Atlanta Based Non-Profit (Code/Out) Is Helping Incarcerated Juvenile Girls Get Jobs At Top Tech Companies

[DreamerD]

Originally Posted by usamathman

Good for you. Unfortunately the majority of companies don't follow the same practices. Especially of the person is a minority.

Exactly! There's this attitude if a white person has a record that oh they were young oh this was a few years ago oh I'm pretty sure they didn't mean anything by it oh they're nice overall and deserve a second chance.



You be black and you'll see the total opposite. Here in Atlanta, we are not immune to the war on drugs that has targeted many poor whites, blacks, and Hispanics. I wish Atlanta would educate/advocate for treatment versus criminalize.

[oldschoolChevy]

Originally Posted by AnsleyPark

Not true. I hired a young lady who has a felony on her record. She was a great employee and still holds her job some twelve years later.

Thats what's up, and I commend you for that for real. But that is for sure the exception to the rule, by no means does that represent anywhere close to what usually happens in those situations. I have a record, unfortunately quite an extensive one too. The police where bringing me home before I was a teenager, I didn't have a senior year of HS, by 17 I was legit out in the streets full time doing dirt with folks twice my age. These kids running to the nice areas of town hitting licks? I say its nothing new from personal experience because I was one of those kids doing that foolishness 15-20 years ago. So I can tell you what it feels like to have people say that you will never amount to anything, I can tell you what it feels like to have your own parents cut you off and not talk to you for years, I can tell you how expungement is really some BS, employers can't see what exactly you got charged with, but they can still see that something was there. So their mind wanders, which is even worse IMO. You waste money and valuable time for a circle jerk basically. I can also tell you what it's like to clean your act up and attempt to be a productive member of society and go out do it the right way and find a 9-5, and when I was working for other people the only types of jobs I was able to even get in the door on where jobs that my father had to pull some strings on some straight up nepotism stuff. And when those opportunities dried up I had no choice but to work for myself. Wasn't no other options, because the employers like you who would hire someone with a record were few and far between. I know what it's like to feel the energy in the interview room change when the boss looks down and sees that you've checked that box. I wasted quite a few years in my youth being a knucklehead but I'm still self aware enough to realize that even my situation is extra ordinary, I was blessed, most people who look like me and are from where I'm from do not have those opportunities to make those mistakes and still be able to come out and even have a semblance of an opportunity at life. Out of every 100 there may be 2 or 3 who can say the same as me if that. That's why Im so big on entreprenueship, that is the best way for people on the outside looking in to move up a couple of spots on the Monopoly board. I believe in it so much that now I'm actually glad I went thru what I went thru as a kid, because I was never going to be a doctor or a lawyer, the type of lifestyle Ive grown accustomed and the type of generational wealth Im trying to build was not going to come from working for someone else. it took me being with my back up against the wall to see that. We for sure need to replace all that expungement and interview prep BS they make you go thru after your case with some micro enterprise classes, it would do wonders for people with records

[DreamerD]

Originally Posted by oldschoolChevy

Thats what's up, and I commend you for that for real. But that is for sure the exception to the rule, by no means does that represent anywhere close to what usually happens in those situations. I have a record, unfortunately quite an extensive one too. The police where bringing me home before I was a teenager, I didn't have a senior year of HS, by 17 I was legit out in the streets full time doing dirt with folks twice my age. These kids running to the nice areas of town hitting licks? I say its nothing new from personal experience because I was one of those kids doing that foolishness 15-20 years ago. So I can tell you what it feels like to have people say that you will never amount to anything, I can tell you what it feels like to have your own parents cut you off and not talk to you for years, I can tell you how expungement is really some BS, employers can't see what exactly you got charged with, but they can still see that something was there. So their mind wanders, which is even worse IMO. You waste money and valuable time for a circle jerk basically. I can also tell you what it's like to clean your act up and attempt to be a productive member of society and go out do it the right way and find a 9-5, and when I was working for other people the only types of jobs I was able to even get in the door on where jobs that my father had to pull some strings on some straight up nepotism stuff. And when those opportunities dried up I had no choice but to work for myself. Wasn't no other options, because the employers like you who would hire someone with a record were few and far between. I know what it's like to feel the energy in the interview room change when the boss looks down and sees that you've checked that box. I wasted quite a few years in my youth being a knucklehead but I'm still self aware enough to realize that even my situation is extra ordinary, I was blessed, most people who look like me and are from where I'm from do not have those opportunities to make those mistakes and still be able to come out and even have a semblance of an opportunity at life. Out of every 100 there may be 2 or 3 who can say the same as me if that. That's why Im so big on entreprenueship, that is the best way for people on the outside looking in to move up a couple of spots on the Monopoly board. I believe in it so much that now I'm actually glad I went thru what I went thru as a kid, because I was never going to be a doctor or a lawyer, the type of lifestyle Ive grown accustomed and the type of generational wealth Im trying to build was not going to come from working for someone else. it took me being with my back up against the wall to see that. We for sure need to replace all that expungement and interview prep BS they make you go thru after your case with some micro enterprise classes, it would do wonders for people with records

1st bold: This, I did not know. I wonder if that varies by state. Either way it's ridiculous. If everyone was treated equally according to the law, almost every adult American would have a record I'm sure.



2nd and 3rd: Isn't that something? It's amazing where people get the motivation to work for themselves. I'm glad that in the end things worked out for you.



The biggest problem I think I will face is not looking like the people who are typically the CEO's of Fortune 500 companies. People will have to learn from experience that they can't depend on others to help them succeed and I don't mean that in a bad way. It's just that you can work twice as hard and not even get half the credit someone who looks opposite of you does. Entrepreneurship is very important.

[DreamerD]

I was inspired by posts on this thread to look up what someone could do as an entrepreneur (with a record). I was pretty shocked and angry that most (all that I saw not even most) licenses bar anyone who has a record from obtaining one. I saw some that said if you have a record you must wait 5 years with the most "liberal" of them being 2 years before they would even consider allowing you to obtain a license. This is why our criminal justice system needs to change. Once someone "pays their debt' to society, they are forever marked. It's systematic slavery. I can understand certain crimes preventing someone from obtaining a license and so I don't want to generalize but people are getting records over stupid sh** and then face discrimination when applying for work. Then after they decide to be independent, they can't because the state regulates licenses and won't allow them to work for themselves. You would be surprised to see all the things you need to get a license for.