| In a small, white collar suburban community just | | | | for other local fire squads. She figured it would |
| outside of Salt Lake City, Utah the ex- offender | | | | position her well for a decent job. For more than |
| we spoke with (he asked us to keep his identity | | | | five years, she roughed it through classes and |
| confidential) had been a model citizen, receiving | | | | endless trainings, entering smoke-filled rooms with |
| promotion after promotion at work, avoiding all | | | | her oxygen mask blackened to simulate rescue |
| negative influences from his prior life, and even | | | | situations and navigating the Appalachian mountain |
| started his own foundation to assist in the | | | | roads near the prison in a yellow fire truck."Any |
| rehabilitation of fellow Federal and State | | | | of the physical requirements that you had to do" |
| offenders. He was released from probation, had | | | | for state licensing, "we were required to do in our |
| moved on in a world where he would finally be | | | | classes when we were in Federal Custody," says |
| able to be productive and could use the skills and | | | | Ms. Owens.She eventually rose to the fire team's |
| tools that he learned to assist the less fortunate. | | | | top rank of lieutenant, garnering 300 hours of |
| Life was good..His success hasn't come easily. The | | | | training and 100 hours at the scenes of actual |
| light haired 38-year-old is an ex-offender who had | | | | fires in the towns outside the prison.In January |
| served in the Federal System for filing a false | | | | 2001, President Clinton granted her clemency on |
| statement with a federal bank ( lying on a credit | | | | his last day in office after receiving her name |
| application) and for possessing "more that four | | | | from Families Against Mandatory Minimums, a |
| pictures" of pornography, that in 1998 was | | | | group that advocates changes in sentencing laws. |
| considered Illegal. Did we mention that it is still | | | | See eight years in prison, she left Alderson to |
| illegal in Utah to have conjuical relations with your | | | | stay at her parents' home in Alpharetta, Ga., |
| spouse that involve any type of "oral | | | | confident a fire department in one of Atlanta's |
| interactions"..... or more easily defined as oral | | | | booming suburbs would hire her. She filled out |
| sex.Walking out of the famed "Club Fed" as | | | | each job application truthfully, noting she was a |
| members of the media have called this place of | | | | felon. But state law bars hiring former felons.Ms. |
| supposed rehabilitation, he says that he "made a | | | | Mitchell says she offered to "clean hoses, flush |
| pact with god, to use all of his talents for the | | | | the truck, even clean the mess hall" anything to |
| good of mankind" and ssince being released from | | | | get her foot in the door -- all to no |
| prison over three years ago, he has struggled | | | | avail.Eventually, she was able to land a job with an |
| with basic necessities that we take for granted, | | | | organization that trains service dogs for people |
| such as finding affordable housing and getting a | | | | with debilitating diseases and injuries. Last year, |
| valid state ID card.A single non-custodial parent | | | | she moved to Utah and started a catering |
| with a steady paying job, he would normally be | | | | business with her husband, who she had met |
| considered a prime candidate for public-housing | | | | back in high school. The business didn't take off so |
| assistance, but he knows the odds are against | | | | they are planning to try again next year in her |
| him. Local housing rules bar ex-felons from living in | | | | husbands home town of Rigby, Idaho.Many |
| public housing for six years after completing their | | | | ex-convicts leave prison wanting to start anew, |
| sentence. But this offender is one of the few that | | | | and the first step is often trying to get an |
| we have spoken to that have the support of a | | | | education. But while 63% of all undergraduates |
| family. "So many ex-offenders have no | | | | receive some form of financial aid, money isn't |
| knowledge that the life of crime that they know | | | | easy to come by for ex-felons.Federal law states |
| CAN come to an end, said Sheila Demarco, a | | | | that first-time offenders convicted on federal or |
| substance abuse advisor in Salt Lake City. "But | | | | state drug-possession or drug-trafficking charges |
| having the support of a family who cares is | | | | are ineligible to receive financial assistance for as |
| becoming a rare commodity" said Demarco."In | | | | long as two years after their convictions. |
| prison, you learn the value of being your word, | | | | Completing drug rehabilitation can cut that time, |
| being respectful and staying inside the lines" he | | | | but such programs can be expensive."I |
