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In a competitive job market, Holly Murphy felt her drug convictions were the final strike against her when it came to job interviews.

The 43-year-old Utah County woman was so discouraged about her criminal history she didn't want to fill out another application.

"There was just a lot of apprehension," Murphy said, adding that when the form asked if she had been convicted of a crime she wasn't sure how to answer it. "You can't change [my record]. It is what it is."

She didn't want to admit her past and raise more questions; it seemed easier to say no and hope for the best. Another time at a job interview, she nervously spilled every detail about her record. Neither strategy resulted in her getting the job.

In March 2009, she committed theft by deception, a second-degree felony, which was reduced to a class A misdemeanor after she pleaded guilty, according to court records. Murphy is currently on probation until early 2013 for the incident.

It wasn't until her probation officer sent her to a workshop course known as the Utah Defendant/Offender Workforce Development (UDOWD) Task Force, that she learned how to honestly present herself — which ultimately resulted in a job offer.

She has been employed for a year as an office assistant at GT Auto Sales in Provo. She also regained custody of her three children and completed ahead of time her probation in a drug case.

The workshop — which is part of an uncommon collaboration of public agencies, community partners, and employers to help previous offenders get and keep jobs — taught her how to be comfortable and confident with who she is now and what she could offer.

"It is all in presentation, Murphy said. "I really struggled with how to present [my past]."

She learned to use her probation officer as a reference on applications, which is something previously she never thought of as an option.

"Who better to actually vouch for who [I] was now?" she said.

Murphy said the program taught her that a criminal conviction doesn't mean she has nothing to offer.

"It isn't an unemployment sentence, and it doesn't mean I'm not qualified," Murphy said. "I still bring something to the table."

Murphy says her employer appreciated her forwardness and how she didn't present her past as a stumbling block. She also says her co-workers are "very supportive" of her.

She isn't the only one seeing success through the program. Since 2009, about 700 offenders who have participated have become employed.

UDOWD, which was created in October 2009, offers federal and state financial incentives to employers who hire previous offenders.

There is a $2,400 tax credit available to employers who hire and keep an offender for a certain number of hours in a given year.

The federal government offers free bonds or insurance to protect the company for the first six months of an offender's employment, ranging from $5,000 to $25,000.

Utah Department of Corrections spokesman Steve Gehrke said the program helps the community by helping offenders contribute to society rather than become stuck in a revolving door of prison or jail.

"We do all we can to make sure they have their feet underneath them and can succeed on their own," Gehrke said, adding that the program allows offenders to succeed and get back with their families.

As far as employers are concerned, Gehrke acknowledged, "There is a little bit of a leap of faith on their part."

The program is an alternative to another scenario: Eighty percent of offenders nationwide are unemployed at the time they return to prison, according to a news release. Program participants:

Catholic Community Services

Community Correctional, Re-Entry, and Treatment Centers

Davis Applied Technology College

Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL)

LDS Employment Services

Utah 3rd District Court

Utah County Sheriff's Office

Utah Office of Recovery Services

Utah State Office of Education

Utah State Office of Rehabilitation