Miss Urelene

While working in the Hyde Park Neighborhood with the BLIGHT PATROL, an older lady, that had had a little too much to drink came over and asked me, “Excuse me, sir, you don’t let ladies work?” (in her overly exaggerated voice). My reply was, “Yes”. She then proceeded to give me her resume verbally. I asked her how much she would charge me to rake a particular yard. She said, “Gimme $12. As a matter of fact, if you leave me some bags, I’ll rake all the yards you have cut on this street before you come back tomorrow.” So I left her some bags. And sure enough, the next morning, the grass had been bagged.

When she came around that next day, she asked if I would consider making her a part of the team. I asked if she was a convicted felon. She hesitated, not knowing what we do, and then said yes. I shocked her when I said, “Good.” At LifeLine, we are a program first and foremost. So, in order for someone to become a member of the work team, they must first join the program and volunteer for a considerable amount of time. I told her that and I told her to come around and we would try her out. In the midst of that, 3 young men from the neighborhood followed her lead and came on board with her.

Urelene is 56 years old, the oldest client in this class. When she met me 7 weeks ago, she was drunk and she wanted to work to earn some money to buy drugs. She was also homeless and she was sleeping wherever she could, mostly in terrible situations. When she came to work the second day, she was sober and ready for work. She worked hard and proved herself to me and to the team. She was the first outsider that I had allowed our group to be exposed to.

Miss Urelene worked for 4 weeks before she received her first stipend. She was doing great. She appeared to have kicked the drug habit and she was sober. She set the standard in the work ethic department. She was always there and always on time. She outworked her younger male counterparts.

The day after payday, Miss Urelene did not come to class. She was missing. I asked and no one knew where she was. So I went on with me day because I was late for a meeting. As my assistant and I drove down Hollywood, I passed the “track” (short for dope track, where drugs are bought and sold) and I saw who I thought was Miss Urelene walking in the parking lot of the store. I yelled to my assistant, “That was Urelene!” I drove about a block and I just had to turn around. When I got to the store, sure enough, it was her.

She had sat down on a box next to the juke joint. Her hair was in disarray. She was dirty. And she was drunk. When I got out of my truck and began to talk to her, I could feel her shame. I pleaded with her to get in the truck and ride with me, but she refused. She said that she did not want the men to see her in that condition. She cried and told me that she was sorry. I did everything in my power to assure her that she was not alone and that we were there to help her in anyway that we could.

The Blight Patrol has a uniform. It is a lime green T-shirt with LifeLine to Success on the front and BLIGHT PATROL on the back. Our clients take pride in that shirt. Miss Urelene told me that her shirt was in her bag, in another bag, because it didn’t need to be out there on the track. She didn’t say that she didn’t need to be on the track. She had found something to take pride in and value. LifeLine gave her that.

The next day, she was back at work. Since that day, we haven’t had to look for Miss Urelene. She is now sober, and living in the Salvation Army- away from the “track” and all of its temptations. She is a leader and all of the men love her. We were able to give her hope and a sense of purpose. We were able to assist her in becoming whole. And she is now our poster child for what our program is about. She is not shy about her past and she takes pride in the fact that the drugs and her old lifestyle did not take her out. Miss Urelene has also reconnected with her family. I am SO proud of her! She makes me get out of bed. She makes me keep pushing. Her testimony, along with everyone else’s, makes this work worthwhile

