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April is reentry month. I believe that reentry should always focus on three key elements and that’s mental health because of the transition from being locked in a cage to the outside world. Employment and housing should also be addressed. You could have a job with the right amount of money but still have no place to stay. 

There’s a 70-year old black woman that I work with. She has a manslaughter conviction from 27 years ago. Her landlord is selling the house she lives in because he is older and can no longer afford to maintain it. He is even willing to be a reference for her, saying she was the best tenant he has ever had, but it is still hard to find a place for her to live. She is on social security, disability and has a section 8 voucher,  but because of her criminal record, we cannot find a place for her to rent. I know a person is more than her criminal history, so I will not stop looking until she has a place to call home. 

So I have to ask: “Why not make laws where people who come home from prison don’t get legally discriminated against because of their criminal history?”

We must not stop fighting for fair policies. We need a cultural shift of political consciousness – like what we see demonstrated by the youth we see today demanding fair treatment by the police and this unjust system- in order to change the undercaste system that has been put in place for those of us striving to be successful upon reentry. The time to act is now!

There is a critical need for our people to take a landmark stand against the injustice and unequal protection of the law that is being meted out to black and brown men, women and children by way of North Carolina and the United States Government and it’s criminal justice system. 

The effects of the way we are unjustly sentenced and treated in prison and when we return to society is psychologically traumatizing and dehumanizing, and its inferiorizing influence is breeding hopelessness in incarcerated people and returning citizens. In fact, this effect is so inferiorizing that it has our people in society thinking there’s nothing they can do to support those incarcerated because they themselves have been beaten down by the government for so long that they feel the government is above the law and can’t nobody beat them. Which I totally understand, but that’s true.

The power of the people is always greater than the people in power. We must take a stand today and demand our Justice and Equality. Not begging and negotiating with the same system that enslaved us! We have the power so let’s get to it!

Daquan Peters provides supportive services for justice-involved individuals and is a Second Chance Alliance Coordinator

 

My name is Janay Baldwin and I am a recent graduate of the University of North Carolina’s School of Social Work. I chose the field of social work because I have experienced first hand the struggle that life may bring after one has been convicted of a criminal offense. As a social worker, I have the ability to touch the lives of thousands of people by sharing my story and maybe assisting others as they began to create their own.

My story is as follows: In December of 2006, I was employed at Lowe’s Home Improvement. I was 17-years old at the time that I discovered a Lowe’s credit card in a shopping cart. Instead of doing the right thing, I foolishly used the card a few days later to purchase a few house hold items. In February of 2007, I was charged with a Felony Larceny by Employee. I went to court for an entire year. By the time I had turned 19, my mistake had taken a permanent place in my life. On January 9, 2008, I was convicted of a Misdemeanor Larceny with a Prayer for Judgment.

This charge alone, was the reason I would get hired by various excellent employers, but then denied a start date due to my criminal background.

As a single mother of one, I was caught in the struggle of life. I worked dead end jobs to make ends meet. I was committed to turning my life around by getting involved in church, volunteering in the community, and going back to school to pursue a higher education. Still, it seemed as though my efforts to right my wrong went unnoticed.

Now as a social worker, I use this story to relate to other troubled youth so that they may see that anyone can learn from their mistakes and live a better life than that which includes trouble. I am now a mature, grown individual with great integrity and wisdom. I am in pursuit of a Master’s in Social Work to continue to learn, make a difference, and give back. I am confident that those who truly desire to change their lives can do the same with support from the community and a second chance in society.