I believe that inmates being able to work a job on the outside world give awareness not only to the communities, but this also states to give hope to other inmates as well as this gives them a glimmer as when a convention springs forth this brings in the sense for inmates that once released what are they going to do for their families to be provided for. Also, this goes to show that inmates are not bad people their just normal everyday individuals. Also showed from this article regardless of the stigma that is put out their inmates are not bad individuals they are just regular individuals who want to do better for life’s and have already lost out on jobs, time with family, and friends so why punish these people futher by taking away their sense of dignity but not allowing to work where they can contribute to themselves and that of their own local community. Also, will be a less burden on tax payers as well as many other government organizations as well as people are able to obtain their income they will less on sources such as food stamps, Wic, Social Security, and other forms of income helpers. This also will reduce the crime rate as many individuals only committed crimes after being released after being in prison or jail because they cannot find work to provide income for their families or for themselves, so they seek to do alternatives to be able to effective obtain the wealth they need to be able to try to sustain a normal functioning life. Most of these people after they are caught committing a crime just want to forget about the mistake that they made and want to make better choices for their lives and having work or a form of labor will provide much needed development for self-control and displian. eagle789
After reading the article about an inmate being the best employee is uplifting. I think that all inmates being able to work on the outside work besides working in jail gives people awareness to the communities. I think this article shows that other inmates can get there life on track when they get out. This shows that not all inmates are horrible people, some just made a big mistake in their life but they still can prove to be something and work hard. A change or heart is all you can give people whose lives were destroyed, let them prove themselves because in the end they are just regular people looking to support their family or themselves. In the article it says business are starting to hire people with criminal records because in the end even though they did time they usually come out to be really good employee’s that help the businesses grow. I loved the quote in the article that “ what someone did on their worst day doesn’t define them forever” this quote is so amazing because it is the 100% truth. If you really think about some people that have never had a criminal background may move from job to job and struggle to keep a job, but people with criminal records are just wanting to have a job to support whoever and they feel the need to really focus on the job and work as hard as she or he can. Anyone who hires these people are really letting others know they can better themselves and make better choices in life than have to worry about never being able to get of job because of things that happened it the past. Labor for these people will provide something bigger than anything else they can imagine. First step is trusting them. Smile456
I completely agree with this whole statement. Most criminals are truly some of the best workers you can get because they value hard work in prisons now a days. A persons past does not define who they are in the present. Any person can change for the good and the bad. Some of these criminals have lots of knowledge in certain fields and i'd rather take a ex-con who has years of experience than an average joe with no experience whatsoever. Im hoping more and more businesses start looking at the person as an individual and not at their past. Hollywood789
After reading the article about an inmate being the best employee is uplifting. I think it is great that someone trusted someone with a criminal record to work. This world you never know what happens in someone’s mind when her or she gets out of jail or prison. Someone that has a criminal record may know that is gonna be hard for them to get a job but, to know that people are actually giving them a chance to better their life and make right choices to support whoever is fantastic. We don’t want anybody to return to the crime they committed or any crime for that nature just because they think they don’t have any other option. Job training is a great way to break the cycle. Getting people on track is great for everyone around them and themselves. In the article it states that only 45 percent of men released from prison had a job eight months later. That is very sad to hear because they made a mistake in their life and now it is time for them to be able to not worry about that mistake and make better choices in their lives. All it takes is one opportunity to make someone’s life flip compently. Yes, there are some people that may not care for having a job and don’t really care about anything but, letting them see that they have a choice to be able to get a career is a great thing. You never know what the person's work ethic is, you don’t know if they were the best employee a company as ever had before they made the choice to go to jail or prison. I really think this story of this man shows everyone that some people don’t care what your background is all they care about is if you can do the job and care about it then you’re hired. I really appreciate what the world is becoming in senses like this. Overall I think this article is very strong and uplifting. As I was taught never judge a book by it’s cover. Smile123
I agree with you when you say that people know that it's going to be hard for them to get a job after getting out of prison but it's nice to know that they are starting to be given a second chance to try and fix their lives. I think it's great how despite what people did in the past, businesses are beginning to trust that those people have learned their lesson and are ready to move onto a new life for themselves. Also, businesses are starting to care more about people and want to help them, so that's a good mindset to have when going into the hiring process. -Fozz789
This article has changed my view on how people's lives really can be changed due to some mistakes in their pasts. For example, the article talked about an inmate named Ian Black. Before getting a job, Ian spent nearly all of his time behind bars or in a prison facility. However, he was the most qualified person for the job he applied for. The boss decided to take a chance on Ian and is now very thankful to have such a hard-working person working for him. It amazes me how just because someone has a criminal past with non-violent offenses, it becomes ten times harder for them to get a good job. Also, I read a stat that really jumped out to me. The stat said that nearly twenty million Americans have been convicted of a felony. That number is huge! This stat shows perfectly how unemployment can be a problem at times for people. With that many people having a felony on their record and jobs not hiring people due to their criminal pasts, I could definitely see how much harder it is for them to find a good way to make a living. Finally, I liked how the article stated that nowadays, businesses are beginning to take more chances on hiring people with criminal histories. From my previous knowledge, businesses would look at a job applicant's criminal history almost immediately when deciding if that person should be interviewed or not. If they had a criminal past, it was pretty much guaranteed that they were not going to get the job, despite what their criminal past consisted of. Now that businesses are becoming more lenient, they are allowing more and more people to be forgiven for their dumb mistakes that they made in the past and they can now move on with their lives as they wish. -Fozz789
I do agree with this guy the job he is doing by accepting this guy from prison and giving them jobs. actually is more penefitial for him because some of this people what they need now is a job to uplift their fallen families and pay jail and court fee there is no where they can go guaranteed he has a long term employee who are really ready to work
I absolutely agree that this is an incredible success story for both Ian Black, and Ron Nelson. I totally understand Ron's apprehension before hiring Black, Nelson is taking on a huge risk knowing black has a criminal history. I would love to see this become a norm in our society because the majority of inmates are just regular people that messed up at one point in their lives. there is no reason to keep them down after they have served their time. In fact getting them back in to the workplace would make them less likely to re-offend in the future. - Rudedogg789
In this article I agree with it so much for what people like Ron nelson are doing. This is the best option or step to take in the community to help the people change and not to look back in their mistakes even though this is sometimes taking risks from such kind of people. Depending on person convictions some of them did stupid mistakes that put them in prison but in the real sense they are very useful and hardworking people in the community. I do like the quote from the article saying … we have hired a lot of people with criminal records who have been good employees. Said mark. He also said what someone did on their worst day doesn’t define them forever. I do love this and agree with it. actually people learn from their mistakes and not going back to it. Mistakes is the lesson learned. If employers give to consideration to some of the convicted people, this will help a lot in changing lives to some of the people. Everybody need life and need to raise families. I hope some of the companies will change the law or rules in hiring even though now it is getting even harder with trump administration. There are some few prisoner individuals the have been released from prison or jail and they owe few dollars to court or any fines with no job to pay this fine back we found that this individual have hard time to complete their probation or pay off their fines if there are organizations that help such people to get jobs or it will be more useful for them for not to go back to prison or going back to sell or do drug of which behavior will send them back to prison. Opening of job training will keep a lot from the streets..GUSII 789
