Getting a Job After Prison in Indiana

There is one question that determines whether you get hired. Not the application. Not the background check. Not what the charge was or how long you were inside.

The question is this: why you, over the thirty other people I could hire who don't have a criminal record?

If you walk in without a ready answer, you will not get the job. The interviewer can see the pause the moment you don't have something prepared, and once they see it, the room shifts against you. What you need is an answer practiced enough to say with confidence and humility at the same time.

The answer that works is this:

Everybody deserves a second chance. Somebody is going to give me one. And they are going to get the best employee they ever had, because I am never, ever going to do something that sends me back to prison.

Say it clean. Say it without flinching. It makes no excuses, asks for no sympathy, and tells the employer the one thing they actually need to know: you have more reason to perform than anyone else in that stack.

Then live it. The light is on you from the first day. Use it. Work twice as hard as the person next to you. Show up earlier, stay later, and make that scrutiny your shining light, not a shadow. The person standing next to you does not have anyone watching them that closely. You do. That is the advantage if you decide to use it.

What the Law in Indiana Says About Your Record

Indiana's ban the box law covers only the executive branch of state government employment, established by executive order. Private employers in Indiana are not covered. A company can ask about your criminal history on the initial application and make a decision based on it without limitation. There is no statewide timing rule, no lookback limit, and no requirement to weigh a conviction against the job duties before using it to deny employment.

Indiana went further than simply not passing a private employer law. In 2017, the state legislature passed Senate Bill 312, which explicitly prohibited local municipalities from enacting their own ban the box ordinances. This law nullified Indianapolis's 2014 ban the box ordinance, which had been one of the most significant local protections in the Midwest. No city or county in Indiana currently has a ban the box ordinance for private employers.

What does protect you:

Arrest records without conviction. Indiana law prohibits employers from asking about arrest records that did not result in conviction. If you were arrested but not convicted, that arrest cannot be used against you.

Expunged or sealed records. This is Indiana's most powerful protection, and it is worth understanding carefully. Under Indiana's Second Chance Act (Indiana Code 35-38-9), if your conviction has been expunged or sealed, it is unlawful discrimination for any employer to refuse to hire you, refuse to renew a license, or otherwise discriminate against you because of that record. Once expunged, you may legally answer "no" to questions asking whether you have been convicted of a crime. The law is explicit: in any application for employment, a person may be questioned about a previous criminal record only as follows -- "Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime that has NOT been expunged by a court?" If your record qualifies, this changes your position significantly.

Indiana's Second Chance Act covers a wide range of records: arrests without conviction (after one year), misdemeanors, Class D and Level 6 felonies, and many higher-level felonies, depending on the offense type and waiting period. Violent and sex offenses and some other serious crimes are excluded or have more complex eligibility. If you have not explored whether your record qualifies for expungement, do it now. Indiana Legal Services provides free assistance.

Indiana's economy runs on manufacturing, automotive parts, steel, pharmaceutical production, logistics and distribution, agriculture, and construction. Those sectors have consistent labor needs and represent the most accessible paths in this state.

Building the Answer Before You Need It

Indiana offers no private employer timing protection. The answer you walk in with is what determines the outcome.

Start with what you did with your time inside. The Indiana Department of Correction provides education and vocational training inside facilities. If you completed programs, earned credentials, held work assignments, or developed skills, that time is content, not a blank.

Then match it to the job. Manufacturing plants across Indiana need reliability, attention to process, and someone who shows up. Logistics operations need consistency and the ability to follow procedure. Construction needs physical endurance and a willingness to learn. Whatever you are applying for, make the answer specific to what that employer needs.

Practice the answer out loud. To another person. Until the hesitation is completely gone. The pause is what loses the room. Eliminate it before you sit down.

Companies in Indiana That Hire People with Criminal Records

Indiana's manufacturing-heavy economy, anchored by automotive production in the central and southern parts of the state and steel along the northwest corridor, creates consistent demand in sectors that historically evaluate applicants individually.

Amazon operates major fulfillment centers in Indiana, including large facilities in Indianapolis and surrounding counties, and is a national fair chance employer. Walmart, Home Depot, Target, and major food service operators have Indiana operations and corporate fair chance commitments. Steel mills and producers in Gary, East Chicago, and the northwest Indiana corridor employ heavily in production and operations roles. Automotive suppliers across central and southern Indiana hire in manufacturing and assembly positions with significant labor demand. FedEx and UPS distribution operations hire package handlers and warehouse workers with case-by-case background review.

Goodwill Industries of Central Indiana is an active second chance employer and connects returning citizens to employer networks. The WorkOne system can provide direct referrals to employers who have expressed openness to hiring returning citizens.

Staffing agencies across Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, South Bend, Evansville, and the northwest Indiana corridor are the most reliable first step, placing workers in manufacturing, logistics, and light industrial roles with more flexibility than direct hire.

For the full national list of companies with public fair chance commitments, see the InmateAid Fair Chance Employer Reference List.

The Tax Credit Employers Get for Hiring You

Here is the closing argument for every conversation with an employer on the fence.

There is a federal program called the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, or WOTC. When an employer hires someone from a qualifying group, including individuals recently released from prison, the employer may receive a significant federal tax credit per qualifying hire. That is not charity. It is a business incentive the federal government created specifically to make hiring returning citizens financially advantageous.

You are not asking anyone to take a risk on you. You are telling them your hire comes with a tax benefit attached that none of the other thirty applicants can offer. Say it at the end of the interview, after you have made your case: I qualify for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit. Hiring me may put money back in your business. And I will give you the best work you have ever gotten from a new hire, because I have too much to lose to give you anything less.

The Indiana Department of Workforce Development coordinates WOTC certification through the WorkOne career center network statewide.

Where to Get Help in Indiana

WorkOne, operated through the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, is the state's career center network. WorkOne provides job search assistance, resume help, training referrals, WOTC coordination, and Federal Bonding access. Find your nearest WorkOne center at in.gov/dwd or by calling the Indiana career center hotline.

Indiana Department of Correction reentry services provide education, vocational training, and pre-release preparation inside facilities. Ask your case manager or counselor about reentry planning and WorkOne connections before your release date.

Volunteers of America Indiana provides reentry support services in Indianapolis and surrounding areas, including employment assistance, housing support, and community connections.

Indiana Legal Services provides free legal assistance to low-income Hoosiers, including help with expungement petitions under the Second Chance Act. If you have not explored whether your record is eligible for expungement, this is the first call to make. Contact Indiana Legal Services at inlegalservices.org.

Goodwill Industries of Central Indiana is an active second chance employer and workforce partner, providing job placement assistance and connections to fair chance employer networks in the Indianapolis metro.

The Federal Bonding Program, coordinated through Indiana DWD and WorkOne, provides free fidelity bonding to employers who hire returning citizens. Ask your WorkOne counselor to connect a prospective employer with this program.

Indiana's PACE Inc. (Public Advocates in Community Re-Entry) in Indianapolis provides comprehensive reentry support services including employment assistance and community navigation for returning citizens.