New Jersey’s Faith Leaders of every denomination are uniting around the Opportunity to Compete Act on April 24th, 2014: What: New Jersey Faith Leaders Press Conference on the Opportunity to Compete Act hosted by Pastor Soaries When: Thursday, April 24th,
1PM Location: First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens, 771 Somerset Street, Somerset, NJ 08873
“As religious leaders, we have witnessed the fallibility as well as the redemption of the human spirit. When given the opportunity to remedy past lapses, people often strive to rise above their mistakes, becoming better for themselves, their families, and their communities.
Barring employment opportunities for individuals with criminal records is a denial of the possibility of redemption. People are hungry to work, but they need to be given a chance.
The Opportunity to Compete Act will facilitate that chance by deferring (not eliminating) the point at which employers consider applicants’ criminal record and requiring individual consideration of each applicant.
The Act is not one of lowered standards, nor does it force employers to employ applicants with criminal records. It merely carries out the goal enshrined in its title – providing people with criminal records the opportunity to compete for jobs based on individual merit.”