Illinois Casinos Allowed to Employ Convicted Felons for Non-Gaming Roles
Illinois gambling establishments now have a bigger selection of workers to choose from due to a new law. Governor J.B. Pritzker (D) recently signed Senate Bill 1462, which changes the state's regulations on felons working at commercial casinos.
The Illinois Gambling Act amendment, sponsored by state Sen. Robert Peters (D-Chicago) and state Rep. Kam Buckner (D-Chicago) in collaboration with Unite Here Local 1, a prominent hospitality and gaming union, allows people with specific felony convictions to apply for non-gaming positions in state-licensed casinos. Previously banned from working in gambling establishments, felons can now apply for jobs in areas like housekeeping, waiting staff, cooking, bartending, bellmen, porters, and dishwashing.
These positions do not involve gambling, as individuals with felony convictions are still ineligible for gaming roles like table game dealing and slot attending.
Pritzker celebrated the legislation as a step toward giving people second chances and rehabilitating ex-offenders: “In the Land of Lincoln, we believe that individuals deserve the opportunity to rebuild their lives after making mistakes," he said in a statement. "As we transform our justice system away from incarceration and toward rehabilitation, we are creating chances for prisoners who have served their time to get meaningful employment."
Eligibility
While other states have allowed felons to return to the workforce through the gambling industry, Illinois' new law doesn't explicitly rule out violent offenders from participating. Instead, the law instructs the Illinois Gaming Board to take various factors into account when deciding if an individual is a suitable candidate for a license required to work at an Illinois Gaming Board-regulated establishment.
Before Pritzker signed the bill, the Gaming Board's criteria for licensure disqualified anyone with a criminal felony offense. However, SB 1462 requests the board to evaluate factors such as the length of time since the crime occurred, the number of convictions, the nature and seriousness of the crime, and its connection to the safety and security of others. It also considers the context surrounding the conviction, the offender's age at the time, and any evidence of rehabilitation.
Casinos in Illinois, as well as many businesses in the state and throughout the nation, are experiencing issues in finding qualified employees. 15,000 hospitality workers represented by Unite Here Local 1's union president Karen Kent believe this new law will help to increase the number of people pursuing careers in this industry.
"We have strived to ensure that hospitality workers in Illinois casinos have the opportunity for good jobs," said Kent. "But our efforts are not complete if so many of our friends, neighbors, loved ones, and members of our communities are permanently excluded from these jobs due to prior convictions. With SB 1462, we're giving people hope for a second chance."
Multi-Faceted Benefits
Advocates of the new law say it has several advantages - not only does it widen the hiring pool for casinos, but it also helps prevent reoffending among offenders. By allowing them to work in casino areas not directly related to gambling, Peters notes that it reduces the chance of them slipping back into illegal activities and potentially getting back into prison.
Furthermore, the tie between mass incarceration and income inequality is examined. "There is a fundamental contradiction in claiming to be tough on crime while leaving people without economic access," states Peters.
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Source: www.casino.org
