Employ Ex-Offenders - Reducing Barriers to Employment by Reducing Stigma

Feedback & Comments

Sarah.

Thanks for the information. I wish you well on this project, which is very close to my heart. I have lived and worked with former offenders since 1987 and have recently converted a job-preparation program for recently released prisoners to a staffing firm that provides real jobs to students in our training program.

Information on my organization is at ceiservices.net

Let me know if you think there is anything I can do to help.

Peace.

XXXXX

Hello Sarah, thanks for the email and especially thanks for the work you are doing. 180 Degrees Inc operates a half way house for ex-offenders coming out of correctional institutions. So, we know, only too well, the obstacles faced by our residents as they try to find jobs. I hope you will think of us as a source of many ex-offenders searching for jobs, if you should encounter any employers who step up.....................Thanks again for all you are doing. Be sure to let us know how we can help.........

XXXXX

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Sarah that is AWESOME!

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This sounds extremely interesting and when I am back in the Twin Cities I'd like to check it out more. I spent a month this past summer volunteering as a legal advocate in New Orleans. I was working on police brutality cases and gathering testimonials/affidavits about prison conditions. It blew my mind. New Orleans blew my mind. Anyway since then I have quit my job in St. Paul and will be moving to New Orleans (for at least a few months) to take on an internship with the Capitol Post-Conviction Project of New Orleans. I will be working with a team on a particular person sentenced to death's case and will also conduct research on race and capitol punishment. I will also attend Critical Resistance's meetings, which I am excited about.

Thanks for the info and please feel free to keep me on any lists you send emails out to.

XXXXX

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Hi Sarah, We met at XXXXX and spoke about our jobs and interest in the criminal population. XXXXX just forwarded me the email you sent out about employing ex-offenders. I found the website very interesting. If you could put me on your distribution list for your work/research/etc., I would like to continue getting information.

I also will pass on your information to my colleagues here in the Sex Offender Treatment Program at XXXXX.

I hope you are doing well.

Thanks!

XXXXX

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Thank you for the info! And if individuals understand that inadequate transitioning or community involvement in the re-entry of offenders only sets them up for failure.

XXXXX

Workforce Investment Act, City of XXXXX

Employment Action Center

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Sarah,

This is such important work, and I know not the most popular. I'm grateful for the information. I'm the Employment Services manger at the American Indian Family Center. We have a unique relationship with Ramsey County in that we are serving only American Indian MFIP clients. We've been in the development of the project for several months, and are now starting to work with clients. Please keep me on your e-mail list and continue to send information.

I worked for the census in 2000, and was continually frustrated in that we had many excellent qualified people who wanted to work for the census, but couldn't due to a past felony. I remember one gentleman in particular who said he was willing to go into high rises in high crime areas, and asked how many of the suburban white women the census was hiring, would be effective and safe getting census information there.

Miigwetch, (thank you) for the work you are doing.

XXXXX

Niiyo gawbo ikwe

American Indian Family Center

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Sarah,

This project sounds fantastic! I have emailed some friends working on this issue, too.

I worked with the Citizen's Council a number of year's ago through the Family Focus program and Parenting Classes with Father's on the inside. Mothers on the outside were so excited that they too wanted parenting classes. I also helped to develop a children's class while the mothers were in class. This component was a foundation for my work on human rights education in primary and secondary schools. You may be interested in our This is My Home:

A XXXXX Human Rights Education initiative, too -- www.thisismyhome.org.

Have you found any good studies on the race divide, regarding the achievement gap in MN?

Let me know ways we might help in your outreach efforts.

XXXXX

Attached please find some information concerning our statewide re-entry program in Virginia. CARES is also the only statewide member of the Offender Reentry Transitional Services (ORTS) Coalition is comprised of the statewide program and eight local programs which consist of two Community Corrections programs, a regional jail program, four Offender Aid and Restoration (OAR) programs and one local non-profit agency. These programs have been providing organized reentry services for ex-offenders in the Commonwealth of Virginia for over 35 years.