I too agree that Rob Nelsen did a great thing by taking a chance on him. I do agree with the fact that it could be a risk, like you mentioned. But at the same time it is helping so many people better their lives. I think it a great you mentioned that they have fines to pay when they get out and have trouble paying them. I think this just reverts them back to what they know, which for some of them is how they ended up in prison in the first place. I think it gives these people a chance to redeem themselves and feel valued again. - ST789
The article shows us how people in communities are employing criminals to help them find employment after their sentence has been served, this idea goes along with the idea of reintegration. As we can see that people who have spent time in prison need an “adjustment” period after exiting prison and having a steady job is one way that they can get through this period. Many more business owners such as Ron Nelson have been giving the formerly incarcerated more and more chances at being employed, because most of them are still able to work hard and may also already have experience in the field for which they are applying for. Getting people on track is great for everyone around them and themselves. In the article it states that only 45 percent of men released from prison had a job eight months later. That is very sad to hear because they made a mistake in their life and now it is time for them to be able to not worry about that mistake and make better choices in their lives. Another thing that can arise from situations such as these is that if inmates who are released cannot find work anymore and have no way to make money, they will often times revert back to committing crimes to make money and will find themselves being sent back to prison. This vicious cycle is not only bad for offender but for us as citizens as well, because the more people that are sent to prison, the more we have to pay in taxes since our tax money is what pays for inmates to be housed. It would make more sense to help these former inmates find work and start living a better so that we as citizens can have even just a little bit of a break from paying to have insane amounts of people incarcerated. Pack789
This article and program is an awesome thing that is happening. It is so cool to see people giving prisoners a second chance. The article stated that these prisoners have years of experience in different trades from work programs in prisons, yet so many business owners do not give them the chance to redeem themselves. The article also states that the unemployment rate is at an all time low in 17 years at 4.1 percent. This is making it harder for business owners to hire people since most people already have jobs. I applaud Ron Nelsen for giving Black a chance. I have no doubt it would be scary to take a chance, but at the same time everyone makes a mistake in their life and deserve a second chance. One thing I think this helps with is breaking the prisoners institutionalized mindset that they get after being in their for a while. It gives them a break from just being around the same people who may have bad mindsets. It is sad that they do not let ex convicts get license to do some trades. Just because someone made a mistake at a low point in their life, shouldn’t disqualify them from being able to work and be good at something. Ron Nelsen even said Black is his best worker and would not want to lose him. A great thing about this program is that is gives prisoners a chance to earn money before they get out. When they are not working and get released they don’t have any money. This just leads most of them to go back to what they were doing before, which is one of the reasons the United States have such a bad recidivism rate. When they have money getting out of prisons they are less likely to go back and commit crimes to survive. It teaches them hard work. - ST789
I think that it is also a good thing that unemployment rates are low. This puts pressure on the companies looking to hire people and gives more of a chance to the people being released from prison. I also see how it could be scary for a business owner to take a chance with a former prisoner. The prisoner will be representing your company and if they make a mistake or commit another crime it will reflect badly to your company. I also thought that it is was interesting that Nelson said that Black was his best worker. Most people would not expect a guy from prison to end up being the best worker. dp789
I see it great that unemployment rate has gone down. I see the positive side of businesses being more open to hiring people not based on their criminal background. It is important to have more programs to help people who are incarcerated, so they can have some experience of working. It will create more job opportunities for inmates ,and it will help drop our unemployment rates. It will also break the criminal cycle and give chance for people to redeem themselves, like how Nelson gave Black an opportunity to prove himself. We should not hold people’s criminal history against them. -Justice789
In my personal opinion, I believe giving ex-cons job training is one of the best things we could possibly do as a community for them. People who come out of incarceration often don’t have a sense of usefulness anymore and struggle to not go back down the dark road they were on previously that led them to the prison they ended up at. With proper training and some time to adapt to the “new world” around them, I believe any con could turn their life around if they had the right mindset. Without giving them these opportunities though, we may never know what they were truly capable of, or what kind of person/worker they truly were. I love the quote in the article that says, “What someone did on their worst day doesn’t define them forever” because it not only speaks about ex-cons, but just normal everyday non-offenders as well. I also know it is a risk for companies/corporations to hire ex-cons because they are a wild card- they’re capable of more than you probably suspect them to be and have learned plenty of new tricks since their time incarcerated. I have a family member who has been incarcerated previously and made more mistakes than many could even count in their youth years, but who now holds a stable job with a roofing/siding company, provides for his son and wife, and has turned completely around from the path he was previously on. To me, this is living proof giving ex-cons a remedial chance is worth it because they too are everyday people who make mistakes that don’t necessarily define them. I can understand if an employer were more reluctant to hire someone who had been given multiple chances prior, been in and out of prison for violent offenses/theft, and still hadn’t seemed to clean up their act vs. someone who is clean cut, dresses well, has only been to prison once or twice for nonviolent offenses, and hasn’t ever been given a second chance. The lateral absolutely deserves his second chance because we haven’t seen what he can do yet. The first, however, should consider himself very lucky should he ever receive any more job opportunities again because he blew too many chances. That’s why I believe how the time spent immediately after a criminal is released from prison is the most important because they are either a, going to go back to their old ways, or b, attempt to start anew and stay clean/crime-free. Hoagie123
I think that this article is very beneficial and a good read. In the article it talked about how people from prison often were not able to get a job. This article talked about a specific person who was willing to give a one of them a job. He then talks about how the prisoner is his best worker. Later in the article I thought there was a very good quote about the opinion of people released from prison. Mark Holden said, “What someone did on their worst day doesn’t define them forever.” I thought this quote was good because it is very true. We should not judge people because of one mistake they made. Everyone messes up at some point in time, and many people regret it. I think that the idea of giving employing the released is a good one. Jobs can help be a form of rehabilitation and it can help the former prisoner not fall back into his old lifestyle of crime. I agree with what President Trump said, that this can help break the vicious cycle of them returning to prison. This idea can also help the released prisoners get back up on their feet. I think sometimes people do need to be careful when hiring a prisoner that was released, because if the person they are hiring is a repeat offender, you might want to be careful about hiring that person. It might also be a good idea to look at what crime the person got convicted of. Depending on what the crime is and how it relates to the job that you would be giving that person. I think that employing the released is a good idea, because everyone deserves more than just one chance. Employing these former inmates can give them a fresh start to life. dp789
This article really opened up my eyes and showed me how big of a problem unemployment for criminals really is. It also really changed my perspective on the matter of if criminals should be able to get a job or not. It is really sad to see that most ex-felons can not get a job because of their past even though they are clearly knowledgeable in the craft and some even have years of experience before they went into prison. This is why we have a problem with unemployment rates rising in our country. I loved how this article brought in an example. Ian Black was hired as a garage door installer even though he had has been convicted of multiple felonies that were nonviolent. His boss took a chance on him because he had a lot of experience and was very qualified for the job. His boss said he is the best worker he has ever had. Which is great to see and prove to people that even though these people have past convictions doesn't mean they shouldn't get a job that they are qualified for. A shocking stat that popped out to me while reading this article is that nearly 20 million Americans have been convicted of murder which is insane. That is a very high number and if it keeps hiring we need to be able to trust in this felons to do good work because that is all that is eventually going to be left. Most people who have a felony rarely get the job nowadays because they have a felon. Even if the felon isn't considered the worst they still won't even get a chance at taking to a manager. It is great to hear that at the end of this article that more and more businesses are going to start taking a chance on criminals because most do deserve a second chance. Hollywood789
