Arrests Don’t Hamper Hiring At Texas Residential Facilities, Report Finds

Criminal histories of robbery and assault failed to raise red flags on employment applications for Texas facilities serving children with disabilities, a newspaper investigation found.

Records reviewed by The Texas Tribune and the Houston Chronicle indicate that Texas regulators didn’t flinch at approving applications for workers with histories of prostitution, theft, assault with a deadly weapon and reckless driving, among other charges, to work at a Houston facility called Daystar Residential, Inc.

Some criminal offenses — such as robbery or sexual assault — do prohibit individuals from working with children in Texas, but other crimes do not necessarily stand in an applicant’s way. It is unclear if any of the prospective employees were ever convicted of the crimes uncovered in their criminal background checks or if they were hired.

Representatives of Daystar say it is unreasonable to expect that all workers at facilities for those with disabilities would be free of criminal records. After all, the work typically offers low pay and is often situated in outlying locations.

Advocates counter that no good can come from employing those with questionable histories to work with a vulnerable population, reports The Texas Tribune. To read more click here.