Background Concern

[badger05]

I have a concern regarding my background, I am in the process of a background check but I visited a friend in prison, will this disqualify me? I have no prior arrests and never really done anything "bad". I am worried now because I passed everything else and I hope this wont hurt me. I've hear that it will show and that it wont so I hope it does not. Please someone help, this is in NC. Thanks

[retdetsgt]

I doubt it. If it comes up, explain it, but you will need to be careful associating with the friend if and when he gets out. Associating with felons is a no no.

[badger05]

I doubt it. If it comes up, explain it, but you will need to be careful associating with the friend if and when he gets out. Associating with felons is a no no.

thats a releif thanks, well he is not getting out i visited him since he just got his lwop sentence to comfort and give him the right words to pick him self up and change since we were friends in school, nothing else, i was just worried since this is my life time dream and i would be mad at myself if i let this ruin my career, appreciate the reply

[Kimble]

I have a concern regarding my background, I am in the process of a background check but I visited a friend in prison, will this disqualify me? I have no prior arrests and never really done anything "bad". I am worried now because I passed everything else and I hope this wont hurt me. I've hear that it will show and that it wont so I hope it does not. Please someone help, this is in NC. Thanks

Did you visit your friend because you were a co-conspirator in the same crime and just weren't caught? If not, as retdetsgt, choosing to associate with felons is a bad decision for someone who wants to be a cop, but simply visiting a friend who happens to be incarcerated (by no association to anything you've done) is likely not going to keep you from being employed.

[badger05]

Did you visit your friend because you were a co-conspirator in the same crime and just weren't caught? If not, as retdetsgt, choosing to associate with felons is a bad decision for someone who wants to be a cop, but simply visiting a friend who happens to be incarcerated (by no association to anything you've done) is likely not going to keep you from being employed.

No not at all i was never involved in any acts this friend had commited. We were friends in highschool and stopped conversating at the end of high school because I knew that he was about trouble, I visited him a couple times in jail just to see how he was doing and now in prison. Never commited any criminal acts with him, i just wanted him to change and grow up, which he is doing now although its a little too late. But he wishes me luck with my career and had nothing against leo. I really hope this does not show up, although if i have to stop contact with him I will def. do that. I just dont think writing a letter or visiting from time to time as a reg citizen would hurt anyone especially if he is in there for life. But my career is my priority and I shouldve thought about it before I just felt like as long as I dont have any felonies and no bad history me visitng a prison wouldnt really even show up on a bi.

[G35 Mass]

It's hurting you more than you know.

You're willfully associating with a convicted criminal.

A lot of people come here asking if they'll be OK in a BI because their brother/mother/sister/father/cousin/dog is a criminal. Everyone gets the same advice: "They're your family, not your friends. You don't chose them; you're stuck with them. It's not like its a friend who you chose to hang out with".... Yup, you're 'that guy' who chooses to hang out with criminals.

I know a guy like that who was a cop. He's been fighting for over a year to get his job back. He got sucked in.

[retdetsgt]

This doesn't sound like the same thing to me. If he had hung around the guy during the time he was getting into trouble, that would be different. But if he hadn't had any contact with him after high school and then learned about him being in the joint, that's not associating. I don't see this as a big deal.

And yeah, I've seen cops careers go down the drain too because they associated with crooks, but I do see one visit to the joint to see a guy he hadn't seen nor heard from for years as that important. Especially before he's a cop and knew better.

[badger05]

I appreciate the feedback good and bad it gives me an insight of what to expect. During my interview i was never asked "did you ever visit someone in prison" and at this time I havent. It was after my interview, heard he got sentenced and went to visit. My BI is being conducted now and I feel like even if my recruiter asks me I will just tell them the truth. I am 21 years old have a AA in CJ and planning to get my BA. Never got a ticket for the 5 years I have been driving, never been arrested, admitted to trying marijuana years ago, I speak another language and I am physically fit. Passes my interview, my pt test, my polygraph, had a few job while in highschool to pay for my stuff my current job I had for two years full time. I dont do much work M-F gym 4-5 days a week and chill on weekends, on top of that I love to helpe people. So in my opinion I dont think I will be DQ for visitng a friend in prison, but then again i am not a recruiter or a BI investigator so I will just keep faith and hope this does not harm me. Appreciate the feedback and even if its something negative i;d rather be prepared then to be shocked so thx

[badger05]

I appreciate the feedback good and bad it gives me an insight of what to expect. During my interview i was never asked "did you ever visit someone in prison" and at that time I havent. It was after my interview i did, heard he got sentenced and went to visit. My BI is being conducted now and I feel like even if my recruiters asks me I will just tell them the truth. I am 21 years old have a AA in CJ and planning to get my BA. Never got a ticket for the 5 years I have been driving, never been arrested, admitted to trying marijuana years ago, I speak another language and I am physically fit. Passed my interview, my pt test, my polygraph, had a few jobs while in highschool to pay for my stuff; my current job I had for two years full time. I dont do to much other than work M-F gym 4-5 days a week and chill on weekends, on top of that I love to help people. So in my opinion I dont think I will be DQ for visitng a friend in prison, but then again i am not a recruiter or a BI investigator so I will just keep faith and hope this does not harm me. Appreciate the feedback and even if its something negative i'd rather be prepared then to be shocked so thx

(Typo errors fixed)