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15 Concrete Ways to Find Jobs for Felons in San Bernardino in 2023

By Last update February 15, 2023
San Bernardino California skyline

Finding a new job in today’s working world can be tough. This is especially true for those that are justice involved. If you are looking for jobs for felons in San Bernardino, California, then we are here to help. Our dedicated team at Relaunch Pad understands where you are coming from because many of us have been there.

We have communicated with over 1,000 companies in the US to find out what their hiring practices for former offenders are. Our staff has also examined the local employment situations and selected some companies you should look at. These companies will give you the best possibility of finding jobs that hire felons in San Bernardino, and they have a good number of entry-level jobs, and can even offer advancement opportunities.

Jobs that hire felons in San Bernardino

San Bernardino California church

San Bernardino is east of Los Angeles, with a population of over 200,000 people. In the middle of the city center is Seccombe Lake Park and nearby is the resort town of Big Bear Lake, in the San Bernardino National Forest. The first Happy Meals were doled out in San Bernardino at the first McDonald’s restaurant, and the Rolling Stones played their very first US concert here. There’s a lot going on here!

On the business side of San Bernardino, the largest local industries are agriculture, oil and gas, construction, manufacturing, retail, transportation, and utilities. Being in southern California has many advantages, particularly the large population and number of businesses in the area. 

To make your job search as efficient as possible, you should use our great job search tool. It will allow you to narrow down your options by searching for openings by industry, job title, company, and other filters.

Top companies that hire felons in San Bernardino

Whether you are just starting out or have been around for a while, being justice-involved will pose challenges for finding a good job. We suggest that entry-level jobs are going to be your best bet. They always have the lowest requirements, you will have a better chance of finding jobs that don’t require a background check, and are willing to give you a chance.

If you are looking for the fastest way to locate a job, then check out temp and employment agency jobs for felons in San Bernardino. Temp agencies will have the latest and greatest job openings across a wide variety of job types. They are also familiar with locating jobs for people in your situation.

The main section of this article will provide you with some specific companies that hire felons in San Bernardino. The list of names directly below will allow you to click on a company and go directly to their section, or you can just keep reading to see all of them in order.

Baker’s Drive-Thru

Cardenas

Icee

Snow Summit

AmericannMade

El Nativo Growers

Birdgroup Construction

Top-Shelf Fixtures

Centerline Communications

Moss Bros Auto Group

The first thing you need to do before going out and looking for that new job is to put together an updated resume. If you have never done this before, or if you just need some help, then take a look at our guide to making a resume for people with a record.

Baker’s Drive-Thru

Fast-food places are always a safe bet for entry-level jobs. Baker’s Drive-Thru is a chain of fast-food restaurants in Southern California. Their menu features a selection of items such as hamburgers, french fries, tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and milkshakes. 

Some promising jobs for former felons:

  • Team Member
  • Crew Leader
  • Dishwasher
  • Prep Cook
  • Server

Cardenas

Grocery stores are another good place to look for entry-level opportunities. Cardenas is a supermarket chain based in Ontario, California that specializes in Latin American cuisine. There are 49 Cardenas stores and seven Los Altos Ranch Markets stores in California, Arizona, and Nevada (2019).

Some good opportunities for justice-involved folks to look for:

  • Cashier
  • Clerk
  • Cook
  • Coordinator
  • Courtesy clerk

Icee

If you like cold stuff and frozen drinks, then take a look at The Icee Company. Icee (previously Western Icee and Icee USA) is a beverage company known for its Icee (ICEE) frozen carbonated beverage available in fruit and soda flavors. Icee also produces other frozen beverages and Italian ice pops under the Icee and Slush Puppie brands. The company mascot is the ICEE bear which is an animated polar bear. Note: They do not hire people with drug offenses within the past 7 years.

Some solid jobs for former felons:

  • Driver
  • Server
  • Specialist
  • Maintenance
  • Warehouse

Snow Summit

For something in the resort and skiing related industry, then check out Snow Summit. It is a ski resort in the San Bernardino Mountains located by Big Bear Lake along with its sister resort, Bear Mountain. Snow Summit is one of the larger ski areas in Southern California, and is considered to be one of the most popular ski and snowboard destinations in this part of the US.

Great jobs for former felons:

  • Electrician
  • Maintenance Worker
  • Sales
  • Vehicle Mechanic
  • Staff

AmericannMade

If cannabis is OK with you and your situation, then take a look at AmericannMade. It is a vertically integrated cannabis company with over 20 years operating in the State of California. AmericannMade has three cultivation, distribution, and manufacturing facilities along with six retail locations throughout Southern California.

Promising jobs for former felons:

  • Assistant
  • Inventory Specialist
  • Maintenance Technician
  • Packager
  • Sales Associate

El Nativo Growers

El Nativo Growers provides wholesale services to landscape contractors, designers, architects, retail nurseries, municipalities, revegetation organizations, brokers, consultants, and other wholesale nurseries. They specialize in high quality plants from California, Australia, and other Mediterranean climates that thrive in the Southern California environment. Positions here revolve around the seasonal work required.

Some great opportunities for former felons:

  • Field Labor at Plant Nursery
  • Driver (Cannot have any DUIs on record)
  • Loader
  • Receiving/Materials
  • Maintenance Tech

Birdgroup Construction

If you’re into building and construction, then Birdgroup Construction may be a good fit for you. They serve the Public Works and Commercial Industries, including Retail, Restaurant, and Industrial sectors. 