I really agree with you in the fact that it changed my perspective on whether or not criminals and ex-felons should be able to get good jobs. I also like how you pointed out the fact that Ian Black’s boss knew that he had been convicted of multiple felonies and still has boss took a chance on him because he was very qualified for the job. I am also glad that there’s Americal says businesses are starting to become open to the idea of hiring criminals at their companies. All together I agree that this article was a nice refresher from looking at want is potential wrong with the criminal justice system and to look at what is truly going right for the people in the system. -RHB789
It is known the United States employs and uses the most prisons in the world and it is also known why. We, the US, incarcerate people at a far greater rate than any other country in the known world. Along with the fact of incarceration number, we also incarcerate people for things that most people around the world would find trivial at best. These things are nonviolent drug crimes, nonviolent burglary and theft, etc. These all add up to a staggering amount of inmates and a prison population of over two for the United States’ most populated cities. These inmate, once they have served their time, go out in to the world and find themselves unable to acquire a steady job because a standard, law-abiding citizen often have a predetermined label of ex-prisoners. This is a person would have killed, or stole a large amount of money, etc. These labels do not help and severely hinder progress. Most inmates go out into the free world to become exactly what they were before, Inmates. Without jobs, they may find themselves having to commit more crimes to live or simple commit it to go back to prison which promises food, water, and shelter. The basic necessities of human life. The fact that the man in this article gave this man a job is amazing. This article shows how many inmates just want to get their life back and how, if given the chance, the prisoner could become a valuable asset to a company or corporation. I believe that this would also be a problem for prisoner if they started to receive rehabilitation. What good would rehabilitation do if that inmate cannot even find a job after he gets out? I believe that this is one of the many problem inmates have to deal with and I believe we should try to encourage out businesses to try it. However, something like those labels do not go away immediately and it would take time. –TheMarshall789
This article might hit home to some people that read this because they have a family member that was in prison and can't find a job because he did time and no one can trust him. With this article it talked about Ian black. Ian was behind bars for most of his life in a prison facility. Now, he was the most qualified person in the prison by far. When he got out of prison he needed to find a job but that was really difficult for him because of his criminal record that he has. Well his life was going to change because one guy was going to take a risk on people that just came out of the prison system because he thought that everyone needed a chance to work and he was going to give everyone that chance. The main thing is that people didn’t want to take away from the inmate just because they messed up in there life. He believed that everyone should have a second chance in life so he opened his doors to everyone because he realized that they already missed time in the world and their family so why take it away from them to find a job. Now, yes they messed up in there life but they already did the time so why make them suffer any longer and try and get them back on their feet. With this happening this will keep people out of prison again because they will be working and not focused on committing crimes again because they want to straighten their lives out because they want to make it backup to the family. Gator789
After reading this personal story about an inch whose life got turned around just by getting a steady job really makes me feel good about the system. I have heard of her inmates working outside of where they are incarcerated but most of the time you hear of them just doing menial tasks that the prisons are able to give out. I truly think that most people and communities open till recently have pretty much ruled out the idea of someone who is incarcerated coming to work at their business. Often times people think that just because they are or have been incarcerated that they will hurt your business, steal from you, or just not be good workers. This article truly proves that these are just common misconceptions or stereotypes of these groups of people. The article says that people like Ian Black tend to be hard workers and are not looking to jump around from employer to employer because of fear they would not find another place to get a job. Another thing that I thought was interesting from this article was that players are taking the checkbox that asks of any criminal history. I know that when I have had to fill out Applications, that question has been on there so it’s good to see that a lot of employers are going away from weeding out potential employees just because they have to check the box that says they have a criminal record. There is a large number of people who may have a criminal record but they might also be worth the employer is looking for. I also truly love the Trump administration is pushing for more job training for people that are incarcerated this will help the country economically because when they are released from prison able to take care of themselves and not rely on financial aid. -RHB789
After reading this article about inmates and their struggle of getting jobs, I believe that we should have a better job trainings for people incarceration. With more people being able to hire inmates, it show how our communities are growing. In the future, we could have less people going back to prison and repeating this cycle. Especially in America, our criminals have a hard time getting back on track with their history, and jobs being able to consider that into who they hire. “Ban the Box” has its benefits when it comes to people wanting to get jobs, because they don’t have to show their criminal history. Having a criminal history on a job resume can have a big factor that plays into hiring. “Ban the Box” can also cause prejudice and racism when it come to inmates. Many businesses will chose the Caucasians over Latinos and African American based on stereotypes. But that could also be a risk our community can take. If we could have some inmates hired into jobs, it will be easier to get them into a steady life. Reading about Ron Nelson and how he was hesitant on hiring an inmate and taking a risk shows how taking a little chance can do a lot for our community. Especially considering that Black is one his best workers, which can show how people who are incarcerated and wanting to turn their life around works harder than average person. They have to prove it to the world that they can do better in life rather being seen as criminals who will never change. Our community just needs to take a chance on people who have a criminal background, just like Nelson. Many times prisons will have work classes to encourage an inmate’s future and help guide them into righteous path. -Justice789
This article was so eye-opening. It’s so sad to think that some people can’t get jobs once they’re out of prison just because of the stereotype of people who’ve been to prison have over them. People who are out of prison and are trying to turn their life around should be REWARDED! I’m sure there’s just as many people on the negative end of the spectrum who get out and only care about picking up where they left off with the same habits that got them put in jail, but we shouldn’t punish the ones that truly do want to get their lives together and be a functioning member of society again. Ron Nelson was a man of God so the fact that he was considering turning his back on this guy because of the fact he’s been to prison is very sad. God would want that man to be given a second chance. I believe that everyone should be looked at the same unless you know from your own common knowledge someone is a genuinely bad person. I do also see where Nelson’s side of the issue and being a little skeptical about the whole idea but it’s not his place to judge on someone’s character who he doesn’t even know. I guess as a businessman he has to put his gut feeling first, but it makes me sad for the inmate who just needs a little help to get back on the right track. Being that probation is the field I want to pursue, this article gets under my skin. I want to see everyone get their life on track and see people succeed, but that’s hard to do in a society that is primarily based off of people's reputations and you’re name could be ruined forever for just one little mistake. Cheer123
I am like really, this is very unprofessional that locking up offenders is the first resort we should do, but its not. They are other options to be considered because the government is so strict. The government can do some thing about it, and should be for the common good to help those get a job, or to help those by offering them services because that just what being part of a police officer do. Its simply called community policing and should be the firs tithing we should have in our minds I think. Great article again everyone should read it! - LILPUMP789
