Would you hire a convicted felon?

Local headline has an article where one of our judges is encouraging local businesses to hire felons. He said, “We aren’t asking you to give them a hand out, just a chance.”

We can assume he isn’t referring to people who are in for violent crimes.

I would have unequivocally said “No!” before my job turned into working with those “convicted felons” day after day (none of my students have been convicted of a violent crime.) Now I have to say that I absolutely would hire many of them.

What is your first reaction?