I would be very interested in collaborating with your organization in an effort to raise awareness of this vital barrier to successful reentry. I have attached some information concerning the Virginia CARES program and look forward to hearing back from you.

XXXXX

Executive Director

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Interesting. Please visit our humble website as well, www.ctsihome.org and perhaps we can talk at some point. We are corrections/treatment people by trade that know of this tremendous need but also know that the 'industry' itself is incapable of being effective in making great strides in this area. Hence the need for organizations likes ours and yours.

By way of introduction, I am a non traditional adult Black Graduate Student (MPA XXXXX) and received your email requesting support for your website for employing ex-offenders. I too am working with this population on that and other levels, as I baptized by fire when I went through 5.5 years of incarceration with my son for a crime he did commit. If possible I would like to meet with you and see if we can collaborate, as I believe if we put our pieces together and work collectively toward the same goals we will be more effective. I am also doing a website as part of my project for the XXXXX Fellowship, and would love to have your insight on web designers, etc. I am on XXXXX every day as I work at the XXXXXX, and can meet with you anytime and anywhere. I think the work that you are doing is AWESOME and much needed. Again, I would love to meet with you and discuss your current and future projects as well as the possibility of collaborating. Please advise.

Thanks,

XXXXX

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Dear Sarah...I applaud your work...not sure where you got my email address but I have worked in the Restorative Justice field for over 9 years now in many capacities... locally for the MN DOC, U of M Center for Restorative Justice and Peacemaking and part time for Amicus...locally and nationally for schools...

Your message is needed so greatly...is Amicus as an organization aware of your work? This afternoon I am meeting with the Ex Dir of Amicus XXXXX and I will share your work with her...Amicus has offered services to offenders for over 40 years...peace to you and strength for your continued pursuit of a better way...thanks,

XXXXX

The idea seems impressive and important, but I still object to your tousled, thrashed looking photos (and the others). Big facial blow up photos look like mug shots, and the stark facial colors, blemishes, bad hairstyles, etc. are thuggy relative to modern commercial graphics standards. (and stark, Barbara Kruger graphics seem heavy and bleak and counter-productive in their bold, in-your-face quality)

This reads more to me like an artsy agit-prop graphic design project than a meaningful, sensitively conceived political marketing campaign with sincere goals. The overall effect of this would seem to be to alienate potential employers of ex-offenders.

There are also typos in the bios - at least a lack of close-quote after one of the final phrases.

I think your noble cause is being hijacked!

XXXXX

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Nice work. You should get a pay host, though, the godaddy thing is kind of distracting . . . is there an artist/non-offender discount on the t-shirts? Or can you just hook me up with one?

XXXXX

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Greetings from XXXXX,

I attempted to email you from the website, but was not able to send it successfully.  I was not sure which Sarah at the XXXXX was associated with this website, so please reply when you receive this if you know what I am talking about....

Hello, my name is XXXXX, and I work at XXXXX, which is the XXXXX Department of Correction's industry operations.  We have recently started a brand new initiative within our company that aims to help offenders find employment by capitalizing on the skills and experience gained during their Incarceration.  We actually go out and
talk with large and small companies in order to make informal relationships with employers that are willing to consider employing ex-offenders with related skills and experience.  We just really started this project in June 2006, so we are at a very exciting stage in it at this time.

The program staff here very much enjoyed your website, and your T-shirt idea, and were wondering if you would like to be invited to see XXXXX central office showroom to see how we fit into the State's correctional operations, and learn a little bit about what we are doing with this new program, and how it is separate from the XXXXX Department of Corrections initiatives that are also spearheading this important topic.

Thank you for your time, and spreading awareness.

XXXXX

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Hi Sarah,

What's the chance of getting you, or your colleague, to write an article for our newsletter on stigma and employment of people with criminal records? It would be on a short deadline, however. But, it would help publicize your website and your work. Let me know what you think…

See past newsletters at http://www.hirenetwork.org/news_archive.htm .