Hiring an ex inmate can be risky. In my opinion, Im not sure if I would hire one. I guess it depends on what they were in their for. If it was something minor and they had their life together. The serious ones dont always change they are sneaking and could hurt you in the long run. This is a big issue in today's world. They are hard workers and want to make money. Im sure it would help and they would do a nice job. People do make mistakes and you cant hold that over their head forever there has to be a time where you forgive them, but there's times you cant forgive people because of what they have done maybe to you or your family. But a guy like Mr. Black, he seems like he has his life put together and can handle a stable job and work hard for the business. People are sometimes scared of people that have been to jail, but it all matters why you went to jail. Like I said not everyone that goes to jail is a bad person. People DO change but sometimes it hasn't been long enough. There should be a law on it. It should matter on what the owner that is hiring you thinks. conrad123
I think that inmates should be allowed to work on the outside world when it is safe and responsible to do so. Not only is there no reason to withhold employment from inmates, but there is a good case to be made that employment could aid in rehabilitation. Many criminals only turned to crime because of instability in their life without it. Allowing prisoners to enter the workforce while serving sentences would help in reintegrating them into society. I think that allowing employment for inmates would also drastically lower the recidivism rates present in today’s justice system. This would also allow inmates to provide for their families for the duration of their term. Many times, when a person goes to prison, he or she leaves behind a spouse and children who have not developed the career experience to be able to provide for the family while the inmate spends his time in prison. There are obviously government resources available to those in the most desperate of situations, however, allowing inmates to earn money instead of forcing their families to seek out money, would be much much better for the economy and society in the long run. This would also minimize the chance of dependence on government services for these families. I think that this issue is very much a matter of rehabilitation versus punishment. Many people would argue that these people need to pay for their crimes and should not be allowed to work while doing so. I think that this view is somewhat tribalistic in sense as there is no pragmatic basis upon which their beliefs are based. Of course, inmates should never be allowed to work if it is a liability to coworkers or clients. I think it would be important to set up a criteria to determine how likely a person is to endanger those around him or commit more crimes. RudeDogg789
I agree with you 100%. Inmates working right when they get released could help incredibly with them not reoffending. If they have something to keep their mind occupied and to keep them busy it will help keep them away from what brought them to jail in the first place. I feel bad for all the offenders who don’t get a second chance because some people are judgemental and don’t see people for who they really are but see them for the mistake they made. Hopefully other inmates would see this as inspiration and work their butt off once they get released as well. Cheer456
I love this article because this just shows how inmates or offenders are people as well. Sometimes those people might be even an inmate who’s been to prison, but the point is to help those who can’t help themselves such as those who’s been to prison. I think prisons should run programs were individuals get to choose what they want to do or learn and make a living of that, so when they get out rehab centers can help these individuals get jobs somewhere were the offenders don’t have to come back into prison or jails. Now sitting in class and learning more about the situation of our criminal justice system, is that we do have resources to help individuals, but its like nobody knows. Its like a secret hidden area was nobody talks about, but everybody talks about putting individuals into prison because that jus the best option, false. They are programs and that’s just what police officers should be offering more instead of locking someone whose dealing with a dime of marijuana as an example. This is a great article and should be used to show what can an inmate do, and shove this into the correctional system face. I am like really, this is very unprofessional that locking up offenders is the first resort we should do, but its not. They are other options to be considered because the government is so strict. The government can do some thing about it, and should be for the common good to help those get a job, or to help those by offering them services because that just what being part of a police officer do. Its simply called community policing and should be the firs tithing we should have in our minds I think. Great article again everyone should read it! - LILPUMP789
Having inmates to work a job should be allowed. They are trying to better themselves why would we hold a grudge over someone. Give them the job and see how it works out. You can always fire them when you want. People always need money and I'm sure they will work hard for you and do what needs to be done. We come from different lifestyle some people that are hiring someone might say no. But it all really depends on what you believe and how you see it. He trying to better himself why just throw him back on the streets and do the same thing over again. If we didn't let these people get job there never going to change. They need to have responsibilities and to better themselves after they got out of the hell hole. We believe that everyone just be treated the same so treats this man the same unless he disqualifies for something for the job. I hope we does make these things illegal. This is a great topic in society and I felt like this was a very interesting topic.conrad456
This article puts me in the middle of a rock and a hard place. From one perspective, I understand how Nelson feels because you have to be somewhat cautious about who you let work for you and represent your company name, but from the opposite end of the spectrum, Nelson had no idea who Black was and was iffy about him working for his company because of the stereotype that’s held over Black’s head. As a country, we tend to identify people as what they’ve done instead of who they are. We are humans, we all make mistakes, and that will never change. There's not a single person in this world who can say they’ve never gotten caught up in something bad and immediately regretted it. Some people are just a lot more lucky than others. Some people are prone to bad luck and seems to be that one person who’s always in the wrong place at the wrong time. I think it’s really sad Black is trying to better himself but some people can’t look past the fact he’s been in prison. The people in prison seeing all the guys functioning in society probably gives them hope and reassurance that their life can be turned around as soon as they’re out of jail. Seeing someone you know change their life around is one of the most rewarding feelings ever. These prisoners need to have somewhere where they can go after prison to assure them and judge free environment to work under. Put yourself in their shoes. Would you want to wake up every morning and go work somewhere where you’re judged and no one really takes you seriously? I wouldn’t. These stereotypes need to change. Your mistakes do not define you! People can change and just because someone screwed up does not mean they have to pay for that mistake forever. Cheer456
This is really great to read. It’s tough enough to get a job but to have a permanent stain on your record can make it far worse. Going into the military I had some trouble because of some past mistakes and I know quite a few friends who had no hope at a job because of felonies and they returned to what they were doing before, crime. It’s nice to see that the attitudes are shifting and people are giving felons a shot at life again. What someone does while they were young doesn’t always reflect that person. It’s a problem to see someone who has done something wrong as always that person. If everything we did that was wrong was treated as a felony people would be quick to change their minds. Like if you snuck out while you were a teenager and that was a felony. I enjoyed reading about Mr. Black and how Mr. Nelson gave him a shot only to find out he’s one the nest workers he has. It was interesting to read that 48% of men released from prison had a job 8 months later in 2008. It’s not surprising when I think about it but I do realize that many of those unemployed people are just looking for a second chance. This is why I like the ban the box movement. It allows people to get there foot in the door without being judged before they get a chance. Giving people a chance to talk instead of just looking at their past is positive direction I think many employers should make. I don’t believe we can expect change with our system on the inside unless society on the outside is willing to change and meet in the middle. –pj789
I believe that inmates being able to work a job on the outside world give awareness not only to the communities, but this also states to give hope to other inmates as well as this gives them a glimmer as when a convention springs forth this brings in the sense for inmates that once released what are they going to do for their families to be provided for. Also, this goes to show that inmates are not bad people their just normal everyday individuals. Also showed from this article regardless of the stigma that is put out their inmates are not bad individuals they are just regular individuals who want to do better for life’s and have already lost out on jobs, time with family, and friends so why punish these people futher by taking away their sense of dignity but not allowing to work where they can contribute to themselves and that of their own local community. Also, will be a less burden on tax payers as well as many other government organizations as well as people are able to obtain their income they will less on sources such as food stamps, Wic, Social Security, and other forms of income helpers. This also will reduce the crime rate as many individuals only committed crimes after being released after being in prison or jail because they cannot find work to provide income for their families or for themselves, so they seek to do alternatives to be able to effective obtain the wealth they need to be able to try to sustain a normal functioning life. Most of these people after they are caught committing a crime just want to forget about the mistake that they made and want to make better choices for their lives and having work or a form of labor will provide much needed development for self-control and displian. eagle789
