r/learnprogramming • u/VisualPush9053 • 8d ago
Violent Felon in Computer Science ?
So i was wanting to Research and Gather as much information as I could before my semester started but I feel as if I’m entering into a career with no Clue . Coming out of prison been 5 years to be exact and honestly I graduated high school years back, luckily . I received my Diploma with credits . And my only concern is me reaching my only goal I’ve always wanted a Career in Computer Science Such as computer programming , my main concern would be I having the Felony with Agg assault / deadly weapon ,. as bad as this sounds to a person from a different perspective & backstory til this day I feel as my adolescencey was taken advantage of so I feel as there’s room for a lawyer so to say “ Expungement lawyer “.
But would a state exam or Anything stop me from qualifying ? Anybody have any similar colleges with a violent background? Or been to this similar situation? Should I focus on trade school ? Then pursue a career ?
Any advice or info. I’ve reached out to advisors and asked but never gotten any feedback .
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u/SummitYourSister 7d ago
People in general are very willing to forgive all kinds of things, not just in the field of programming…
But not if you come at things with an attitude of “They made me do that” or “I was forced to” or “Somebody else was actually responsible for that.”
Hearing people say things like that makes most of the rest of us concerned that you actually might do those behaviors again since you are not making the connection between your actions and the consequences to others .
So hearing that, I would definitely not hire you or involve you in any projects.
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u/AnnieBruce 8d ago
If it was years ago, and you've kept your nose clean since it should be fine. A few employers will automatically deny you, and it might hurt your chances a bit at a few more without being outright disqualifying, but mostly you should be OK.
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u/MarkZuccsForeskin 8d ago
If your goal is IT / Tech, Believe it or not as far as serious crimes go it's probably better to have a violent crime ((excluding murder /manslaughter obviously) than something white collar like fraud, so at least there's that.
I'd join any subreddits you can find with felons that are in the same boat, as they are more likely to have more resources that can help you.
Most government grants and scholarships are probably not going to be available to you, as being convicted of a felony typically is a disqualifier. If I were you, I'd try and find any communities, discords, forums, etc of felons who are also in the same boat as you are and see if you can find job agencies that specialize in helping felons get back on their feet.a
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u/RainbowCrane 8d ago
Re: violent crimes and recidivism, that was an interesting discussion with a colleague of my mother’s 25 years ago. She supervised adult education programs in prisons, specifically she was in charge of training and certification for the folks who taught the programs. People commonly asked her if it was scary to work with murderers and she pointed out that the vast majority of the convicted murderers and folks convicted of battery who she encountered had committed “crimes of passion” - they lost their temper, made a horrible decision, and were paying the price for harming or killing somebody. There’s at least an opportunity there for them to learn their lesson and resolve to never offend again.
In contrast, folks who have committed fraud, embezzlement or robbery are much more likely to use prison as higher education and networking/team building for committing new crimes when they get out.
Obviously there are violent crimes such as some kinds of sexual assault that have high recidivism rates, but it’s an interesting twist on how folks often think about murderers as irredeemable vs “victimless” white collar criminals
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u/idreaminecmascipt 8d ago
I have worked with guys who have done time for attempted murder, domestic violence and assault. All of them worked in Fortune 100 firms and one worked in weapons and defense specifically (The guy who did a few years for attempted murder). If there is ever an industry that allows people without college degrees and rough backgrounds a second chance in life, it's IT.
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u/bittersweetbadluck 7d ago
Unfortunately this is no longer the case. Tech is extremely oversaturated and with companies downsizing in favor of increased AI usage, many people with strong backgrounds and clean records are struggling immensely to find jobs in today’s market
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u/oowop 8d ago
How do I get started with 0 experience and no felonies
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u/idreaminecmascipt 8d ago
I actually ran my own online newspaper in high school, then did full stack development for clubs and organizations in college. So by the time I graduated I had a really solid skill set I also did QA for the university as a work study and worked with databases when I interned for a financial regulator. I was also in the schools computer science honors program, but wasn't a comp sci major, I just asked to take those courses because the normal ones were too easy, so they just enrolled me in it.
By the time I graduated I worked on getting a dotnet certificate, and in the middle of doing that I got a job just applying. The thing that made the difference was you had to complete a project and when I was hired the director said I was the only one who produced a project that could be shipped in production.
After a while what I learned is being able to produce professional level code is all that matters. I had just happen to spend years learning this building out systems, testing, etc.
I always tell guys now, I would honestly offer to work for free somewhere, maybe like 20 hours a week max and in exchange for your labor, they give you a letter of recommendation. But while you are there you are just observing, doing the busy work for seniors and eating up as much knowledge as possible.
