Employment clinic helps ex-offenders

YOUNGSTOWN — The Community Initiative to Reduce Violence, coordinated by Guy Burney, will sponsor a Certification for Qualification of Employment Clinic from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Oak Hill Collaborative, 507 Oak Hill Ave.

The event is in collaboration with Home for Good Re-Entry Resource Referral Center, Oak Hill Collaborative and United Returning Citizens.

Senate Bill 337 created the CQE to relieve, on a limited basis, potential liability to employers for negligent hiring and to provide relief from collateral sanctions imposed by law to ex-offenders (both those individuals who have previous felony and/or misdemeanor convictions).

The certificate lifts the automatic collateral sanctions that prevent ex-offenders from standing before more than 730 Ohio licensing boards. It also allows an employer to consider, on a case-by-case basis, whether it is appropriate to grant or deny a job opportunity, without the fear of being held liable for negligent hiring.

For the complete story, read Tuesday's Vindicator and Vindy.com