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the article about an inmate being the best employee is uplifting. I think that all inmates being able to work on the outside work besides working in jail gives people awareness to the communities. I think this article shows that other inmates can get there life on track when they get out. This shows that not all inmates are horrible people, some just made a big mistake in their life but they still can prove to be something and work hard. A change or heart is all you can give people whose lives were destroyed, let them prove themselves because in the end they are just regular people looking to support their family or themselves. In the article it says business are starting to hire people with criminal records because in the end even though they did time they usually come out to be really good employee’s that help the businesses grow. I loved the quote in the article that “ what someone did on their worst day doesn’t define them forever” this quote is so amazing because it is the 100% truth. If you really think about some people that have never had a criminal background may move from job to job and struggle to keep a job, but people with criminal records are just wanting to have a job to support whoever and they feel the need to really focus on the job and work as hard as she or he can. Anyone who hires these people are really letting others know they can better themselves and make better choices in life than have to worry about never being able to get of job because of things that happened it the past. Labor for these people will provide something bigger than anything else they can imagine. First step is trusting them. Smile456
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with this whole statement. Most criminals are truly some of the best workers you can get because they value hard work in prisons now a days. A persons past does not define who they are in the present. Any person can change for the good and the bad. Some of these criminals have lots of knowledge in certain fields and i'd rather take a ex-con who has years of experience than an average joe with no experience whatsoever. Im hoping more and more businesses start looking at the person as an individual and not at their past.
DeleteHollywood789
After reading the article about an inmate being the best employee is uplifting. I think it is great that someone trusted someone with a criminal record to work. This world you never know what happens in someone’s mind when her or she gets out of jail or prison. Someone that has a criminal record may know that is gonna be hard for them to get a job but, to know that people are actually giving them a chance to better their life and make right choices to support whoever is fantastic. We don’t want anybody to return to the crime they committed or any crime for that nature just because they think they don’t have any other option. Job training is a great way to break the cycle. Getting people on track is great for everyone around them and themselves. In the article it states that only 45 percent of men released from prison had a job eight months later. That is very sad to hear because they made a mistake in their life and now it is time for them to be able to not worry about that mistake and make better choices in their lives. All it takes is one opportunity to make someone’s life flip compently. Yes, there are some people that may not care for having a job and don’t really care about anything but, letting them see that they have a choice to be able to get a career is a great thing. You never know what the person's work ethic is, you don’t know if they were the best employee a company as ever had before they made the choice to go to jail or prison. I really think this story of this man shows everyone that some people don’t care what your background is all they care about is if you can do the job and care about it then you’re hired. I really appreciate what the world is becoming in senses like this. Overall I think this article is very strong and uplifting. As I was taught never judge a book by it’s cover. Smile123
ReplyDeleteI agree with you when you say that people know that it's going to be hard for them to get a job after getting out of prison but it's nice to know that they are starting to be given a second chance to try and fix their lives. I think it's great how despite what people did in the past, businesses are beginning to trust that those people have learned their lesson and are ready to move onto a new life for themselves. Also, businesses are starting to care more about people and want to help them, so that's a good mindset to have when going into the hiring process.
Delete-Fozz789
This article has changed my view on how people's lives really can be changed due to some mistakes in their pasts. For example, the article talked about an inmate named Ian Black. Before getting a job, Ian spent nearly all of his time behind bars or in a prison facility. However, he was the most qualified person for the job he applied for. The boss decided to take a chance on Ian and is now very thankful to have such a hard-working person working for him. It amazes me how just because someone has a criminal past with non-violent offenses, it becomes ten times harder for them to get a good job. Also, I read a stat that really jumped out to me. The stat said that nearly twenty million Americans have been convicted of a felony. That number is huge! This stat shows perfectly how unemployment can be a problem at times for people. With that many people having a felony on their record and jobs not hiring people due to their criminal pasts, I could definitely see how much harder it is for them to find a good way to make a living. Finally, I liked how the article stated that nowadays, businesses are beginning to take more chances on hiring people with criminal histories. From my previous knowledge, businesses would look at a job applicant's criminal history almost immediately when deciding if that person should be interviewed or not. If they had a criminal past, it was pretty much guaranteed that they were not going to get the job, despite what their criminal past consisted of. Now that businesses are becoming more lenient, they are allowing more and more people to be forgiven for their dumb mistakes that they made in the past and they can now move on with their lives as they wish.
ReplyDelete-Fozz789
I do agree with this guy the job he is doing by accepting this guy from prison and giving them jobs. actually is more penefitial for him because some of this people what they need now is a job to uplift their fallen families and pay jail and court fee there is no where they can go guaranteed he has a long term employee who are really ready to work
Deletereplied from gusii 789
DeleteI absolutely agree that this is an incredible success story for both Ian Black, and Ron Nelson. I totally understand Ron's apprehension before hiring Black, Nelson is taking on a huge risk knowing black has a criminal history. I would love to see this become a norm in our society because the majority of inmates are just regular people that messed up at one point in their lives. there is no reason to keep them down after they have served their time. In fact getting them back in to the workplace would make them less likely to re-offend in the future. - Rudedogg789
DeleteIn this article I agree with it so much for what people like Ron nelson are doing. This is the best option or step to take in the community to help the people change and not to look back in their mistakes even though this is sometimes taking risks from such kind of people. Depending on person convictions some of them did stupid mistakes that put them in prison but in the real sense they are very useful and hardworking people in the community. I do like the quote from the article saying … we have hired a lot of people with criminal records who have been good employees. Said mark. He also said what someone did on their worst day doesn’t define them forever. I do love this and agree with it. actually people learn from their mistakes and not going back to it. Mistakes is the lesson learned. If employers give to consideration to some of the convicted people, this will help a lot in changing lives to some of the people. Everybody need life and need to raise families. I hope some of the companies will change the law or rules in hiring even though now it is getting even harder with trump administration. There are some few prisoner individuals the have been released from prison or jail and they owe few dollars to court or any fines with no job to pay this fine back we found that this individual have hard time to complete their probation or pay off their fines if there are organizations that help such people to get jobs or it will be more useful for them for not to go back to prison or going back to sell or do drug of which behavior will send them back to prison. Opening of job training will keep a lot from the streets..GUSII 789
ReplyDeleteI too agree that Rob Nelsen did a great thing by taking a chance on him. I do agree with the fact that it could be a risk, like you mentioned. But at the same time it is helping so many people better their lives. I think it a great you mentioned that they have fines to pay when they get out and have trouble paying them. I think this just reverts them back to what they know, which for some of them is how they ended up in prison in the first place. I think it gives these people a chance to redeem themselves and feel valued again.
