommon. If someone passes their initial background check, this might not even be enough. Not all background checks are the same.

How Do Violent Felons End Up Working As Security Guards?’

It happens because companies do not run background checks. The reason for not running background checks might be laziness, or simply because they don’t care. There are many legal reasons that individual companies feel nervous conducting background checks. Even if the person is found to have been a felon, there are legal ramifications for not hiring them.

An example of a recent murder where the alledged suspect was a licensed secutity guard (who ended up killing another secutity guard during a crime).

However, these tend not to be relevant with security guard jobs as most security guard jobs require the person to not be a felon. But, and this is the catch, there are many instances where a person can work through a government endorsed non-profit program and they can be eligible for a security guard license.

Finally, temp staffing firms often are working so fast that they simply skip the legal formality because security guard jobs pay so little and the workers have such high turnover. Many companies simply look for security guards who have passed the 8hr course and don’t bother verifying the license or background check. However, these are normally short term temp roles and not long term security guard roles. They are more commonly used as fill ins.

The Reason Temp Staffing Agencies Want To Run Background Checks

The reason is that it’s a liability for the temporary staffing agency. The temporary staffing agency is the one that is assuming all of the liability when the security guard is working. They pay for the workers compensation insurance, the FICA tax, and a variety of other payroll expenses.

The reason that temp staffing agencies want to run background checks is that they want to avoid any legal trouble. If the temp staffing firm has been found to hire and place felons with a company, then that company will stop doing business with them. Not only is that a concern, but there are also issues with legal compliance. It’s not in the best interest of a staffing firm to hire a felon and place them in a situation where they can be held liable for incidents.

Employer Safeguarding Against Crime: Complete Security Background Checks

One of the most difficult issues to contend with is the variety of background checks available. Some background checks will not detail a person’s felony record. Much of this is dependent on the company that is running the background check as well.

The best method of running a comprehensive background check is to find a company that will provide total state and country background checks. Some felonies are not reported if you use a simple and cheap background check firm. You will need to use a pre-employment screening service that has authorized access to legal filings from around the entire country. This will allow a more comprehensive background check that can access all of the background information that is necessary to find out a persons criminal record.