| said, and I really got clear on how important | | | | understand their concern. A college campus is a |
| family is in ones life" he said. So, in keeping with | | | | perfect place to sell drugs, but I also know I can't |
| the commitment that he made to keep his family | | | | move forward in my life without an education and |
| first he decided to do whatever it took to "make | | | | a good job," says Ms. Wheeler, a former offender |
| it" this time.Now, every month, he makes the | | | | we spoke to who was released last year. She |
| hour-long trek to the local airport, ready to board | | | | now earns $6 an hour at a The Training Table, a |
| a plane, so that he can visit with his child that lives | | | | fast-food restaurant, trying to make ends meet |
| out of state. "I have been going to visit my ex | | | | to help support her 1-year-old.For our first |
| and my child for almost a year now, he said. "And | | | | subject, finding housing has been the toughest |
| I love the way that I feel when I know that I am | | | | challenge. Upon being released in 2004 from |
| doing the right things in life."I have to admit, It's | | | | federal prison, he then headed for a halfway |
| one battle after the next -- trying to obtain | | | | house in Salt Lake City, Utah.Like many prisoners |
| housing, trying to obtain employment," he says. "I | | | | released before their sentence is completed, he |
| want a second chance. I want people to see that | | | | was required to find a job in 15 days or face the |
| yes, I have made mistakes, but I am making it | | | | possibility and constant threat of being returned |
| right." "I know that I can do this, but it is not | | | | to prison to finish his last six months. But to get a |
| easy", he statedOur subject is one of more than | | | | job, he needed valid identification from the |
| 630,000 people released each year from | | | | Department of Motor Vehicles. In Utah, residents |
| correctional institutions in the U.S. Not surprisingly, | | | | need a combination of documentation such as bills |
| people who have been locked up for many years, | | | | and voter registration cards that each add up to |
| often poorly educated and lacking in financial | | | | enough cumulative "points" to qualify for a driver's |
| support, face a range of obstacles to re-entering | | | | license or nondriver ID.The ex-inmate we spoke |
| society. Yet some of the biggest are put there | | | | to says that he had a federal prisoner ID, a birth |
| by federal, state and local governments, including | | | | certificate and a Social Security card. Those were |
| hurdles to getting student loans, public housing and | | | | not enough. Motor-vehicle personnel asked if he |
| other forms of government assistance.For years, | | | | had a passport, a bill with his name on it, any |
| the thinking among law-enforcement officials and | | | | additional identifiers. "I kept telling them that I'd |
| politicians was that this was the price people | | | | been in prison the last 3 years and didn't have |
| should pay for breaking the law. Now there is an | | | | any other identification." Eventually he found a |
| emerging belief that the larger price is being borne | | | | sympathetic supervisor who issued him the |
| by society, since the practical barriers facing | | | | card.He found a job quickly at a local |
| ex-prisoners make it more likely that they will slip | | | | telemarketing firm, but switched after a few |
| back into a life of crime.National Statistics indicate | | | | months to work for a large painting company, |
| that two-thirds of ex-felons return to police | | | | where he could use the construction certificate |
| custody within three years of their release for | | | | he'd earned in training on the inside.Still, he |
| new crimes or for probation or parole violations, | | | | struggled to find a cheap yet safe place for he |
| according to Justice Department studies. U.S. | | | | and his daughter. The two are now living in a |
| taxpayers spent $60 billion on corrections in 2002 | | | | home that was provided for them by a family |
| at the local, state and federal levels, up from $9 | | | | member.The federal government has a small |
| billion two decades earlier. Over that same time | | | | number of restrictions against ex-felons living in |
| frame, corrections (including private prison | | | | public housing, such as sex offenders and those |
| programs) have been the second fastest growing | | | | who have manufactured methamphetamine in a |
| government spending category after health | | | | housing complex. However, local housing |
| care.Aside from public-housing restrictions, many | | | | authorities are able to impose their own |
| former felons find they need special waivers to | | | | restrictions on ex-felons living in public housing, and |
| get licensed in vocations they learned while | | | | those can be expansive, based upon the local |