Delete- ST789
The article shows us how people in communities are employing criminals to help them find employment after their sentence has been served, this idea goes along with the idea of reintegration. As we can see that people who have spent time in prison need an “adjustment” period after exiting prison and having a steady job is one way that they can get through this period. Many more business owners such as Ron Nelson have been giving the formerly incarcerated more and more chances at being employed, because most of them are still able to work hard and may also already have experience in the field for which they are applying for. Getting people on track is great for everyone around them and themselves. In the article it states that only 45 percent of men released from prison had a job eight months later. That is very sad to hear because they made a mistake in their life and now it is time for them to be able to not worry about that mistake and make better choices in their lives. Another thing that can arise from situations such as these is that if inmates who are released cannot find work anymore and have no way to make money, they will often times revert back to committing crimes to make money and will find themselves being sent back to prison. This vicious cycle is not only bad for offender but for us as citizens as well, because the more people that are sent to prison, the more we have to pay in taxes since our tax money is what pays for inmates to be housed. It would make more sense to help these former inmates find work and start living a better so that we as citizens can have even just a little bit of a break from paying to have insane amounts of people incarcerated. Pack789
ReplyDeleteThis article and program is an awesome thing that is happening. It is so cool to see people giving prisoners a second chance. The article stated that these prisoners have years of experience in different trades from work programs in prisons, yet so many business owners do not give them the chance to redeem themselves. The article also states that the unemployment rate is at an all time low in 17 years at 4.1 percent. This is making it harder for business owners to hire people since most people already have jobs. I applaud Ron Nelsen for giving Black a chance. I have no doubt it would be scary to take a chance, but at the same time everyone makes a mistake in their life and deserve a second chance. One thing I think this helps with is breaking the prisoners institutionalized mindset that they get after being in their for a while. It gives them a break from just being around the same people who may have bad mindsets. It is sad that they do not let ex convicts get license to do some trades. Just because someone made a mistake at a low point in their life, shouldn’t disqualify them from being able to work and be good at something. Ron Nelsen even said Black is his best worker and would not want to lose him. A great thing about this program is that is gives prisoners a chance to earn money before they get out. When they are not working and get released they don’t have any money. This just leads most of them to go back to what they were doing before, which is one of the reasons the United States have such a bad recidivism rate. When they have money getting out of prisons they are less likely to go back and commit crimes to survive. It teaches them hard work.
ReplyDelete- ST789
I think that it is also a good thing that unemployment rates are low. This puts pressure on the companies looking to hire people and gives more of a chance to the people being released from prison. I also see how it could be scary for a business owner to take a chance with a former prisoner. The prisoner will be representing your company and if they make a mistake or commit another crime it will reflect badly to your company. I also thought that it is was interesting that Nelson said that Black was his best worker. Most people would not expect a guy from prison to end up being the best worker. dp789
DeleteI see it great that unemployment rate has gone down. I see the positive side of businesses being more open to hiring people not based on their criminal background. It is important to have more programs to help people who are incarcerated, so they can have some experience of working. It will create more job opportunities for inmates ,and it will help drop our unemployment rates. It will also break the criminal cycle and give chance for people to redeem themselves, like how Nelson gave Black an opportunity to prove himself. We should not hold people’s criminal history against them.
Delete-Justice789
In my personal opinion, I believe giving ex-cons job training is one of the best things we could possibly do as a community for them. People who come out of incarceration often don’t have a sense of usefulness anymore and struggle to not go back down the dark road they were on previously that led them to the prison they ended up at. With proper training and some time to adapt to the “new world” around them, I believe any con could turn their life around if they had the right mindset. Without giving them these opportunities though, we may never know what they were truly capable of, or what kind of person/worker they truly were. I love the quote in the article that says, “What someone did on their worst day doesn’t define them forever” because it not only speaks about ex-cons, but just normal everyday non-offenders as well. I also know it is a risk for companies/corporations to hire ex-cons because they are a wild card- they’re capable of more than you probably suspect them to be and have learned plenty of new tricks since their time incarcerated. I have a family member who has been incarcerated previously and made more mistakes than many could even count in their youth years, but who now holds a stable job with a roofing/siding company, provides for his son and wife, and has turned completely around from the path he was previously on. To me, this is living proof giving ex-cons a remedial chance is worth it because they too are everyday people who make mistakes that don’t necessarily define them. I can understand if an employer were more reluctant to hire someone who had been given multiple chances prior, been in and out of prison for violent offenses/theft, and still hadn’t seemed to clean up their act vs. someone who is clean cut, dresses well, has only been to prison once or twice for nonviolent offenses, and hasn’t ever been given a second chance. The lateral absolutely deserves his second chance because we haven’t seen what he can do yet. The first, however, should consider himself very lucky should he ever receive any more job opportunities again because he blew too many chances. That’s why I believe how the time spent immediately after a criminal is released from prison is the most important because they are either a, going to go back to their old ways, or b, attempt to start anew and stay clean/crime-free. Hoagie123
ReplyDeleteI think that this article is very beneficial and a good read. In the article it talked about how people from prison often were not able to get a job. This article talked about a specific person who was willing to give a one of them a job. He then talks about how the prisoner is his best worker. Later in the article I thought there was a very good quote about the opinion of people released from prison. Mark Holden said, “What someone did on their worst day doesn’t define them forever.” I thought this quote was good because it is very true. We should not judge people because of one mistake they made. Everyone messes up at some point in time, and many people regret it. I think that the idea of giving employing the released is a good one. Jobs can help be a form of rehabilitation and it can help the former prisoner not fall back into his old lifestyle of crime. I agree with what President Trump said, that this can help break the vicious cycle of them returning to prison. This idea can also help the released prisoners get back up on their feet. I think sometimes people do need to be careful when hiring a prisoner that was released, because if the person they are hiring is a repeat offender, you might want to be careful about hiring that person. It might also be a good idea to look at what crime the person got convicted of. Depending on what the crime is and how it relates to the job that you would be giving that person. I think that employing the released is a good idea, because everyone deserves more than just one chance. Employing these former inmates can give them a fresh start to life. dp789
ReplyDeleteThis article really opened up my eyes and showed me how big of a problem unemployment for criminals really is. It also really changed my perspective on the matter of if criminals should be able to get a job or not. It is really sad to see that most ex-felons can not get a job because of their past even though they are clearly knowledgeable in the craft and some even have years of experience before they went into prison. This is why we have a problem with unemployment rates rising in our country. I loved how this article brought in an example. Ian Black was hired as a garage door installer even though he had has been convicted of multiple felonies that were nonviolent. His boss took a chance on him because he had a lot of experience and was very qualified for the job. His boss said he is the best worker he has ever had. Which is great to see
ReplyDeleteand prove to people that even though these people have past convictions doesn't mean they shouldn't get a job that they are qualified for. A shocking stat that popped out to me while reading this article is that nearly 20 million Americans have been convicted of murder which is insane. That is a very high number and if it keeps hiring we need to be able to trust in this felons to do good work because that is all that is eventually going to be left. Most people who have a felony rarely get the job nowadays because they have a felon. Even if the felon isn't considered the worst they still won't even get a chance at taking to a manager. It is great to hear that at the end of this article that more and more businesses are going to start taking a chance on criminals because most do deserve a second chance.
