Great Read - a True Story That Offers Hope

I got a copy of Shaka Senghor's book, Writing my Wrongs, for Christmas. I just could not put it down! What an amazing and insightful story of his journey into the drug trade, incarceration, faith, hope, and redemption.  I highly recommend reading his book, listening to his Ted Talk, and going to his website to learn more. 

Helping Others

Sometimes the realities of dealing with a loved one who is incarcerated or watching what is happening to those around us can be overwhelming. There are many organizations out there who can offer help and hope. The internet is full of resources, as well as local non-profits and faith-based organizations.  Reach out today.

Bravo, Los Angeles!

It's great to see that the city of Los Angeles gets it. Perhaps more cities around the country could follow suit. 

Check out the story  Los Angeles to Give Formerly Incarcerated a Second Chance...

 

Re-entry Facts

Check out this re-entry fact sheet:  Re-Entry Facts

 

A Better Way to Fight Recidivism

Set a man up for a modicum of success, and he might just make a better life for himself.

As many as two-thirds of the 650,000 inmates released from prisons and jails in the United States each year will be re-arrested within three years. America Works is trying to change that.

A new report from the Manhattan Institute looks at AW’s successful approach, which centers around providing more “enhanced job-readiness training and job-search assistance” to nonviolent offenders than the typical re-entry program does. If the welfare-reform successes of the ’90s taught us anything, it’s that the best welfare program is a job. By rapidly attaching such offenders to work, AW aims to minimize the chance that they’ll re-offend later.

As the report puts it:  America Works is condensed into an intense one- or two-week period. It uses a tough-love approach, stressing interpersonal communication and such “soft” skills as time and anger management. It places special attention on teaching practical skills that many former inmates never acquired, such as résumé preparation, search strategies, and interview techniques. And it uses a network of employers, who are open to hiring ex-offenders and with whom it has long-term relationships, to place clients. Its goal is not only to help former inmates find jobs but also to keep jobs, and it provides follow-up services for six months. In 2005, the program provided job-readiness classes to 1,000 ex-offenders, placing 700 in jobs.

CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO READ THE REST OF THIS VALUABLE ARTICLE BY

— Kathryn Jean Lopez - senior fellow at the National Review Institute, editor-at-large of National Review Online, and founding director of Catholic Voices USA. 

http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/416066/better-way-fight-recidivism-nr-interview

 

Georgia Leaders Discuss Challenges, Strategies in Hiring Individuals with Criminal Records

Taken from: http://csgjusticecenter.org/reentry/posts/georgia-leaders-discuss-challenges-strategies-in-hiring-individuals-with-criminal-records/

December 15, 2014

By Mai P. Tran, program associate

State leaders and business executives convened in Atlanta recently to address barriers to employment faced by individuals with criminal records, and to discuss strategies for improving employment outcomes.

 

The event, “Reducing the Risk of a Criminal Record: The Employer’s Perspective,” highlighted companies that hire individuals with criminal records.

 

Challenge and Opportunity

During a panel moderated by Appeals Court Judge Michael P. Boggs, business leaders shared approaches to fair hiring practices, including conducting a background check only after a job offer has been made and also giving potential employees the opportunity to explain their criminal record.

 

The panelists also addressed hiring challenges and risks. For big businesses, there is often the pressure to protect brand image from the stigma of hiring individuals with criminal records. Derek Bottoms, vice president of employment practices and associate relations at Home Depot, suggested that large companies are more likely to contend with the possibility that consumers might, for example, post negatively on social media about the company’s practice of hiring individuals with criminal records. In these cases, he said, “there is nothing a policymaker can do to protect the brand.”

 

For some small business owners, on the other hand, liability or fear of negligent hiring and supervising claims may discourage the hiring of individuals with criminal records. Peter deKok, owner of P.T. Enterprise, a natural stone distribution company, added that employment laws and policies with restrictions and rigid requirements on hiring and licensing “place an unfair burden on those employers trying to do right.”

 

Labor and employment attorney Myra Creighton stressed that people should be given the opportunity to explain their criminal record(s), and hiring managers and human resource departments should be trained on how to have these types of conversations. She noted that even the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), a federal agency that enforces federal laws against employment discrimination, conducts background checks.

 

Employers as ‘Customers’

Leaders in corrections, workforce development, and policymakers who participated in the event’s second panel agreed that employers’ needs, which have traditionally been less emphasized, are also important.

 

“We have always looked at job seekers as our customer base,” said Michael Sterling, executive director of the Atlanta Workforce Development Agency. “But we need to start looking to employers as a customer base, too.”

 

The panelists discussed policies in Georgia that create barriers to employment for individuals with criminal records, such as driver’s license restrictions. Not having a license can become a significant challenge to securing and maintaining employment, especially for those without access to public transportation. Panelists also identified initiatives and programs in the state that help individuals with criminal records obtain jobs. Commissioner Brian Owens of the Georgia Department of Corrections mentioned opportunities made available to help incarcerated individuals obtain high school diplomas and college credits, as well as certifications for in-demand fields such as diesel mechanics and welding.

