Ex-offenders facing jobs discrimination

FORMER offenders are “paying twice” for their crimes as they are discriminated against in the job market, the head of the Equality Authority said.

Niall Crowley, chief executive of the authority, said the reintegration of ex-offenders into society could be improved if they had greater access to employment. “Why invest in the re-integration of ex-offenders and leave open the possibility that they might be discriminated against? There’s a contradiction there,” he said.

Mr Crowley was commenting following the recent publication by the Department of Justice of a review of international employment legislation.