Hollywood789
I really agree with you in the fact that it changed my perspective on whether or not criminals and ex-felons should be able to get good jobs. I also like how you pointed out the fact that Ian Black’s boss knew that he had been convicted of multiple felonies and still has boss took a chance on him because he was very qualified for the job. I am also glad that there’s Americal says businesses are starting to become open to the idea of hiring criminals at their companies. All together I agree that this article was a nice refresher from looking at want is potential wrong with the criminal justice system and to look at what is truly going right for the people in the system.
Delete-RHB789
It is known the United States employs and uses the most prisons in the world and it is also known why. We, the US, incarcerate people at a far greater rate than any other country in the known world. Along with the fact of incarceration number, we also incarcerate people for things that most people around the world would find trivial at best. These things are nonviolent drug crimes, nonviolent burglary and theft, etc. These all add up to a staggering amount of inmates and a prison population of over two for the United States’ most populated cities. These inmate, once they have served their time, go out in to the world and find themselves unable to acquire a steady job because a standard, law-abiding citizen often have a predetermined label of ex-prisoners. This is a person would have killed, or stole a large amount of money, etc. These labels do not help and severely hinder progress. Most inmates go out into the free world to become exactly what they were before, Inmates. Without jobs, they may find themselves having to commit more crimes to live or simple commit it to go back to prison which promises food, water, and shelter. The basic necessities of human life. The fact that the man in this article gave this man a job is amazing. This article shows how many inmates just want to get their life back and how, if given the chance, the prisoner could become a valuable asset to a company or corporation. I believe that this would also be a problem for prisoner if they started to receive rehabilitation. What good would rehabilitation do if that inmate cannot even find a job after he gets out? I believe that this is one of the many problem inmates have to deal with and I believe we should try to encourage out businesses to try it. However, something like those labels do not go away immediately and it would take time. –TheMarshall789
ReplyDeleteThis article might hit home to some people that read this because they have a family member that was in prison and can't find a job because he did time and no one can trust him. With this article it talked about Ian black. Ian was behind bars for most of his life in a prison facility. Now, he was the most qualified person in the prison by far. When he got out of prison he needed to find a job but that was really difficult for him because of his criminal record that he has. Well his life was going to change because one guy was going to take a risk on people that just came out of the prison system because he thought that everyone needed a chance to work and he was going to give everyone that chance. The main thing is that people didn’t want to take away from the inmate just because they messed up in there life. He believed that everyone should have a second chance in life so he opened his doors to everyone because he realized that they already missed time in the world and their family so why take it away from them to find a job. Now, yes they messed up in there life but they already did the time so why make them suffer any longer and try and get them back on their feet. With this happening this will keep people out of prison again because they will be working and not focused on committing crimes again because they want to straighten their lives out because they want to make it backup to the family. Gator789
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this personal story about an inch whose life got turned around just by getting a steady job really makes me feel good about the system. I have heard of her inmates working outside of where they are incarcerated but most of the time you hear of them just doing menial tasks that the prisons are able to give out. I truly think that most people and communities open till recently have pretty much ruled out the idea of someone who is incarcerated coming to work at their business. Often times people think that just because they are or have been incarcerated that they will hurt your business, steal from you, or just not be good workers. This article truly proves that these are just common misconceptions or stereotypes of these groups of people. The article says that people like Ian Black tend to be hard workers and are not looking to jump around from employer to employer because of fear they would not find another place to get a job. Another thing that I thought was interesting from this article was that players are taking the checkbox that asks of any criminal history. I know that when I have had to fill out Applications, that question has been on there so it’s good to see that a lot of employers are going away from weeding out potential employees just because they have to check the box that says they have a criminal record. There is a large number of people who may have a criminal record but they might also be worth the employer is looking for. I also truly love the Trump administration is pushing for more job training for people that are incarcerated this will help the country economically because when they are released from prison able to take care of themselves and not rely on financial aid.
ReplyDelete-RHB789
After reading this article about inmates and their struggle of getting jobs, I believe that we should have a better job trainings for people incarceration. With more people being able to hire inmates, it show how our communities are growing. In the future, we could have less people going back to prison and repeating this cycle. Especially in America, our criminals have a hard time getting back on track with their history, and jobs being able to consider that into who they hire. “Ban the Box” has its benefits when it comes to people wanting to get jobs, because they don’t have to show their criminal history. Having a criminal history on a job resume can have a big factor that plays into hiring. “Ban the Box” can also cause prejudice and racism when it come to inmates. Many businesses will chose the Caucasians over Latinos and African American based on stereotypes. But that could also be a risk our community can take. If we could have some inmates hired into jobs, it will be easier to get them into a steady life. Reading about Ron Nelson and how he was hesitant on hiring an inmate and taking a risk shows how taking a little chance can do a lot for our community. Especially considering that Black is one his best workers, which can show how people who are incarcerated and wanting to turn their life around works harder than average person. They have to prove it to the world that they can do better in life rather being seen as criminals who will never change. Our community just needs to take a chance on people who have a criminal background, just like Nelson. Many times prisons will have work classes to encourage an inmate’s future and help guide them into righteous path.