| serving time. Some find their attempts to get an | | | | attitude of State Agencies who impose such |
| education are stymied by laws barring loans to | | | | rules.Howard Harder, spokesman for the Los |
| those convicted of a crime. Still others can | | | | Angeles City Housing Authority, says there are |
| stumble into technical violations that send them | | | | virtually no vacancies in the city in public housing |
| back to prison, such as reporting late for a | | | | and with about 136,000 applications pending it is |
| meeting with a probation officer, submitting a | | | | unlikely that someone with a felony record will get |
| dirty urine sample or failing to pay a fine or | | | | in. Besides, ex-felons are ineligible for public housing |
| restitution as required. For those who have | | | | for six years after the completion of their |
| completed lengthy sentences, the most | | | | sentence, including probation.Until something else |
| frustrating barrier is also the most basic -- getting | | | | comes along, he says he'll keep pushing for |
| a legitimate ID card, such as a driver's | | | | promotions at work. Returning to a life of crime |
| license."Having one barrier may not be considered | | | | and risking a return to prison is not an option, he |
| that big a deal," says Anthony Gerry, director of | | | | says: "I don't have another 3 years to give to |
| the prisoner re-entry institute at the Washington | | | | anyone."Copyright 2006- Robert Paisola- All Rights |
| Institute of Criminal Justice in Washington DC. | | | | ReservedFor Additional Information see Author, |
| Usually, though, offenders face several barriers, | | | | Robert Paisola, donates his time and resources on |
| he says, adding: "You can't get housing, you have | | | | a worldwide basis to support the reformation of |
| child support" payments to make, "you can't get | | | | criminal offenders and to ease the re-entry |
| ID and no one will hire you. When looked at in full, | | | | process for ex offenders. He established a |
| that sends a signal: You're not wanted." said | | | | foundation to assist in this effort. His work and |
| GerryAfter years of pushing for tougher | | | | dedication to this cause have resulted in many |
| sentences, politicians in Washington are now | | | | forms of recognition, however, as Robert put's it |
| starting to rethink their approach. The Second | | | | "It is not about me" It is about the thousands of |
| Chance Act, hammered out by a bipartisan group | | | | inmates that we assist each year around the |
| of lawmakers and introduced in Congress last | | | | world, to end the revolving door of recidivism.If |
| year, would have provided more than $80 million | | | | you are in need of specialized motivational training |
| in grants for programs to help ex-offenders | | | | to the inmates, former inmates or drug |
| re-enter society.Lacie Mitchell might have | | | | rehabilitation patients that you supervise, Robert |
| benefited from a key part of the legislation: a | | | | Paisola is the person to bring in to visit with your |
| provision ensuring that ex-offenders can be | | | | clients. He will PROVE that there CAN BE and IS a |
| licensed in occupations they trained for in | | | | different way of living. Seminars are also available |
| prison.Ms. Mitchell was determined to learn a skill | | | | for a nominal fee to work with Supervising Staff, |
| so that she could get a job when she left the | | | | Jail Personnel and Federal Agencies including the |
| Federal Bureau of Prisons, Federal Correctional | | | | Federal Bureau of Prisons.Does This Work? email |
| Institution, in West Virginia, a women's prison | | | | for additional booking informationRobert Paisola is |
| made famous recently for housing Martha | | | | driven by a passion for people--motivating them |
| Stewart.In 1993, Ms. Mitchell, who had just finished | | | | to reach for the highest standards of success. As |
| her sophomore year at Santa Rosa Junior College | | | | founder and president of many International |
| in Northern California, obtained LSD for her | | | | Corporations, Robert trains sales and marketing |
| ex-boyfriend and mailed it to him in Georgia. He | | | | professionals who want to strive to get to the |
| was caught and cooperated with authorities | | | | top...and stay there.Routinely Distinguished by The |
| against those he had enlisted to secure drugs. He | | | | National Speakers Forum, Robert is also a regular |
| was sentenced to two years while she received | | | | contributor to Business Week Magazine, CNN, |
| 10.Ms. Mitchell, now 32 years old, joined the | | | | CNNFN, XM Satellite Radio, The Wall Street |
| prison's all-women fire-fighting team, a group that | | | | Journal, Telemundo International, National Public |
| provides fire protection for the prison and backup | | | | Radio and many other organizations. |