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For all the ex-cons who want an apartment and feel you will be a good renter, would you be willing to submit the report from the jail or whomever has it so the potential landlord can read your case and see what happened to you? Would you mind the potential landlord to find out that info to determine if they want to pick you or not?
I have to ask....why didn't you just flush the meth down the toilet?
I agree. Intotalshock, you posted this same story in the JOB SEARCH forum and, as a prospective employer, I'd wonder why you chose to call the police and set yourself up for a lifetime of hassle, when you could have easily thrown the meth away. And, as a landlord, I'd wonder if you'd call the police to resolve simple situations with me or other tenants in the future.
I had called the police because at the time I didn't feel safe, however, before the call went through to a dispatcher, I hung up the phone. A couple minutes later, the police called me. I answered the phone. They asked me what my situation was and I told them I didn't feel safe. Eventually, we agreed to have one of their patrol units meet with me at a gas station.
I had purchased a small amount of meth for the first time in my life a couple days earlier, but had assumed that I had forgotten to take it with me to where I would be meeting the officer. So, when the officer arrived, I had no qualms about allowing him to search my bag following his request to do so.
Immediately upon searching my bag, he 'found' the very small bag containing the very small amount of meth that I actually did remember to retrieve before leaving the place I had originally called the police from.
The officers (now 2 were involved) drove me to the police station. I waited in a room handcuffed to a chair for about 15 minutes, and then, an officer arrived with my belongings and informed me that I was being released.
It was then that I requested to remain in custody. I made that decision without knowing the severity of the crime I committed, but still, it was unarguably a bad decision. While I can attempt to justify my decision by stating that I made it as a way for me to nip any future meth addiction in the but, in the end, it resulted in a meth conviction. Plain and simple.
Before the age of 25, I accomplished a great deal of professional success. A google search of my name pulls up dozens of interviews I've done with the likes of Good Morning America and the like. However, after being convicted of a meth misdemeanor, I'll be hard-pressed to find a decent place or job in the future.
Why oh why didn't I throw that bag of meth on the sidewalk before the cop car arrived? I'll always attribute that oversight to my own stupidity as well as a continuing streak of bad luck (I also contracted HIV after the 1st instance of me having unprotected sex without undergoing post-exposure prophylaxis).
Someone recently told me she didn't believe in luck because "it is of the devil". I'm more inclined to agree with Martha Stewart who says that she believes most successful people are "lucky". (many of us are - while stupid, bad, and maybe even criminal - unlucky as well)
Why didnt you feel safe? No one was there with you -- just you and the meth. Why did you buy it in the first place? You had the meth in your possession for days before deciding to call the police. Then you forgot that you still had the meth in your bag when you met the police. To be honest, the story sounds strange.
I'm not trying to be argumentative. I'm just asking you the questions that a prospective landlord or employer would ask.
Edited to add: Never mind. I just read your post on the JOB SEARCH forum, where you say you were under the influence of meth when you called 911. That explains everything.
Whole thread too long to read right now, but interesting, and here's my point of view: we have a rental house and rented to a young couple. Young man told us his background and said that wasn't where "he was" in his life any more. Yeah, we looked it all up. He had a decent job, seemed stable, etc. so we took a chance. Never again.
His crime wasn't violent. But, and here's what I think about people for the most part who get into trouble, they just don't really think the same as law-abiding citizens. For the majority, they're not stealing bread to keep from starving. They're trying to make easy money. They don't have good work ethics.
Our renter: kept making poor business decisions, kept doing work for people who weren't paying him or were cheating him; just really poor thinking skills, common sense not there. And due to his background, he couldn't get hired for decent jobs when the one he had dried up.
And we tried to help him get on his feet better, because he really was a nice guy, just not the brightest bulb. We told him to quit "playing" with his outdoor toys and focus on making a living for himself and his family. Guess what..he got hurt on the cycle and now can't work at all and we're going to have to get him out.
Lessons learned: don't get personally involved with tenants, and don't hire people with bad backgrounds because 99% of them have poor thinking skills.