ReplyDelete-Justice789
This article was so eye-opening. It’s so sad to think that some people can’t get jobs once they’re out of prison just because of the stereotype of people who’ve been to prison have over them. People who are out of prison and are trying to turn their life around should be REWARDED! I’m sure there’s just as many people on the negative end of the spectrum who get out and only care about picking up where they left off with the same habits that got them put in jail, but we shouldn’t punish the ones that truly do want to get their lives together and be a functioning member of society again. Ron Nelson was a man of God so the fact that he was considering turning his back on this guy because of the fact he’s been to prison is very sad. God would want that man to be given a second chance. I believe that everyone should be looked at the same unless you know from your own common knowledge someone is a genuinely bad person. I do also see where Nelson’s side of the issue and being a little skeptical about the whole idea but it’s not his place to judge on someone’s character who he doesn’t even know. I guess as a businessman he has to put his gut feeling first, but it makes me sad for the inmate who just needs a little help to get back on the right track. Being that probation is the field I want to pursue, this article gets under my skin. I want to see everyone get their life on track and see people succeed, but that’s hard to do in a society that is primarily based off of people's reputations and you’re name could be ruined forever for just one little mistake. Cheer123
ReplyDeleteI am like really, this is very unprofessional that locking up offenders is the first resort we should do, but its not. They are other options to be considered because the government is so strict. The government can do some thing about it, and should be for the common good to help those get a job, or to help those by offering them services because that just what being part of a police officer do. Its simply called community policing and should be the firs tithing we should have in our minds I think. Great article again everyone should read it! - LILPUMP789
DeleteHiring an ex inmate can be risky. In my opinion, Im not sure if I would hire one. I guess it depends on what they were in their for. If it was something minor and they had their life together. The serious ones dont always change they are sneaking and could hurt you in the long run. This is a big issue in today's world. They are hard workers and want to make money. Im sure it would help and they would do a nice job. People do make mistakes and you cant hold that over their head forever there has to be a time where you forgive them, but there's times you cant forgive people because of what they have done maybe to you or your family. But a guy like Mr. Black, he seems like he has his life put together and can handle a stable job and work hard for the business. People are sometimes scared of people that have been to jail, but it all matters why you went to jail. Like I said not everyone that goes to jail is a bad person. People DO change but sometimes it hasn't been long enough. There should be a law on it. It should matter on what the owner that is hiring you thinks. conrad123
ReplyDeleteI think that inmates should be allowed to work on the outside world when it is safe and responsible to do so. Not only is there no reason to withhold employment from inmates, but there is a good case to be made that employment could aid in rehabilitation. Many criminals only turned to crime because of instability in their life without it. Allowing prisoners to enter the workforce while serving sentences would help in reintegrating them into society. I think that allowing employment for inmates would also drastically lower the recidivism rates present in today’s justice system. This would also allow inmates to provide for their families for the duration of their term. Many times, when a person goes to prison, he or she leaves behind a spouse and children who have not developed the career experience to be able to provide for the family while the inmate spends his time in prison. There are obviously government resources available to those in the most desperate of situations, however, allowing inmates to earn money instead of forcing their families to seek out money, would be much much better for the economy and society in the long run. This would also minimize the chance of dependence on government services for these families. I think that this issue is very much a matter of rehabilitation versus punishment. Many people would argue that these people need to pay for their crimes and should not be allowed to work while doing so. I think that this view is somewhat tribalistic in sense as there is no pragmatic basis upon which their beliefs are based. Of course, inmates should never be allowed to work if it is a liability to coworkers or clients. I think it would be important to set up a criteria to determine how likely a person is to endanger those around him or commit more crimes.
ReplyDeleteRudeDogg789
I agree with you 100%. Inmates working right when they get released could help incredibly with them not reoffending. If they have something to keep their mind occupied and to keep them busy it will help keep them away from what brought them to jail in the first place. I feel bad for all the offenders who don’t get a second chance because some people are judgemental and don’t see people for who they really are but see them for the mistake they made. Hopefully other inmates would see this as inspiration and work their butt off once they get released as well. Cheer456
DeleteI love this article because this just shows how inmates or offenders are people as well. Sometimes those people might be even an inmate who’s been to prison, but the point is to help those who can’t help themselves such as those who’s been to prison. I think prisons should run programs were individuals get to choose what they want to do or learn and make a living of that, so when they get out rehab centers can help these individuals get jobs somewhere were the offenders don’t have to come back into prison or jails. Now sitting in class and learning more about the situation of our criminal justice system, is that we do have resources to help individuals, but its like nobody knows. Its like a secret hidden area was nobody talks about, but everybody talks about putting individuals into prison because that jus the best option, false. They are programs and that’s just what police officers should be offering more instead of locking someone whose dealing with a dime of marijuana as an example. This is a great article and should be used to show what can an inmate do, and shove this into the correctional system face. I am like really, this is very unprofessional that locking up offenders is the first resort we should do, but its not. They are other options to be considered because the government is so strict. The government can do some thing about it, and should be for the common good to help those get a job, or to help those by offering them services because that just what being part of a police officer do. Its simply called community policing and should be the firs tithing we should have in our minds I think. Great article again everyone should read it! - LILPUMP789
ReplyDeleteHaving inmates to work a job should be allowed. They are trying to better themselves why would we hold a grudge over someone. Give them the job and see how it works out. You can always fire them when you want. People always need money and I'm sure they will work hard for you and do what needs to be done. We come from different lifestyle some people that are hiring someone might say no. But it all really depends on what you believe and how you see it. He trying to better himself why just throw him back on the streets and do the same thing over again. If we didn't let these people get job there never going to change. They need to have responsibilities and to better themselves after they got out of the hell hole. We believe that everyone just be treated the same so treats this man the same unless he disqualifies for something for the job. I hope we does make these things illegal. This is a great topic in society and I felt like this was a very interesting topic.conrad456
ReplyDeleteThis article puts me in the middle of a rock and a hard place. From one perspective, I understand how Nelson feels because you have to be somewhat cautious about who you let work for you and represent your company name, but from the opposite end of the spectrum, Nelson had no idea who Black was and was iffy about him working for his company because of the stereotype that’s held over Black’s head. As a country, we tend to identify people as what they’ve done instead of who they are. We are humans, we all make mistakes, and that will never change. There's not a single person in this world who can say they’ve never gotten caught up in something bad and immediately regretted it. Some people are just a lot more lucky than others. Some people are prone to bad luck and seems to be that one person who’s always in the wrong place at the wrong time. I think it’s really sad Black is trying to better himself but some people can’t look past the fact he’s been in prison. The people in prison seeing all the guys functioning in society probably gives them hope and reassurance that their life can be turned around as soon as they’re out of jail. Seeing someone you know change their life around is one of the most rewarding feelings ever. These prisoners need to have somewhere where they can go after prison to assure them and judge free environment to work under. Put yourself in their shoes. Would you want to wake up every morning and go work somewhere where you’re judged and no one really takes you seriously? I wouldn’t. These stereotypes need to change. Your mistakes do not define you! People can change and just because someone screwed up does not mean they have to pay for that mistake forever. Cheer456
ReplyDeleteThis is really great to read. It’s tough enough to get a job but to have a permanent stain on your record can make it far worse. Going into the military I had some trouble because of some past mistakes and I know quite a few friends who had no hope at a job because of felonies and they returned to what they were doing before, crime. It’s nice to see that the attitudes are shifting and people are giving felons a shot at life again. What someone does while they were young doesn’t always reflect that person. It’s a problem to see someone who has done something wrong as always that person. If everything we did that was wrong was treated as a felony people would be quick to change their minds. Like if you snuck out while you were a teenager and that was a felony. I enjoyed reading about Mr. Black and how Mr. Nelson gave him a shot only to find out he’s one the nest workers he has. It was interesting to read that 48% of men released from prison had a job 8 months later in 2008. It’s not surprising when I think about it but I do realize that many of those unemployed people are just looking for a second chance. This is why I like the ban the box movement. It allows people to get there foot in the door without being judged before they get a chance. Giving people a chance to talk instead of just looking at their past is positive direction I think many employers should make. I don’t believe we can expect change with our system on the inside unless society on the outside is willing to change and meet in the middle. –pj789
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