Promising jobs for former felons:

  • Laborer
  • Outside Sales Representative
  • Customer Service
  • Maintenance
  • Loader / Driver

Top-Shelf Fixtures

Top-Shelf Fixtures is a manufacturing company in Chino that is an industry leader in design, engineering, and manufacturing of retail fixtures and displays for mass merchandisers, grocery chains, convenience stores, and franchise companies. They are a minority-owned business that has been around for 25 years.

Some good job opportunities for former felons:

  • Payable Specialist
  • Sales Person
  • Delivery Driver
  • Maintenance
  • Admin Assistant

Centerline Communications

If you’re looking for something in the communications field, then take a look at Centerline Communications. It is a professional services organization that specializes in the development, operations and maintenance of telecommunications networks and commercial facilities. They have operations that support Wireless Services, Technical Infrastructure Solutions, and Facilities Management.

Excellent openings for former felons to look for:

  • Maintenance Technician
  • Construction Labor
  • Technician Apprentice
  • Facilities
  • Warehouse

Moss Bros Auto Group

If cars are your thing, and you don’t have any drug or driving related offenses, then Moss Bros Auto Group may be a good place to check out. They have dealerships in San Bernardino, Moreno Valley, and Riverside. They also have a wide variety of opportunities available.

Promising jobs for former felons:

  • Lot Attendant
  • Cashier
  • Inventory Clerk
  • Lube Technician
  • Service Assistant

Trucking jobs for felons in San Bernardino

The trucking industry is booming and they need good drivers and workers. Driving a big rig can be an exciting career that allows you to travel and see new places. The trucking industry also has a reputation of giving former felons a second chance. So, if you are interested in trucking as a career, then you should look into truck driving and related job opportunities.

Below are a few companies to check out for trucking jobs for felons in San Bernardino:

  • A&R Transport 
  • Expedite Transport
  • Barnett Transportation
  • Redlands Transport Inc.
  • Sechrist & Son Transport

Warehouse jobs for felons in San Bernardino

Warehouses are an excellent source of work for many people. If you are looking for something with varied working hours and are not afraid of some physical labor, then warehouse jobs for felons in San Bernardino may be a good choice for you.

Here are some of the top businesses to consider:

  • GLC Distribution, LLC
  • Kenco Logistic Services/UpDike Logistics
  • CJ Logistics America
  • Dean Warehouse Services
  • Stater Bros Distribution

Temp agency jobs for felons in San Bernardino

A quick and easy way to locate a lot of jobs openings is to check out temp agency jobs for felons in San Bernardino. Temp and employment agencies always have a large inventory of job listings, and they are experts on the job market in the area. Most employment agencies are also familiar with assisting justice involved people to find jobs.

Here are some good agencies in the area:

  • Ultra Personnel, LLC
  • Swayzer Staffing Services
  • Full Steam Staffing
  • Employee Force Provider Inc.
  • San Bernardino County Workforce

Second chance and job training programs for felons in San Bernardino

California has a “Ban the box” law, which prevents employers with five or more employees from asking about your criminal history before making a conditional job offer. Also, an employer cannot deny you because of a conviction without making an individualized assessment.

If you are looking for more assistance with your job search or anything else, then you should look into second chance and job training programs for felons in San Bernardino and California. They can help you with a wide variety of things to get your life back on track.

Resources for former felons in San Bernardino:

  • Citadel Community Development Corporation
    • Mission: Citadel Community Development Corporation (CCDC) was originally incorporated in 2004 for the nonprofit purposes of assisting “at risk” individuals with the opportunity to access affordable housing, career and education services. We aim to serve the counties of San Bernardino and Riverside through individualized support through any of our client needs.
    • Services offered: Education, Employment, Housing
  • The Los Angeles Regional Reentry Partnership (LARRP)
    • Mission: The mission of the Los Angeles Regional Reentry Partnership (LARRP) is to support the development and implementation of a comprehensive, culturally competent, and effective community reentry system, by providing a strong community voice in public policy and funding decisions; by serving as a convener of reentry service providers, advocates, and other stakeholders; and by building capacity across the county to meet the needs of the reentry community.
    • Services offered: Education, Employment, Housing, Legal, Medical, Spiritual Services
  • SFU: Project Rebound
    • Mission: Is a special admissions program assisting formerly incarcerated individuals wanting to enter San Francisco State University. The program offers special admissions for men and women who might not normally qualify for university acceptance because of application deadlines and minor academic deficiencies.
    • Services offered: Education, Employment
  • California Reentry Program
    • Mission: The mission of the California Reentry Program is to assist California prisoners in successfully reentering society. This includes developing parole plans; providing prisoners assistance with developing social skills and obtaining services in their local communities; promoting public support for such programs; and providing a model for reentry programs that can be replicated in California and elsewhere.
    • Services offered: Assists men only, Education, Employment, Family
  • Project Hope Center Inc.
    • Mission: Project Hope Center is a nonprofit that provides Folsom Women’s Facility prisoners in successfully reentering society. This includes developing individual parole and probation plans; providing prisoners’ assistance with placements into safe residential/transitional or sober living programs prior to their release; obtaining services in their local communities; promoting public support for such programs.
    • Services offered: Housing, Reentry
Garland Brewster headshot

After a successful 25-year career in the IT industry, Garland is now a Reentry Educator with The Relaunchpad. He has significant experience writing documents (resumes, LinkedIn profiles, etc.) and advising job seekers. Garland shares his experience overcoming legal challenges to help others in similar circumstances move forward and find happiness and prosperity.