I have been offered a I.T. position with a company that contracts with DHS. I will have to clear a DHS Public Trust. I have a 1997 federal drug conviction which I served time and supervised release (which was terminated early). My issue is that I served several years in federal prison (I have been out since 2013). I have been working in the field which I have the job offer on since my release.
My question is: Are there any requirements on the length of time someone most be out of the legal system before a DHS Public trust can be obtained??
There are several factors that will have to be considered: moderate or high risk public trust; employment record since 2013; criminal conduct history prior to and after conviction. A felony drug related conviction in 1997 can be mitigated by time (even though you were released in 2013), rehabilitation, favorable work history since your release and character references, but it may come down to the specific position and DHS’s threshold for the drug offense.