XXXXX

Visit our helpful websites at:

www.hirenetwork.org

www.lac.org

Helping Individuals with criminal records Reenter through Employment

"To assert in any case that a man must be absolutely cut off from society because he is absolutely evil amounts to saying that society is absolutely good, and no-one in his right mind will believe this today."

~ Albert Camus (1913-60)

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I am attaching a headshot from when I was released from prison about 9 months ago. Today I am employed at XXXXX as Housing and Employment Specialist. Now I work with ex-offenders linking them to transitional jobs and housing. Please feel free to use my picture on your website.

Thanks,

XXXXX

Project Re-Entry Housing and Employment Specialist

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Sarah:

I wanted to share with you a symposium that is taking place at the University HHH Center - Cowels Auditorium Thursday, October 5 2006 it is
FREE please come if you are able. I am interested in your work and would like to talk to you after the symposium.

XXXXX

http://www.prisontalk.com/forums/ www.prisontalk.com

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Re-Entry is Public Safety

By Gwendolyn C. Chunn
President of the American Correctional Association

This year, as in other recent years, America's prisons will release more than 600,000 inmates back into the communities from which they came. These men and women are not being released early; they have served their time and paid their debt to society. Now they will rejoin the nation's communities. Society must act to put the services in place that will allow these people to successfully rejoin their communities, while ensuring that those communities remain safe.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, two out of three released inmates will be rearrested for new offenses within three years. Society as a whole must act to reduce this unacceptably high recidivism rate. Those released from the nation's prison systems often lack access to programs that provide assistance locating employment, and help finding a place to live, a relationship with a law-abiding mentor, and mental health and substance abuse treatment. By ensuring access to these types of programs, crime can be reduced and communities will be made safer.

In addition to reducing crime, even modest reductions in recidivism provide significant savings to taxpayers. Nationally, the cost of keeping people in state prisons (a number that continues to grow, in part because of such high recidivism) is more than $30 billion a year. Local government, community groups and churches have vital roles to play in creating networks to help offenders leaving prison meet their varying needs during the critical transition period. With proper preparations and continuity of care, society can strengthen public safety and reduce the burden on taxpayers.

President Bush recognized the importance of improving services to those leaving the nation's correctional facilities. During this year's State of the Union address, he called for action "to expand job training and placement services, to provide transitional housing and to help newly released prisoners get mentoring, including from faith-based groups." The president concluded his appeal for action by saying, "America is the land of second chance, and when the gates of prison open, the path ahead should lead to a better life."

In mid-September, the Department of Justice convened the nation's first national conference on offender re-entry. Entitled "Coming Together, Strengthening Partnerships and Planning for the Future," the conference featured discussions among public and private organizations, community groups and others who work with newly released adult and juvenile offenders on issues impacting re-entry, including employment services, housing, education, substance abuse and health care. Attorney General John Ashcroft delivered the keynote address at the conference. This leadership from the president and the attorney general demonstrates a much needed commitment to confront the challenge of reducing recidivism.

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Ms. Walker:

I recently learned about your ex-offender employment project and am impressed. Congratulations.

I put together the NJ Reentry Digest, a bi-weekly list serve, in case you might like to subscribe:

http://www.njisj.org/NJReentryDigest-October52006.html

Please share with others whom you think might be interested.

Thanks, and best,

XXXXX

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Ms Walker,

I am elated that you are involved and a much need project "employexoffenders". If I can assist you in anyway please don't hesitate to contact me....

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Sarah.

Information on my organization is at ceiservices.net

Let me know if you think there is anything I can do to help.

Peace.

XXXXX

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Wow!! This site is so needed!!!!....

My son is an ex-offender who not only is having a hard time finding a job, but Dakota County has a restitution filed against him, and until it is paid in full (no monthly payments allowed) he can't get his drivers license back. So guess who has been driving anyway to look for work?? Guess who got picked up for DAR?? It's so very hard to keep to the straight and narrow when so many things are stacked against them...Lets give them a break.............

Thank you and Bless you for doing the website....

