From prison to popcorn: Woman starts business behind bars, challenges companies to hire people with criminal records
A new report reveals Canadian companies are continuing to overlook job candidates due to criminal records.
The John Howard Society, a non-profit agency that advocates for crime prevention and reintegration, interviewed hundreds of hiring managers at Canadian companies. More than half admitted to running criminal record checks and in some cases, automatically rejected anyone with a record.
Roughly four million Canadians have a criminal records. Advocates believe businesses could benefit from giving everyone a fair chance.
“We know from direct experience and research that getting a job is critical for people trying to rebuild their lives,” said Kathryn Barratt, program manager at the John Howard Society of Waterloo-Wellington.
From inmate to business owner
Emily O’Brien is a woman from Hamilton who is open and honest about her past.
“I was in prison because I was the worst drug mule of all time,” she told CTV News.
She was arrested at Pearson International Airport in 2015, after smuggling drugs across the border.
“It was just a bad situation I was in,” she admitted.
O’Brien was sentenced to four years behind bars and spent some of that time at Grand Valley Institution for Women in Kitchener.
Emily O’Brien and her mother at Grand Valley Institution for Women. (Submitted: Emily O’Brien. )
She came up with the idea for her business while behind bars, creating Comeback Snacks, marketed as “popcorn so good – it’s criminal.” O’Brien tries her best to hire people with criminal records as she knows first-hand how hard it can be.
“When people have nothing, they really want to fight for someone to believe in them,” she said. “They’re never going to want to let the position go. They just want to prove themselves so badly.”
Challenging stereotypes
Both O’Brien and the John Howard Society encourage companies to push beyond biases and challenge stereotypes about those who have been incarcerated.
O’Brien said many business owners falsely believe someone that has been in prison must be violent or is going to steal.
“What people don’t know, or what they should know, is that majority of people in prison aren’t in there for violent offenses,” O’Brien said.
The John Howard Society said it’s important to give everyone an equal chance.
“The criminal record records may have nothing to do with the job that they’re applying for,” said Barratt.
Fair chance hiring
Barratt said companies should think twice before overlooking people with criminal records and consider fair chance hiring policies.
“You base your employment decisions on your applicant’s qualifications rather than their criminal record,” explained Barratt.
Not only could it be beneficial to employers during a tough economy, it’s what many former inmates need.
“Employment reduces reoffending, builds identity, and self-esteem,” Barratt said.
O’Brien believes it is what the prison system should be for – to prepare people to go back into the world and have make a successful comeback into society.
“You have to provide steppingstones for people to actually get back on their feet or I’ll start just going to go back into that cycle,” said O’Brien.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6972157.1721587842!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Joe Biden drops out of 2024 race, endorses Kamala Harris to be Democratic nominee
U.S. President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 race for the White House on Sunday, ending his bid for re-election after doubts were raised about his fitness for office. Soon after, he endorsed Vice-President Kamala Harris to take his place in the November election.
Justin Trudeau reacts to Joe Biden announcing he won't run for re-election
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded to the news that U.S. President Joe Biden won’t run for re-election Sunday, calling Biden a 'true friend.'
Joe Biden wants to pass the baton to Kamala Harris. Here's how that might work
With U.S. President Joe Biden ending his re-election bid and endorsing Vice-President Kamala Harris, Democrats now must navigate a shift that is unprecedented this late in an election year.
The pilot who died in crash after releasing skydivers near Niagara Falls has been identified
NEW YORK (AP) — Officials on Sunday released the name of a pilot who died in a skydiving flight after her passengers jumped from the aircraft near the Niagara Falls.
Woman found dead in the water near Sunset Beach: Vancouver police
Investigators were at Vancouver’s Sunset Beach after a woman’s body was found in the water Sunday morning, according to authorities.
Ottawa man waiting nearly a year for car to be fixed at Acura dealership
An Ottawa man says he’s been waiting nearly a year for his car to be repaired after it was damaged during a storm in August.
Canadian musicians struggle to get visas to perform in the U.S., some cancel shows
Backlogs and processing delays of temporary U.S. visas required by entertainers, athletes and artists has forced some Canadian bands to cancel U.S. tour dates because paperwork wasn't processed in time.
Joy in Newfoundland after 'Lucky 7' fishers survive harrowing days lost at sea
There was a powerful word being repeated in the joyful Newfoundland community of New-Wes-Valley on Sunday: 'Miracle.'
A Florida woman was killed 24 years ago. DNA evidence just helped police make an arrest in the cold case
A Florida woman’s brutal killing nearly 25 years ago may finally be solved after authorities arrested the suspect this week, according to the Sanford Police Department.