Tag: #christianblog

The journey of reentry after incarceration is riddled with obstacles, as individuals with criminal records face a myriad of challenges when attempting to rebuild their lives. Among the most pressing difficulties are finding stable housing, securing employment opportunities, and accessing everyday resources. I want to delve into the significant challenges that felons encounter and explore potential solutions to support their successful reintegration into society.

1. Finding Housing:

One of the foremost challenges for individuals with criminal records is finding suitable housing. Many landlords and property management companies employ strict background check policies, making it arduous for felons to secure safe and stable accommodations. Unfortunately, returning “home” isn’t always possible. The parole board and staff can tell you that you can’t live in the same county you used to live in, you can’t live with a certain person because they were a co-defendant, or they feel that the environment is a potential for you to re-offend. This is an area that many inmates and families are shocked by when they receive the news they’ve been paroled. Then there is the stigma associated with past convictions often results in housing discrimination, limiting options, and perpetuating the cycle of instability. Alternative housing options, such as transitional housing programs or collaborations with nonprofits, can offer supportive environments during the reentry process.

2. Securing Employment:

Employment plays a pivotal role in successful reentry, yet felons frequently encounter significant barriers when seeking job opportunities. Employers often conduct background checks, leading to biased hiring practices and reduced chances for individuals with criminal records. Overcoming this challenge requires a multifaceted approach, including education and advocacy campaigns to promote fair hiring practices, the implementation of ban-the-box policies, and the creation of job training and entrepreneurial programs specifically tailored for formerly incarcerated individuals. Families aren’t prepared for this and expect their loved ones to get a job immediately upon coming home. Inmates are not only now faced with the thought of letting down their loved ones, or getting in trouble with parole staff for not having employment, but also dealing with adjusting to “outside life” again. Remember, some of these folks might not have been free for several years and the world is not the same when they entered. Many families don’t have additional funding to endlessly support someone else. Again, while this person may have been part of the family unit at one time, there’s an adjustment now to having another mouth to feed and care for.

3. Accessing Everyday Resources:

Beyond housing and employment, felons face hurdles when accessing everyday resources necessary for a smooth reentry. Basic necessities such as healthcare, transportation, financial services, and public assistance can become elusive due to restrictive policies or societal biases. Collaborative efforts among government agencies, nonprofits, and community organizations are crucial to ensuring that individuals have access to these essential resources, fostering their stability and facilitating successful reintegration. When you leave prison, you are signed up for State Welfare Insurance. This is the only option at this point that you may have a spouse that can add you onto their insurance or you might be lucky enough to obtain a job and receive insurance on day one. A large majority of folks are on “Obama Care” because many employers have stopped offering insurance or it’s overly expensive. Folks get upset because people are on welfare when they come home, but consider this: Each year in the state of PA, it costs the state over $42,000 a year to house an inmate. That money is coming from the tax payer’s pockets along the line too.

4. Social Stigma and Support Systems:

Felons often encounter social stigma and isolation, making it challenging to establish supportive networks that are vital for successful reentry. Negative public perceptions, limited social acceptance, and strained personal relationships can hinder the process of rebuilding one’s life. Promoting public education and awareness campaigns to challenge stigmatizing narratives, as well as creating mentorship and support programs, can help foster a supportive environment that encourages second chances and facilitates reintegration.

The challenges that felons face with reentry and accessing vital resources are complex and multifaceted. Overcoming these obstacles requires a comprehensive approach involving legislative reforms, advocacy efforts, community collaborations, and public education. By addressing housing and employment discrimination, expanding access to essential resources, and promoting social acceptance, we can create a more inclusive society that supports successful reentry for individuals with criminal records. Together, let us work towards a future where everyone has an opportunity to rebuild their lives and contribute positively to their communities. #prison, #prisonreentry,

Photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/low-section-of-man-against-sky-247851/