Just another Mom,

XXXXX

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XXXXX

CEO

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Hi Sarah,

Thanks for the info and please feel free to keep me on any lists you send emails out to.

XXXXX

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Hello Sarah, I'm interested in your art both from the professional stand point as the release planner for the Department of Corrections facility here at Rush city, and personally as an artist in my own right. The e-mail I receive did not have any examples, nor did it say where you might be showing. Would you care to share that with me?? Respectfully, XXXXX, Release Planner.

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Please check out MN Stat 245A.04. I fell that this law discriminates in its severity.

XXXXX

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Thank you for the info! And if individuals understand that inadequate transitioning or community involvement in the re-entry of offenders only sets them up for failure.

Gracias,

XXXXX

Hi Sarah-

Thanks for the info on your program, and for the work you do. I plan to buy one of the cool T-shirts, and send you a mugshot as well. I was formerly imprisoned in the federal system, and am now the foundation

relations officer (glorified grant writer) for the Ella Baker Center in Oakland, CA. I worked independently as a consultant for almost two years after my release before finding full-time employment at EBC. Prior to mydrug-related conviction I was a special education teacher for five years and also worked in nonprofit development and administration. I'd love to speak with you sometime about the work you are doing.

Regards,

XXXXX

Hello,

I'm an Offender Workforce Specialist with the XXXXX in XXXXX. The XXXXX currently holds a contract with the XXXXX Department of Corrections to provide pre/post-release employment services both in the correctional facilities as well as at our Job Club in XXXXX. I am interested in purchasing a t-shirt(s), but wondering if there was any other method of payment besides using a credit card online...perhaps by personal check. If not that is ok too. If you could let me know when you get a chance that would be great.

Thanks for your time!!

XXXXX

Dear Sarah,

Thank you for bringing this information and your useful website to my attention.

With kind regards,

XXXXX

Prisons Foundation

"The Prisons Foundation is proud to announce the opening of the Prisons Gallery of Art in Washington,

DC at 1600 K Street Ave. NW, Suite 501, three blocks from the White House."

Hi Sarah,

Thanks for this.

XXXXX

Sarah and Mark:

What a great organization. Are you looking for volunteers? I would love to learn more or help out.

Best wishes-

XXXXX

Sarah-

I'm not sure what you are requesting? To help find employment, provide a contribution (both of which I can't do right now), or attend an event? Looking for your clarification as I support your endeavor.

XXXXX

Dear Sarah...I applaud your work...not sure where you got my email address but I have worked in the Restorative Justice field for over 9 years now in many capacities... locally for the XXXXX DOC, XXXXX Center for Restorative Justice and Peacemaking and part time for Amicus...locally and nationally for schools...

XXXXX

I am very interested in being involved with your project. I am an ex-offender (1980) currently working on my Doctorate in XXXXX. My employment information is below. Please keep me up to date on involvement opportunities.

XXXXX

Hurray and hello Sarah. XXXXX

Hi Sarah,

I don't think we ever talked about it, but did you know that I work for an alternative to incarceration program? I am really interested in your project--and wonder if there is some room for collaboration with our organization (XXXXX)...-

XXXXX

Hi Sarah,

We've never been officially introduced but I've heard much about you. I'm XXXXX's wife and also a PhD student at the XXX. Thanks for heading up efforts on this. I knew people re-entering society have it tough, but it's really impossible to imagine until it's your life. XXXXX struggles with barriers to employment daily, and can't seem to get anything permanent that is fair and equitable work. With a baby en route (due this month) it increases the pressure and stress immensely. But, he's focused and determined and I'm confident something will come through for him, but when, how?

So please keep me posted on the campaigns you guys have going on & let me know if there's way I can support your efforts. Outside of academia, I'm a filmmaker and tied to a large arts activism community locally and nationally.

Best,

XXXXX

Hi Sarah,

Your new website is very nice!

Great work, Sarah. You are blazing the path less traveled, good for you. And I had no idea you were an ex-offender.

XXXXX

I like this. In fact I sent it to many of my colleagues.

