Conner says "Consider This!
If you have a criminal record that includes a felony you may find that getting anyone to hire you can be a challenge. Even if finding a job isn't a condition of reentry, there's still things like food, housing, clothing & transportation that cost money. The inability to find gainful employment as a felon is a huge contributing factor in recidivism because many individuals gravitate back to old behaviors and destructive social relationships to support themselves and meet their needs.
Connor is a former Drug Court client who reached out to me to tell me that even after graduating from treatment he could not find a job in the Southern Oregon region. Having been in prison at 18 and being released at 26, he had only the work experience from prison. He was desperate to stay out of the system & make a life for himself so he connected with his former PO who took the time to research and together they found the terrific alternative of Apprenticeship.
Conner's PO found a company in Central Point Oregon who took him in as an Apprentice Electrician. Upon completing his apprenticeship and getting his GED through another Federally funded program, Conner is now fully employed, a Union member and capable of meeting all of his basic needs. He asked me to share his experience with anyone who might benefit from the information and I'm providing a link and a video to explore below. If finding a job has been challenging for you I encourage you to check out what might be available to you. Not all cities are participants in these apprenticeship programs but there is a changing perception about hiring felons in the workforce.
If you cannot find felon friendly apprenticeship partners in your area contact your local Dept of Justice and Bureau of Labor office for information.
I didn't know that there is a program. Thank you for sharing with us.
@Jerilyn Brown Really good information here. Good post.
That is seriously awesome! I was in a relationship with someone who couldn’t find his balance because of his time limit to get a job so he just went back to his old behaviors instead. Obviously that relationship is over but I wish we would have known something like this existed for someone like him! Maybe he could have saved himself another trip back to prison.