I don’t like this date and I wish it never happened. Unfortunately, none of us were given the power to go back in time and change things. We can only move forward as best as we can and hope not only us, but others learn from our mistakes. They never said goodbye. Every time they ever left our house, they would tell us goodbye. Today, they didn’t do that. They left and never said a word. Never told us they were leaving, Nothing. It was a little after 6:00 pm when our youngest son told us they left. SH’s dad called and told him he had to get home to do chores and feed their dog. He wanted to know what was taking them so long, and SH told him that they needed to help get NA home because he drank too much. Drank without asking permission, drank by stealing something that wasn’t his. They all trespassed after leaving several times and not having permission to return. They left NA’s parents’ house after his mom, dad and sister were with them. DG drove them back to our house to get their cars. He let them leave to drive home. CH was with them and let them leave to go home. We saw them. All of us from 4:00 pm until a little after 6pm saw them and no one was drinking during that time frame. Remember SH, CH and our youngest son without our permission was at a convenience store. The clerk there and anyone else who might have seen them didn’t report them being intoxicated. My guess is that they did go there though to throw away trash they had at our house because there were no signs of anything when we or NA’s dad were there earlier. From the point that they left our house, we were told that they reached out to NM’s parents to see if he could go to SH’s house for dinner that night. After several requests my lawyer did NOT request phone records from NM’s phone or his parent’s phones. We were told NM called, but we have some family members or told us that they actually stopped at the house that day to ask permission. The stepdad was asked this question during the premilitary hearing and the mom was seen mouthing, “say no” as he testified on the stand. I asked to get copies of the video recording in the court room that day, but that was ignored too. My requests were ignored and thought irrelevant, I guess. Two people saw her mouth these words. So did they stop at their house and by doing so then would have shifted the blame off us and onto them. Hmmm. My phone rang at about 7:30pm. It was SH’s mom. I couldn’t understand her, she was crying. She asked me who was in SH’s car when they left our house. I told her I only knew of NM. She thought my older son was with them as well as NA because their book bags were thrown on the street and found. I kept asking her what happened. She said there was an accident. No one would tell me anything. Some lady got on the phone, and I gave her NM’s parents information to call them. Why wasn’t anyone telling me what happened? I went online to where you can look up 911 calls. There it was. A single vehicle accident on the road 1 minute from where SH lives. My knees buckled, county 50 had been called. County 50 is the coroner’s office. Please God, tell me that this is wrong. Later, NM’s mom called to tell me what happened. My poor baby boy was there. I don’t think he was every really the same after this day. How do you spend a whole day with people that are now no longer here? Just like that? How do you explain that to a 10-year-old? How am I going to call my older son and tell him? He’s at camp hours away. I was asked to go pick her daughter at work. I called DG’s mom and told her what happened so she could tell DG. I asked if she would go with me to get LM, NM’s sister from work. Do you know how difficult it is to drive 30 minutes in a car with a girl asking questions that you had answers to but couldn’t tell her? That was her parent’s place to tell her. We pulled in the driveway, and she ran inside. We all stood outside and waiting. Me, my husband, my youngest son, DG and his mom. I can’t get the scream out of my head. I wanted to puke, I wanted to run upstairs and grab her and hug her. Why did this happen? How? They weren’t drinking. They weren’t drunk. We stayed the rest of the night until very late. Other relatives were already there. We would spend the next several days with the families. All of us just wanted to be together and to try to make sense of this. How do you wreck a car on a road that you have lived off of your entire life? How do you wreck a car on a road one minute from your house? How do you drive almost 40 minutes from our house to this location and wreck? If you were drinking, they could’ve wrecked the car way before this. During one of many visits to SH’s house, the dad told me that apparently, they stopped at a convenience store down close to where they live. A friend of theirs saw SH and talked to him there. This never was investigated so again, no evidence now for us. No one wanted to question the parents or people associated with them. It was wrong to question them and make them look like they were at fault. Apparently, juries don’t like that. I was told anyway. Apparently, a red truck was seen speeding away from the scene. I can bring this up later in another post. It was brought up in court that they were text and snap chatting during the time of the accident. The 911 call went in at 7:11pm. They were text and snap chatting to a girl right up to the time of the accident. She wanted to testify. It was argued on side bar for almost an hour. Anything that pointed away from us, from me was argued. The judge would agree on the DA’s side. This was an unfortunate accident, but according to the DA someone had to pay. That someone became me.

Photo by Kat Smith: https://www.pexels.com/photo/grayscale-photography-of-crying-woman-568027/