XXXXX

Sarah,

I checked it out the site this morning when you sent the link and forwarded it to some friends. Looks great. I don't know how you have time for it all, but it's good work.

XXXXX

Hi Sarah

My name is XXXXX, we want to assist your participants who are in a housing crisis by providing housing to ex-offenders. Always feel free in contacting me at XXX.

Peace be with you,

XXXXX

Program Director

Ms. Walker,

I want to thank you for the link to your website. I will share it with my colleagues.

Good luck in your efforts.

XXXXX

Principal Planner

Nice site, but why do you have advertising on it. You can get hosting for like ten bucks a month.

Sarah:

Have you seen this:

Work Programs for Former Prisoners to Be Evaluated

The effectiveness of programs that try to rehabilitate former prisoners by giving them jobs is being put to the test in a new three-year study, reports The New York Times.

The study—sponsored the Joyce Foundation, a Chicago grant maker, and directed by the Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation, in New York—will begin in January and will follow 2,000 former male prisoners in Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee, and St. Paul for three years to determine whether they end up in jail again and to see how long they stay in their jobs.

Half the men will receive a small amount of training, such as help putting together a resume. The other half will receive this training in addition to a temporary job to help them transition back into a regular work schedule.

The groups will be compared with a control group of maintenance workers in New York to determine how well, if at all, charity programs keep ex-prisoners employed.

XXXXX

Sarah - this looks very interesting and I am eager to read this.

XXXXX

Hi Sarah,

This looks great.

XXXXX

Dear Sarah,

Thanks for the information about the websites and especially your work. I am not sure where you found my email address but I wanted to let you know about the website of the Real Cost of Prisons Project (www.realcostofprisons.org). On the website are links to other organizations, new research, “maps” we created for obstacles to coming home after incarceration and PDFs of our three comic books. Thus far we have printed 125,000 copies of the comic books and distributed more than 75,000 to organizers, people who are or who have been incarcerated, family support groups, legislative reformers and others working to end mass incarceration. We also have an (almost) daily news blog at www.realcotofprisons.org/blog/.

One question I have for you is the use of the term “ex-offender.” In our work (and I know of others around the country too), there is an effort to move away from people calling themselves and others calling them, ex-offenders. The thought is that using that label is an impediment to moving forward and retain the mark of a “criminal.” When does someone stop being an “ex-offender” and start being someone who has been incarcerated? Does the label perpetuate the notion of never changing “criminality?” I have been attempting to come up with a term like racism, or sexism….that is “criminalism”---the institutional perpetuation of a set of beliefs about an individual who has been incarcerated (or maybe just arrested and charged), that brings not only legal and political prohibitions but also stigmatization resulting in negative social, economic and psychological consequences. It is my belief that using the term “ex-offender” helps to perpetuate in injustices of criminalism.

Again, thanks for the information about the work you are doing. We'll be happy to add a link on our website.

Sincerely,

XXXXX, Director

Sarah;

I looked at your websites, read your resume, and am impressed with your dedication to this important issue.

I would like to share with you the approach to systems change that I am taking. As a trial attorney for 28 years, I learned first hand of the many short comings of our present system. After years of study on the source of the problem, I believe it is centered in the fact that our criminal justice system is a vengeance model, built on the foundation of an eye for an eye. It is not designed to achieve the goal of healing, restoring, or reconciliation, so we must not be surprised that it does not do these things well. But it could if we implement systemic change. The civil system where I did trial work is a win/lose system, founded on a similar model, just less extreme. But it makes the stakes so high that people, even very honest people, often feel compelled to do things they normally would not do, like lie under oath which is common in our system.

I think there is benefit in framing the discussion so that its true nature is more clear. I am using the terms, positive public policy versus fear-based public policy to do that in the websites, writings, and speeches that I am involved in.

I see you are a PhD candidate in Political Science. My degrees are in Pol. Sci, Public Policy (Berkeley in 1968), law, and Public Policy (Harvard-Kennedy School, in 2005).