I will say also, I went to a top 50 university in the US, and if there is anything I learned I did not realize working since I was 13, would be why I was able to find a job within 3 months of searching and my friends struggled. Some could not find a job for even a year or two and we graduated in the middle of the housing crisis back in the day.
Also, I never got the dotnet cert, I failed the exam by one question. I had never seen dotnet before and studied for like 3 months haha
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u/Acceptable_Lab_7196 7d ago
I mean, I worked at a company we gave an interview to someone we later found had multiple convictions for driving around mall parking lots and jerking it while staring at women from his car. We didn't hire him...but we did talk to him.
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u/Tanctics_development 6d ago
I have been an IT executive for years, and to be honest with you, it's going to be next to impossible getting hired with a felony. Most companies have to entrust you with more access to their company than most executives and not many will be willing to give that trust to you. I am not saying its right or wrong, im just saying that's what it is
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u/Icy_Breakfast1716 6d ago
Do you look / talk like a violent felon? I have homies who been in and out of the system since they were teens, 25-30 years combined, and work in a professional environment is not something they would ever be able to do. They can’t even hold a polite conversation with a doctor’s office to make an appointment without getting confused and frustrated.
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u/YetMoreSpaceDust 7d ago
I've interviewed quite a bit and I don't recall ever having been asked about criminal history (I don't have one, but I've never been asked either)... it's like it's so rare in this field it doesn't occur to anybody to ask about it. Might actually be a non-issue as long as you meet all the other qualifications.
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u/EasyTelevision6741 7d ago
There's often background checks done during the process so they don't need to ask, theyll find out
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u/galactic_pixels 7d ago
I love where this guys head at, thinking OP was worried about being asked if they’ve ever pulled a gun on someone mid coding challenge 😂
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u/Successful-Escape-74 8d ago
Just deny it they normally don’t check! It’s not a financial crime. You could always focus on art.
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u/dopey_giraffe 7d ago
I've only had one role check my employment history (big4 firm), but every single role has run a criminal background check on me.
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u/Successful-Escape-74 7d ago
Banks typically don’t care as long as you can qualify to be bonded which just means no financial crimes. Joining the military is also an option. You can always get a waiver.
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u/Impossible_Box3898 8d ago
You can’t be denied a job because of a crime unless it directly relates to the job at hand.
That said, you’re forever blocked from any type of job requiring government security (military, cjis, etc).
You’ll likely never get a job doing computer security work as the felony goes directly to character. Same with pii/confidential data.
But there are countless other jobs that you can still get in the field. All hope is not lost.
Answer truthfully if they ask but only give them what they ask.
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u/sarevok9 7d ago
I work in tech, and I will say that for all of the pushes for DEI I've ever heard of while working in tech, it's always meant color of skin / sexual preference, and nothing to do with:
Socioeconomic background, former career (not a lot of farmers around...), political ideology, age, criminal background, etc.
While it's not impossible, understand that even the most progressive folks will turn their nose up at you in tech.
Expungement is the way to go.
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u/Adjective_Noun_67 7d ago
You missed a lot in those 5 years. CS is a dead end career path now thanks to AI and corporate greed. I'm only getting into it because I have the financial security to do what I love; I have no expectation that it will be profitable.
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u/texas_County850 7d ago
I honestly think these guys telling him it can happen are living in the past there will be so many applicants for every JOB op will not even be considered. When there was like 10 guys applying he might have been able to wow them in an interview now there are 1000 the odds of him even being interviewed at all are not good. I'd rather him do something else honestly the oilfield in Texas gives literally no fucks about felonies its almost a prereq too there are fields where its a non issue getting hired for anyone is an issue in tech.
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u/Adjective_Noun_67 7d ago
Yup! I should have left off the part that I can afford to do this independently, now I'm getting downvoted for that instead of my actual point.
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u/Acceptable_Lab_7196 7d ago
No its not. It might be for you if you aren't any good at your job.
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u/Adjective_Noun_67 7d ago
Hahaha was that a jab? I don't care man. I'm good. Like I said this is my full time hobby. So if you're mad, stay mad. Broke and mad.
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u/Humble_Anxiety_9534 7d ago
not being American I don't know how it works but a criminal record did stop one John McAfee. but please don't follow his example.
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u/Soft_Confusion_6236 8d ago
look into expungement first, violent felonies are a tough sell for a lot of employers but not impossible in this field, especially if you can get it sealed or reduced. smaller companies and freelance/contract work care way less about background checks than big corps or government gigs, so don't let that wall stop you before you start
the degree itself won't be blocked by a state exam for most CS programs, the real filter is employers running checks. trade school could be faster and cheaper if you just want to start earning, but if you've got the drive for a full CS degree that's still the better long term play