The Ugly Side of Ministry

Ministry is hard work. When the decision is made to work in the ministry full-time, one realizes that ministry is really dirty work. Emotions get involved. One’s compassion is pushed to its limits. One’s heart is broken on a regular basis, by negative actions and by situations that are beyond one’s control.
It is now 10:55 pm. I just left the house of one of my clients. He is a single father of 3 and he has custody of his children. He called me because he was home alone, in the dark, because his electricity has been turned off for non-payment. And that broke my heart.
He is a former big-time drug dealer that has chosen to leave the street life, and he has begun to live the life of a normal citizen. He has decided to put the well being of his family before his own selfish motives. But that good decision has left him in the dark, with his children living down the street with a relative.
I pulled up to the house and it was completely dark. The lights in the house are off, but the street lights near his house have been knocked out as well. He came to the door with his head down in shame. He began to explain to me how the relative that was helping him to pay the bills because he has chosen to leave the drugs alone has asked that he pay half of the bill. He worked for a few days and she knew he was getting a paycheck. The problem is the pay check was not large enough to pay his half of the light bill.
We sat and talked and he shared more with me tonight than he ever has. He really opened up. I tried my best to encourage him, but I knew that after I left, his lights would still be out. He asked me if I could assist him with the bill. I gave him what I could, but it was not enough. The gesture proved to him that LifeLine is really a ministry that attempts to address every aspect of its client’s lives.
While my heart was breaking because he was in the dark, I was encouraged because he decided it would be better to be in the dark than to get a sack of drugs and sell them to pay the electric bill. He has chosen to sit in the dark. He has decided that living as a law abiding citizen is more important than breaking the law to meet his needs. I was so proud of him!
Reentry training works. It is possible to teach a person that is living a life of crime how to change their way of thinking and become a positive, productive citizen. The road to that end is rough and ugly and hard. Success means that an individual may have to suffer loss and swallow pride. Success means that the value of living right outweighs the effects of current circumstances. Pray for us as we work with our clients. LifeLine is a 24 hour, 365 days a year support system for its clients.

A Close Walk to Peace

Peace is achieved when members of the community come together as an expression of unity to give notice to those that may not have peace on their minds that they are no longer welcome in our community. That is why A Closer Walk to Peace was so important to the Frayser Community.

Frayser is a neighborhood that is in transition. We are attacking all of the things that are not constructive in our community. We are doing that in collaboration, something that has not truly taken place in our community before. Blight, infant mortality, youth violence, domestic violence and other socially acceptable norms are our targets.

I was very moved by the show of force that was displayed this weekend at the walk. It was attended by people that have the access to the resources that our community so desperately needs. They were able to see first hand what obstacles our neighborhood faces on a daily basis.

If you were not there, I wish you could have seen it! There were over 10 police cars there, waiting to escort us on our trek from Ed Rice Community Center on Watkins to the James E. Smith Resource Center on Frayser Blvd (two of the busiest streets in Frayser). As we began the walk, the officers stopped traffic in both directions, ALL four lanes. Then we proceeded down Watkins. As we descended down the hill, all we could see were blue lights flashing. The police had blocked every street and parking lot entrance from Whitney to Frayser Blvd. Someone said that it looked like the President was coming! We had an escort in the front, and all traffic was blocked from behind. The cars had to follow the walk. Neighbors began to look out of their windows. Store owners came out to witness. Even the passers by began to inquire as to what was going on. They had never seen that many police in our neighborhood like that before for a good cause.

When we reached Frayser Blvd, the entire intersection was at a standstill. When we turned the corner, we saw that Frayser Blvd. was secured that same way that Watkins was. The manager at Taco Bell even came out and asked what we were walking for. It was a very good day!

I would like to thank Mayors AC Wharton and Mark Luttrell, District Attorney General Amy Weirich, City Councilman Kemp Conrad, MCS Commissioner Stephanie Gatewood, Principal Bobby White, Pastors Walter Smith, Michael Ellis and Jerry Jenkins, Minister Derek Flake, Elder Charlie Caswell, Steve Lockwood, Peter Abell, Zach Thomas, Christine Grandberry, Lee Harris, Terry Spicer, LifeLine board members Minister Samuel McPherson, Kelly Price, Nicole Gates, Shelly Rice, and Patsy Anderson and a host of others for their participation in the walk.

And to our sponsors: Harold Collins for City Council, Myron Lowery, Lee Harris, Kemp Conrad, Amy Weirich, Peter Abell, Dr. Bill Byrne, Texas De Brazil, The Frayser Exchange Club, Hampton Inn, Rangeline CDC, BoneFish Grill, National Civil Rights Musuem, AutoZone-Frayser, Jewson Enterprises- Austin Texas, Smith Printing & Marketing, W.E.B.S, we could not have done this without you!

