Tax Incentive Rewards Businesses That Hire Convicted Felons

CHARLOTTE, N.C.,None — Anita Sparrow got her second chance in life in the back room of a north Charlotte dry cleaners.

Sparrow was released from prison in December 2009 after serving eight months on drug charges.

"It was my third time in prison and I said, you know, I didn't want to live my life like that anymore," said Sparrow.

She spent the next several months looking for a job and in March of last year, was hired by Larry Hill to work at American Dry Cleaners.

"Anytime you have someone that has a criminal record, I mean, it brings up all kinds of questions," said Hill.

But Hill gets a tax credit of up to $2,400 for hiring Sparrow, a convicted felon.

It's part of the Work Opportunity Tax Credit Program. The idea, in part, is to encourage employers to hire convicted felons.

But Hill admitted he was skeptical at first. "I've hired people in the past with a criminal background and it didn't work out at all," he said.

Hill says Sparrow is reliable and better suited for the job than some people he brought in that had clear criminal records.

When we asked Hill if there was any concern Sparrow may slip back into that life that she's trying so hard to get away from he said, "Of course, and she needs to be monitored just like anyone that comes from that background so we watch, I'm concerned, making sure there's no issues that pop up and to this point, she's given me no problems."

"You have to really want it within yourself to change so -- and that's what I wanted and that's what I did," Sparrow said.

This program would also give tax credits to companies that hire veterans, certain teenagers in the summer, food stamp recipients and more.

WSOC