 

This discussion is a part of the growing conversation across the country between business leaders and policymakers on improving employment outcomes for individuals with criminal records. It is modeled after an event held in June 2014 at the White House, and is inspired by “State Pathways to Prosperity,” an initiative of the Council of State Governments, which is supported by the CSG Justice Center’s Reentry and Employment project. To learn more how you can host similar conversations in your jurisdiction, click here.

 

To learn about the Georgia event, click here.To learn about the White House event, click here.

Career coach helps inmates get fresh start

Borrowed from the Justice Center.

January 7, 2014

The Daily News Journal 
By: Nancy De Gennaro

Although the average recidivism rate for inmates in the state system hovers around 70 percent, local organizations are working together to reduce the number who return to incarceration.

Doors of Hope has teamed up with the Tennessee Department of Correction, the Rutherford County Correctional Work Center and the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office to get inmates career-planning assistance, a huge part of reducing recidivism.

“There are community organizations out here that help (inmates) find skills needed to re-enter society,” says Amy Jaramillo, a volunteer with the nonprofit Doors of Hope, an organization that does just that, offering mentorship, guidance and encouragement for ex-offenders. “We want a safer community and one way to have a safer community is (helping) these folks who have served their time … reintegrate back into society.”

Part of the solution is provided by TDOC, which has a mobile Career Coach that travels to various locations to offer resume and job-search assistance. Most recently, the Career Coach has visited the Correctional Work Center. The bus is equipped with about a dozen computers, Internet access and help from job coaches who assist people in searching for employment and creating resumes.

“My main job responsibility is … to assist with reintegrating (inmates) into the work world,” says Stephen Darrow, an employment specialist with TDOC who travels with the Career Coach.

Stumbling blocks can seem insurmountable when an individual is released, Jaramillo says.

“They come out in debt. They come out maybe without a driver’s license — some of the simple things most of us take for granted, and so Doors of Hope along with the (Tennessee Department of Correction) are trying to find ways to reach these felons and misdemeanants and say, ‘Hey, this is what you need to do,’” Jaramillo says.

Although misdemeanors can make finding employment difficult, many companies won’t even look at resumes from those with felony convictions. And many times, felonies and misdemeanors “run hand in hand,” Darrow says.
 

Another part of Darrow’s job is creating partnerships with local businesses in order to “break down barriers” and stigma regarding employment of those who have been incarcerated.
“There are myths that a person with a felony background is not going to be a good worker. That’s a misconception,” Darrow says.

Hiring ex-offenders can be a win-win situation for both the business and individuals.

“There are tax credits and there’s the federal bonding program, which is an insurance policy by the federal government to any business that hires a person with a felony background … to give offenders a second chance,” Darrow says.

Giving ex-offenders hope is a key element to cutting the recidivism rate, says Kim Robertson, who is over the programs at the Rutherford County Correctional Work Center.

“Individuals that come through here … they don’t have the (knowledge) of how to get started. … The most important thing they get out of (Career Coach) is there is help out there and not to give up,” Robertson says. “If they’re going to get turned down at one place, they’re going to get irritated and think, ‘I’m not going to keep trying,’ and therefore they’re going to re-offend. They need to learn to take another route.”

If ex-offenders are employed, “They’re paying their bills, paying into their Social Security and they’re not out committing crimes,” Darrow says. “I’ve seen it happen … they get a steady paycheck. They get more confident in themselves, they start believing in themselves and they’re formulating an idea of what they want to do as a career. They are on a stepping block to doing something more.”

For more information about Doors of Hope classes and programs, call 615-653-5501.

http://csgjusticecenter.org/reentry/media-clips/career-coach-helps-inmates-get-fresh-start/?utm_source=CSG+Justice+Center+Primary+List&utm_campaign=c85bcb8939-NRRC_Newsletter_1_16_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_db9d88bcfb-c85bcb8939-42280953
 

Thank you for Reading

Thank you for checking out this blog. It is my passion to help those who have made mistakes. We've ALL made them. Please consider sharing the information you find on here or sending me feedback on how I can make this more useful. The more that can benefit and find new ideas and ways to success, the better.

Wall Street Journal Discusses Background Checks

Interesting article on the use of background checks and the need to eliminate "the box" from job applications. 

I really appreciate his closing comment:  What we need to do is take a closer look at how we use the word "criminal" and what it really means. Otherwise millions of qualified Americans will be disqualified before they even apply.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323324904579040971327102370.html?ru=yahoo?mod=yahoo_itp

Welcome!

Welcome to the X-Offender Success Spot!! My hope is that this space will be a source of information, encouragement, and support that can help you be more successful in your lives.

First, let me say I dislike labels. The word "offender" or the words "ex-offender" are very negative. I feel that the use of them places one in the past and focuses on the mistake, rather than the potential the person really has.

We have all made mistakes; we don't need to be defined by them. Daily we can choose a different path that will get us more positive results.

In this blog I will share bits of information that I have learned working with those with criminal records. I hope you will find what I share to be useful and refreshing!

I look forward to your comments as we grow together.

Thanks for reading!!