I can not forget our staff: Starr, Candi, Renee, Tasha, Andrea, and Marshaye. Thank you ladies!

Frayser is on the move, and we are glad to be a part. Unity drives out evil and makes neighborhoods, neighborhoods. God bless!

Taking Back Our Neighborhoods

How do we take back our neighborhoods? What steps need to be taken when the youth feel that they are in control and the adults are afraid to stand up? How do you instill a sense of community pride and ownership in a neighborhood that is comprised of renters, that don’t own property and move to new addresses at random?

I received a call from a man that I consider to be a friend yesterday afternoon. It was Sunday and I had attended three services already. I arrived home and I was changing into my relaxing attire when my phone rang. It was Bobby White, the principal at Westside Middle School. It was the first time he had called me and it was on a Sunday afternoon.

Principal White explained to me that his school and the elementary school next door had been “tagged” (sprayed with graffiti with gang signs to mark territory) by a local gang. He was heartbroken and furious, at the same time. He told me that the schools had been tagged on the front doors, in the parking lot and on the sidewalk. He asked me if I had any ideas on how to fix this problem. My only response was, “I’ll see you at 7 in the morning.”

I met with him and I was shocked to see that he did not have on his usual attire. He was not dressed in a suit, he had on black slacks and a black tee shirt. He wanted to send a message. We walked the properties and he showed me the graffiti. Then he surprised me. He asked if I would address his boys in the cafeteria. And he asked for a word of prayer. We were walking with Mrs. Adams, the principal of the elementary school. She asked if I could address her boys as well.

Principal White spoke to his boys as though they were his boys. He let them know that gangs would not be tolerated in his school. I was truly moved by his love for his students. He asked me to address them and I assured them that they did not have to fight. We, the adults, are charged with that. I, also, assured them that we, LifeLine, and the Frayser community cared for them and would do anything to assist them in obtaining a quality education.

I returned to Westside with my “team” from LifeLine. We visited the middle school and then we went into the elementary school and spoke to the boys. We encouraged and put them on notice that gangs would not be tolerated and we shared with them our pasts.

Today was a great day. I say the community step up in a time of crisis. We showed our children that we do care about them. We offered them a sense of security. We even walked the neighborhood to show the gang members that that was not their territory. I told the kids to spread the word that we would not tolerate gangs and we handle them, if necessary.

I am excited about the direction and future of Frayser. God bless us!

Don’t Train Us to Lie

Today, I was invited to be the guest speaker at meeting for probationers and parolees. We discussed my past and my program. We were having a very candid conversation. Before I left, I opened the floor to questions. One question, in particular, started another discussion. I was asked, “If you are on diversion, how do you answer the question, ‘Have you ever been convicted of a felony’”? Before I could answer, the officer said, “Answer that question, ‘NO’”. And before I could say anything, another person said, “At (unnamed program), they teach us the same thing”!

Needless to say, I was highly upset. We are dealing with individuals that have chosen to go against what society views as normal. They have broken the law and were caught. That shows that there is something in their thinking process that is flawed. We, as trainers, must realize that and then train the to not think that way, presenting them with a different decision making process- one that is not flawed.

I quickly explained to the group and the officer that that was lying- flat out. Diversion, first time felons, and repeat offenders are ALL convicted felons! Diversion is an opportunity for a convicted felon to live trouble free for a specified period of time and if the other conditions are met, that record is expunged. But that only happens AFTER the time has passed. Until then, that individual is a convicted felon.

The reason I was so angry is because I know why this is going on. Programs that are funded by grants have benchmarks and quotas to meet. So they must find ways to gain employment for their participants. The motivation then is shifted from what is best for the client to what is best for the program. This CAN NOT be about programs. It must be about the people. We are dealing with real people, real lives, not numbers. While the employment numbers for the program may look good, it does not reflect the fact that the individual lost that job once the employer completed the background investigation and found the criminal record.

