Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
‘I’m trying to live normal life – but it’s a struggle’
AN ex-offender claims he was denied the chance to turn his life around after his would-be employers found out he had a criminal conviction and withdrew their job offer.
Jamie Canter, 22, was looking forward to starting work on a mobile coronavirus testing facility for the Scottish Ambulance Service, after spending four months at the government’s coronavirus testing hub in Perth.
However, the Scottish Ambulance Service withdrew its offer once it found out he’d spent 28 months in a young offender institution for drug convictions.
Jamie, from Dundee, wants others not to dismiss former youth offenders, saying many just want to make an honest living.
He said: “I went through the whole application process and a phone interview and got offered the job. I signed the contract, sent it back and then they did a disclosure check – in my eyes they should have done that before handing out a contract.
“I was honest with them and told them what my convictions were and then they sent me an email to say they were withdrawing their offer of employment.
“They also said I am not the only person this has happened to.
“It is not fair, if someone wants to work they shouldn’t be penalised.”
Having learned barbering in prison, Jamie has applied to about 20 different barber shops and has recently taken on a flat, but he’s now worried other employers will knock him back because of his criminal record.
He added: “People complain prisoners are all on benefits, but if someone wants to put their head down and work they should be allowed to. I worked at the testing centre in Perth and knew exactly what to do in the job, so I don’t understand why I can’t work there.
“I have spent time in prison for the crimes I committed, I never killed anyone or hurt anyone.
“I am not going to back to that life, I am just trying to live a normal live but I am struggling.
“Thankfully I am in the right head space to know something else will come along, but there will be a lot who will turn back to crime to put food on the table.”
A spokesman for the Scottish Ambulance Service said: “We have robust measures for recruiting staff and individually assess each candidate to ensure they are suitable for the post they have applied for.”