More job opportunities are opening up for parolees and others with criminal records, according to CNBC.com. The Prison Policy Initiative estimates unemployment among ex-felons at 27 percent, but some corporations and human resource executives show signs of interest in hiring former inmates, according to a survey by the Society for Human Resource Management, (SHRM). “This is not a problem of aspirations; it’s a structural problem, involving discrimination and a lack of opportunities made available to people who have been to prison,” said … [Read more...] about More job opportunities opening up for formerly incarcerated
Re-entry
KidCAT co-founder Charlie Spence home after 22 years
Charlie Spence KidCAT Chairman and Co-founder Charlie Spence committed serious crimes as a teenager, but he transformed his life during almost 22 years in prison. “I know I can’t change the effects that I’ve had in the past, but I can change the effect I will have in the future,” Spence told the San Quentin News. “I believe life only matters in the effect it has on another life.” Spence started his incarceration as a confused 16-year-old who called 911 in an attempt to save the man his friend killed during a botched robbery. He … [Read more...] about KidCAT co-founder Charlie Spence home after 22 years
Chan Zuckerberg Initiative holds criminal justice workshop at SQ
PUP student Isaiah Love presenting his criminal justice reform idea to philanthropists The Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) sponsored a Criminal Justice Reform workshop with the Prison University Project (PUP) at San Quentin during the fall semester. The “Criminal Justice Reform, Philanthropy, and Social Change” workshop was designed to include incarcerated voices in the decisions that affect them. The framework for the non-credit college workshop revolved around participatory action, which seeks to ensure that the people directly … [Read more...] about Chan Zuckerberg Initiative holds criminal justice workshop at SQ
A woman prisoner’s creative approach to housing
Women continue to be innovative and skillful, with creative ideas – even while in prison, according to a National Public Radio (NPR) source. Vanessa Thompson had an idea for solving Indiana’s abandoned housing problem while watching television on her bunk in one of America’s oldest facilities — Indianapolis Women’s Prison. Thompson heard Democratic Mayor Joe Hogsett discuss Indiana’s 10,000 abandoned houses, a problem resulting from factory closures and the mortgage crisis. Her idea was to have newly released inmates restore the … [Read more...] about A woman prisoner’s creative approach to housing
Social worker addresses inflated health risk to those released from prison
Anna Steiner warns that going home from prison can be hazardous to your health. Steiner is a social worker and medical discharge planner at San Quentin. “Individuals being released from prison are at a high risk of dying within the first two weeks of release,” Steiner told the San Quentin News. “These risks are from causes such as drug overdose, heart attack and cancer.” Steiner runs a San Quentin medical discharge clinic for chronically ill prisoners who will soon be going home. Steiner’s goal is to educate inmates about their … [Read more...] about Social worker addresses inflated health risk to those released from prison
Advocacy group for the incarcerated finds home in Oakland
An organization established 40 years ago to advocate for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people recently relocated to Oakland, reports Carla Williams on oaklandnorth.net. “If we don’t protect Oakland, we won’t have an urban community to call our own,” said Dorsey Nunn, executive director of Legal Services for Prisoners with Children (LSPC). He was referring to the fact that Black people now make up only 4 percent of the population in San Francisco. “We lost San Francisco, but we have the opportunity to do something great here … [Read more...] about Advocacy group for the incarcerated finds home in Oakland
Collateral consequences of incarceration still linger
Jay Jordan’s story is an example of the barriers the formerly incarcerated face when trying to make a new life outside of prison. He was paroled in 2011 following seven years in prison. He filled out 30 applications as a barber, a skill he learned while locked up. He remained unemployed. Everywhere he went, his past convictions stopped employers from even considering him, reports Kay Wicker for thinkprogress.org. These circumstances are anything but unusual. One in five Californians have convictions, according to a report published by … [Read more...] about Collateral consequences of incarceration still linger
Texas program produces more than 350 entrepeneurs from prison
Texas has graduated more than 2,000 individuals from a prison entrepreneurship program. Upon release, some of these graduates have gone on to create more than 350 businesses in their local communities, according to The Crime Report. All 2000 of the individuals who graduated from Texas’ Prison Entrepreneurship Program (PEP) were employed or self-employed within 90 days of their release from jail. Most of them have retained their employment for more than a year after obtaining the positions. The program has a low 7 percent recidivism … [Read more...] about Texas program produces more than 350 entrepeneurs from prison
The formerly incarcerated face uphill battle with education and work
The formerly incarcerated are often relegated to the lowest rung of the educational ladder, a recent report concludes. Prisoners and former prisoners “rarely get the chance to make up for the educational opportunities from which they’ve been excluded,” according to “Getting Back on Course: Educational exclusion and attainment among formerly incarcerated people,” published in prisonpolicy.org. “Education is especially critical for people seeking employment after release from prison,” the report stated. The October 2018 … [Read more...] about The formerly incarcerated face uphill battle with education and work
Organization helps newly released find jobs
A Michigan organization is working to help former prisoners succeed when they are released, flintside.com reports. “Prejudice against formerly incarcerated people makes it nearly impossible for them to get a job or rent an apartment,” said Leon El-Alamin, founder and executive director of MADE Institute. “A lot of what people think they know about the criminal justice system is outdated or just misguided, and that harms formerly incarcerated people who are trying so hard to turn their lives around,” El-Alamin said at the … [Read more...] about Organization helps newly released find jobs