I'm a 30 year old woman who struggled with drug addiction. That addiction led me to 5 years in prison. I've been clean for 8 years and I can tell you, because I've lived through it and I am a "criminal" that we aren't all bad. Some of us simply made a bad choice and got caught. Society wonders why felons are normally repeat offenders...maybe it's because without people being willing to give second chances and there being no rehabilitation in the prison system felons are having to do the only thing they can do to "survive." The judicial system already punished them/me and upon release society punishes us too. I work a job, I just graduated with a paralegal degree yet because I don't have children and because I "make too much money" and have great credit, the government won't help and the ignorance of the almighty saints of the world, I'm wondering when I can be independent and live on my own. True, some people want to over look my past and help, but company policy won't allow but normally it is just people being discriminatory...yes discriminatory. If I were an illegal immigrant or a single black woman with 4 kids by 4 men people would open their doors to me, but I'm a white female with a record so I guess I'm just supposed to figure it out on my own.
I'm a 30 year old woman who struggled with drug addiction. That addiction led me to 5 years in prison. I've been clean for 8 years and I can tell you, because I've lived through it and I am a "criminal" that we aren't all bad. Some of us simply made a bad choice and got caught. Society wonders why felons are normally repeat offenders...maybe it's because without people being willing to give second chances and there being no rehabilitation in the prison system felons are having to do the only thing they can do to "survive." The judicial system already punished them/me and upon release society punishes us too. I work a job, I just graduated with a paralegal degree yet because I don't have children and because I "make too much money" and have great credit, the government won't help and the ignorance of the almighty saints of the world, I'm wondering when I can be independent and live on my own. True, some people want to over look my past and help, but company policy won't allow but normally it is just people being discriminatory...yes discriminatory. If I were an illegal immigrant or a single black woman with 4 kids by 4 men people would open their doors to me, but I'm a white female with a record so I guess I'm just supposed to figure it out on my own.
I was convicted of burglary in 2002 which resulted in a 4 year prison term. I was employed ten days after release as an industrial electrician making a decent income. I enrolled in college and graduated in 2012 with an electrical engineering degree. I cannot become professionally certified due to the felony however many jobs are available without it. I now have a really good job as a project engineer.
I have read this really long thread and agree that 99% of ex-felons will never be rehabilitated and most will end up back in prison. The recidivism rate in Alabama is increasing every year. I have donated time and effort to teach prisoners that were still incarcerated a skilled trade that could be used with a felony. I finally stopped due to at least 9 out of 10 being there for an air conditioned room and not to learn anything.
I personally would not rent to a felon without at least 10 years clear record and lots of references. I leased a room from craigs list until I got on my feet enough to rent a house. I figured out quickly most do not do a background check for a house as long as it is an individual and not a property company. Everyone makes bad choices I understand that more than most and felons are discriminated against no doubt but anyone with motivation can be just as successful as anyone else.
A felony has life long consequences in all aspects of your life. Alabama and most other states have free or reduced tuition for trade schools not everyone has to go to a four year school.
My point is this don't gripe at someone that will not rent to you because of a conscious decision you made. Get over it and move on if you can prove yourself most states will give you a pardon or expungement. I have finally received my pardon it has taken almost 5 years, patience and a tremendous amount of effort. I rented an apartment several months ago due to a job required move with no problems. Alabama does not offer an expungement but has a pardon so all of your criminal record is still there. I took the pardon with me to the property company and had some extra questions to answer I was approved the next day. My opinion of renting to a sex offender is an easy one NO never.
FYI I am an Engineer not an English major.
Yes an innocent person who took a bad plea deal because they could not afford a good attorney bites, however it was still a choice to take the deal. Everyone has the right to a jury trial and yes occasionally an innocent person goes to jail. I have heard so many "I am innocent" stories in prison if they were all true I would have been there by myself!!!
Last edited by Ed.Davis; 12-26-2015 at 07:44 PM..
Reason: Addition
i was in a vulnerable situation back in 2004 there was drinking and i blacked out and passed out i don't remember anything that happened next thing i know im charged with a sex offense misdemeanor i have been in recovery for 4 years now i have changed for the better but im having a hard time finding places to rent i just wish and pray someone will hear me is there any landlords in moorhead minnesota that would give me a chance
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No easy second chance
