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.

The Battle Has Already Been Won

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. Whoever would have thought that a bad decision at an early age, could result in an American no longer being viewed as a citizen. After an American citizen is convicted of a felony offense, certain rights are rescinded. Also, there is a negative stigma that goes farther than the rescinded rights, and makes reentry into society virtually impossible.

I took a group of LifeLine to Success clients to the National Civil Rights Museum on Monday afternoon. We viewed the exhibits and watched the video. I have been several times, but this time I was a convicted felon that has been attempting to successfully reenter society. I was shocked by the realization that the rights the Civil Rights Movement was fought for, were the very same rights that have been stripped from the ex-offender population.

In one exhibit, there is a group of statues that are portraying a march. The statues are carrying picket signs. The three signs all had different statements. The issues were Voting, Housing, and Wages. I was stunned because all of those are issues that I face today, as an ex-offender. The right to vote, the right to affordable, descent housing and the right to a livable wage are all rights that an ex-offender no longer is privy to after a felony conviction.

The right to vote is one of the most significant rights an American citizen has. But after a conviction, that is one of the rights that a person loses. “The system” has been notorious for hindering segments of our society as it relates to voting rights. Women and blacks were both denied the right to vote and the fight to change that resulted in bloodshed. It took amending the United States Constitution for those groups to enjoy a benefit that was intended for all citizens.

The federal government provides housing assistance and allows local jurisdictions to disperse it. Many municipalities will not allow a convicted felon to receive any governmentally funded housing assistance. One of the requirements for a probationer or parolee is stable housing. If an individual has served any length of time, odds are that person will not have a place to live upon release. So how, then, is it possible for a citizen that has been convicted to obtain housing when the government that classifies him as a citizen will not assist him with housing that is available to its citizens?

The last of these issues is not an actual right that was stripped, but it comes as a result of the negative stigma that comes with a felony conviction. Convicted felons lose 40% of their earning potential simply because of the conviction being on their criminal record. Employment is very hard to come by. Minimum wage jobs are now conducting background checks. What is a person to do? Does the American dream die with the conviction?

When will we, ex-offenders that have done what society required, be allowed to be full-fledged citizens again? Yes, we did it. We broke the law. But is there no remedy? Do we have to live as refugees in our own country for the rest of our lives? Dr. Martin Luther King didn’t just march for garbage workers. He didn’t willingly go to jail for bus boycotts only. He didn’t give his life for blacks only. He died for us all to have the rights that come with citizenship to the greatest nation on earth. The battle has already been fought- and won! Why do we have to continue to fight for rights that bloodshed and lives have been given for?