Understand this, the clients that we deal with have been turned down and looked down upon for their pasts for so long that it begins to affect them emotionally. The fact that they were able to find employment removes some the negative self image. There is a sense of accomplishment that goes with finding employment. So imagine what it must feel like to have that taken away because you lied on the application. That person, now, feels worse than before they were employed. That type of disappointment will lead a person back to a life of crime.

In short, by training this group to lie, their negative thought processes are only exacerbated and strengthened! It is our job, as trainers, to teach them that negative thinking ALWAYS brings negative results. We must make negative decision making practices unattractive. This is life or death. Leave this line of work to those that have a heart for the people, not a desire to have a great program.

San Francisco Considers Legal Protection for Criminals

Below, you will find a story that discusses possible protections for persons previously convicted of felonies. While I agree that there needs to be some protections put in place, I also strongly feel that re-entry training MUST be completed before ex-felons are given full access to those protections. We need a restorative justice system that works to equip those in this category with the tools necessary to become productive citizens, while making the criminal lifestyle "unattractive" and no longer an option.

By Claudia Cowan

Published July 22, 2011

FoxNews.com

A legislative proposal in San Francisco seeks to make ex-cons and felons a protected class, along with existing categories of residents like African-Americans, people with disabilities and pregnant women. If passed by city supervisors, landlords and employers would be prohibited from asking applicants about their criminal past.

Supporters say it's an effort to help former offenders get back on their feet, but critics call the concept a crime in itself.

"My mother is an immigrant, my mother-in-law is a Jew and I'm a gay man. Those are all protected categories, but you're going to put a felon in there as a protected category? That's not right," said Andrew Long, a board member of the San Francisco Apartment Association.

But ex-cons contend they're immediately disqualified by employers and landlords reluctant to trust anyone with a rap sheet.

"People don't want to hire felons," says Monique Love, who served time five years ago on a drug offense. Clean and sober now, she says boxes on application forms asking about criminal history unfairly discriminate against her. At one recent interview, Monique says she never got the chance to tell her story of recovery and rehabilitation.

"I didn't get a shot. Not a shot," she says. "As soon as he saw that box was checked, the boss was like, 'I'm sorry, we can't help you.'"

According to The City's Human Rights Commission, San Francisco has the highest recidivism rate of any big city in California, almost 80 percent. With an influx of new prisoners set to be released because of the state's budget crisis, supporters argue felons need legal protections before they're disqualified simply because of their record, which could be decades old and for crimes that have nothing to do with the job they're hoping to get.

Commission Director Teresa Sparks calls it a public safety issue.

"Without housing, it's hard to keep a steady job, and many times because of that, people recommit," Sparks said. She argues a criminal history shouldn't be the only reason someone is denied housing or work.

"All we're saying is get a chance to know them, see if they're qualified otherwise, before you use that as a criteria for taking them out," she said.

Hawaii, New York and Philadelphia have enacted similar policies to prevent blanket discrimination against felons in the private job market, and some cities in Illinois and Wisconsin have imposed such restrictions on rental property owners.

At a public hearing at San Francisco's City Hall this week, some landlords worried that if the policy passes here, they'll face a barrage of lawsuits from unscrupulous convicts.

"Some ex-cons will probably make this a business, going from apartment complex to apartment complex, getting denied for whatever reason, and then filing a nuisance lawsuit," Long said.

Sparks says rental property owners could turn away sex offenders and people who've committed some violent crimes, like murder. Employers could also reject job applicants if their crimes are "significantly related" to the position they are seeking, but they could only inquire about the applicants' criminal past at the end of the interview process.

That doesn't sit well with Gary Bauer, owner of Bauer's Intelligent Transportation, one of San Francisco's biggest transportation companies. He says he needs to know about an applicants criminal history right up front.

"We won't discriminate against anyone, but we need to know what we're looking at. What is their background? Is it grand auto theft? We're running transportation," Bauer said, adding, "Being in California, and in San Francisco, it gets tougher and tougher every year ... when they come down with these things."

Public hearings continue to formalize the legislation, with lawsuits sure to follow, if San Francisco gives legal protections to people who broke the law.



Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/07/22/san-francisco-considers-legal-protection-for-criminals/#ixzz1TBEJRO33

HARD WORK PAYS

Today I had the opportunity to assist the Memphis Police Department, along with the University of Memphis Criminology Department in addressing the problem of illegal drug sells in our community. We did what is called a “Knock and Talk”. We gave drug dealers with no or limited criminal records the opportunity to enroll in programs geared toward making them productive citizens. While many may say they deserve to go to jail, I would disagree.

In today’s ride, we attempted to identify 6 individuals. Five of them were males. It felt so good to know that hard work does overcome all obstacles. The Knock and Talk team consisted of several detectives of the MPD, the U of M Criminology Department’s case manager and one intern, a community leader (Charlie Caswell) and me. The team was arranged this way to ensure the potential program participants that this was not a trick. The potential participants were given a letter stating what they had been observed doing. The letter, also, stated that this was not a trick, but a real opportunity to make a decision that will change the course of their lives. They were given instructions on when and where to meet to have the entire program explained to them.

I consider it a great honor even having been considered to participate in this endeavor. I am a convicted felon. Society does not think that I have the ability to change. I am sure there were objections in the planning room when my name came up. But if you consistently work tremendously hard and remain above reproach, the wagon will come full circle. My role was that of a preacher and a community leader. I was to be the comforter for this tense situation. Imagine the Police Department comes knocking on your door the day following a major drug dealer roundup. You would be skeptical and afraid.

I didn’t truly know how much clout is placed one the title Minister until we arrived at one of the addresses and a car pulled up while we were preparing to leave. The target was not home, but his grandmother was. She said that she didn’t know where he was and could not contact him. Before we could leave, a car pulled in the driveway. It was the target’s brother. When the detective approached him, he withdrew and got quiet. Then I walked up and introduced myself as Minister Brown. Immediately, his demeanor changed. He smiled, shook my hand, and promised us he would have his brother contact us. And he did just that.

The one lady that we identified admitted to selling drugs. During the explanation of the opportunity she was blessed to receive, she broke into tears. She realized that her actions could have taken her away from her two small children. She was truly grateful.

Rehabilitation MUST become a priority of our society if we want to reduce crime and make our hoods neighborhoods again. Locking people up only costs money. It doesn’t address the issues that cause the crime. I am glad to see that we are heading in that direction. I am even more excited because I am allowed to serve as an agent of change and I have the opportunity to share with these individuals.

Remember, hard work overcomes all obstacles. Work hard. Remain above reproach. Eventually your time will come and you will reap the harvest from your labor. NO ONE CAN STOP IT!!!

How Crime Begins (Client Responses)

When attempting to service clients, it is good to have an idea of why they do the things that they do. Many thinkers attribute the negative behavior to a lack of good character. I beg to differ. So we surveyed several of our current clients and asked 3 questions:
1) How old were you when you committed your first crime?
2) Who did it with you?
3) How did you get better at it?

Our first respondent, L.B. answered:
1) I was about 17. I stole money from the safe at the bowling lanes where my mother and I both worked.

2) Me, alone.

3) Over the years, I worked as a cashier. It wasn't that I really needed the money, I just thought it was cool that I could weave and twist things so that they could balance and not get caught.

L.B. was convicted of stealing over $250,000 from her employer at the age of 41.

Respondent #2, G.G answered:
1) I did my first crime when I was about 16 years old. I started selling drugs because I grew up around drugs.

2) I started off with a friend of mine.

3) I was good at math and I had a good place to sell it.

G.G. was convicted of selling crack cocaine on several occasions. He is 33 years old.

Respondent #3, G.O answered:
1) I was 15 or 16 when I committed my first crime, I stole my grandma's car.

2) Nobody actually stole it with me, but I joyrode with a couple of my homeboys.

3) I got better at it by making copies of her car keys and gate keys. I kinda studied her sleeping habits to know when it was safe to get the car and what time I needed to have it back by.

G.O. was convicted of selling crack cocaine several times. He is 28 years old.

The reason we asked these questions is to give us a better understanding of the age to intervene in the lives of the young people we are mentoring. From these 3 cases, you see that all of the activity began before adulthood.

