About Eric Shangle Expertise I am able to answer questions about the US Government and it's budget cycle, military, manpower, and contracting.
Experience I spent 13 years in the US Navy as an officer. I have a defense-focused MBA from the Naval Postgraduate School emphasizing financial management and manpower.
Education/Credentials MBA, Naval Postgraduate School, 2005
M.A., Human Relations, University of Oklahoma, 2002
B.S., Ocean Engineering, United States Naval Academy, 1997
Question I know someone who works for the Veterans Administration in New Orleans. I know for a fact that this person was convicted of armed robbery and served 5 years in Angola State Penetentiary. He is now a psychologist, who works with war veterans. Was he legally hired or did he lie on his application?
Answer Thomas,
Thank you for writing. That is a great question.
Typically speaking a convicted felon would not be hired with the federal government. Many of the federal jobs do require background checks, so I highly doubt that the person you mentioned lied on his application. There are some jobs that would not require a background check with the government. These jobs would not preclude someone from working who is a convicted felon.
Mainly these jobs are not "critical" jobs. A psychologist working with war veterans might not have access to special or compartmentalized information. I can see how this job may allow someone who is a convicted felon to work.
Unfortunately there are so many federal offices across the nation, that it is difficult to generalize and answer your questions specifically. Another question for you is who this person truly is employed by right now. Many times the federal government hires contractors for positions. This can save them a lot of money in the long run. Is there a chance that an outside agency or office is actually paying this person's salary. It wouldn't look any different. they would still "work" at the federal office, but they would be employed by another office.
The last thing I will ask is whether this is a federal or state job. State governments have completely different requirements than federal. There are state veterans administrations in some states. This could also be a reason on how this person got the job.
As you can see, there are no absolutes with this. Generally the federal government will not hire someone who was convicted of a felony. However, there are always exceptions to the rule. Without talking to this person, it would truly be impossible to find out if he was legally or illegally hired.
I hope that this helps out. Please let me know if you have any more questions.
Eric