Please look at the websites that I have and see if you think there is a place for us to connect on our respective interests.

I have founded a publishing company called New Founders Press, Ltd. and its website is now on line at www.newfounderspress.com. Here we describe positive public policy and fear-based public policy. I would be interested in your views on this approach.

I have written a novel called Destiny Unveiled that addresses this same issue. It will be in print in early December. Its website is soon to be on line at www.destinyunveiled.com . In the meantime it can be seen at

http://destinyunveiled.com/home6.html.

And I have founded a non profit called Meta United to build grass-roots support for a systems change to positive public policy, and away from fear-based public policy. It is not yet up, but you can see where it now stands using this link:

h ttp://metaunited.org/hometemp209.html

I look forward to further contact.

XXXXX

Dear Sarah:

We have posted your e-mail to our membership and group subscribers. Good work.

Best Regards,

XXXXX

Great!!!!!!!

Is all I can say.

I work with formerly incarcerated men and women.

What you are doing is wonderful.

We are self funded, so I'm broke, but please keep in touch.

I'll check with some our (working) clients about the pictures and also ordering

the T-shirts.

Keep up the good work!!!!

Sarah,

I plan to post a link to your website in tomorrow's issue of APPA's CC Headlines and More…an electronic newsletter sent to APPA members and will send you a copy as well. One suggestion I would make as you expand the site is to include as many links to organizations or citizen groups you find that help offenders find employment. Along with housing questions, one of the most frequently asked questions I receive from those who are preparing to re-enter the community from prison is how to find a job. It seems to be that either they have a job and no one will rent to them or they find a place to live, but have no job.

Thanks for forwarding the info on your project and good luck with it!

XXXXX

Information Specialist/Public Relations Coordinator

I have recieved your email about felons and employment and had to respond for two reasons.

First, I am a graduate of the University of Minnesota, having recieved a Ph.D. in social work in 1989. Currently, I am a full professor at Ohio State University in the College of Social Work.

Second, I have a felony conviction as the result of a very corrupt and racist conviction in Georgia. In fact, I had a death sentence in Georgia electric chair and spent almost 8 years in prison with a life sentence before I was paroled in 1975.

Here is my website: http://www.osuweb.net/~Rudolph

Hope to talk with you in the near future.

XXXXX sent a link to your website. I plan to get involved. I'll take a photo and send it when I get a chance.

I'm a graduate student in the Department of Correctional and Juvenile Justice Studies at XXXXX and a fulltime research associate in a small research lab here. I've been here 3 years and have had a great experience. The faculty, staff, and students have welcomed me and routinely draw on my experiences (not only incarceration and re-entry, but technology, stats, etc.)

Overall this has been a great experience. However, there have been some disturbing trends recently. Just this summer Kentucky passed a law requiring background checks for (I believe) all state/government jobs. At the very least, EKU began doing background checks for all new hires July 1, 2006. Thus far the administration has been vague, using statements like "offers of employment are contingent upon a successful background check". They decline to define what constitutes a "successful" check. Some documents indicate that recency of conviction and relevance to the job will be taken into consideration. In any event, I may become a test case, as I'm currently going through the application process here. (My job has been classified as temporary for the past year--but recently they created a permanent position and invited me to apply for it.) I should be exempt from the background check since their new policy excludes current employees, but it remains to be seen how they will define "current employee".

I'll keep you posted. Keep up the good work.

XXXXX

Thank you so very much Sarah this is wonderful, I will stay in touch.. we need this kind of info here in Oklahoma.

Dear Sarah,

By way of introduction, I am an ex convict, Soros Senior Justice Fellow, board member of FedCure, tenured professor of criminal justice, and lead organizer of the Convict Criminology group. The group is composed of ex convict PhD students and faculty in sociology, criminology, criminal justice, and social work. We have been organizing, publishing, and presenting as a group for 10 years. If you do not know about our group, I suggest you google my name, Convict Criminology, and see amazon.com.

I just took a look at your website. I was very impressed. Thank You.

XXXXX