One issue that occurs when asking these questions is the conductor of the study generally has a background that makes the respondent uncomfortable, so the respondent gives answers that are half true because of fear and sometimes because of shame. In our program, we all have criminal records, so there is no place for shame and trust is never an issue.

We are continuing to conduct these unscientific studies, and I will relay the results. We are determined to reduce recidivism!

We Are NOT Animals!

One of our clients was recently released from prison. He had to stand before the judge in order to be released. I was troubled by the words that Billy told us the judge used when addressing him. The judge told him, “Lions and dogs are in cages. We don’t have to worry about where they are. I know where they are. I don’t want to release you because you deserve to be in a cage. And I won’t know where you are. I don’t care about you. I don’t care if you live or die.” (I paraphrased). Billy then told him that he had a purpose and he would fulfill it. The judge’s response was, “I don’t care about your purpose. I’m just being honest with you.” That was very upsetting.

Where do these analogies come from? What makes people in authority feel as if they can say whatever they want to people they feel have no recourse. We are people. We have feelings. We Are NOT Animals! Some might say that those words are only reverse psychology at its best and those words should motivate the hearer to prove the judge wrong.

The problem with that train of thought is you are dealing with people that generally have low self esteem and they don’t see any hope for a brighter future. So to heap these negative statements onto a spirit that is already broken and the fact that that person is only existing, makes no sense at all! Child psychologists say that negative words from parents will scar a child for the rest of his/her life. If that is true, many of the individuals that go through the criminal justice system came from homes where negativity ran rampant. The only thing tirades, like the aforementioned, accomplish is more despair and the individual leaves knowing they will continue to “get it how they live”.

Our words have consequences. We must understand that. Everything we say matters and will affect someone else. Why not encourage someone to do good, while stating that non-compliance with the rules and laws will have stiff consequences. Motivate. Let’s stop tearing people down and leaving them in disarray.

I am praying for that judge. My judge did me the same way. Things MUST change. We Are NOT Animals!

WHAT IS A “HARDENED” CRIMINAL?

There is a term that is used to describe the “stubborn” criminals that continue to break the law. But the truth is, anyone that has done time in prison is more than likely a hardened criminal. Consider this fact, no one leaves prison the same way they came in. Some leave better; some leave worse.

Persons that have been incarcerated have found that prison is not a happy place. The premise is that if the conditions are uncomfortable enough, people won’t want to come back. So officers talk down to inmates or are just unfriendly and unfeeling. Things move slowly. Outbursts of laughter are frowned upon because prison is a quiet place, believe it or not. Don’t let what you see on T.V. cloud your perception. The truth is that most days in prison go without major incidents. The hardest part of doing time, is doing time. The same people, place, food, and T.V. shows day after day will drive a person insane.

Men and women that were once the life of the party and laughed at every little thing don’t last long in prison. Too much laughter makes a man look weak. Laughing too loud is annoying because the time weighs heavily on the inmates. If a person is miserable, your happiness is viewed as disrespect. So there is not much happiness behind the wall.

Since officers and staff want to make the conditions unpleasant, they are usually disconnected and they do not treat the inmates as “free” men. They talk down or they ignore requests. Some even engage in disrespect. Things don’t move quickly. That means that an inmate begins to build a shell to protect himself from the uncomfortable conditions. Thus, he becomes hardened. That does not mean he becomes mean, he just appears insensitive.

When an inmate is released, it is hard for those that know him to understand why things don’t bother him. He seems insensitive and uncaring. That is not the case. Prison scars a person. And some things remain with him, even after release. The conditions that harden the person are so much more traumatic than normal conditions that normal things don’t trigger responses or emotions. This makes reintegration difficult, because the loved ones see him as insensitive, but that is incorrect. We feel, we are just equipped to deal with situations. We have been trained that we control nothing. We were told when to do and where to be for so long that the scars remain and when things are beyond our control, we simply accept the reality of the situation.

Most formerly incarcerated individuals are hardened. That does not make us bad people. It does not make us mean or unfriendly. But we do become virtually unflappable. Please do not view that as a negative trait. We are just conditioned that way.