Second chances: Michael Vick and the challenges for ex-offenders

It was heartening to hear of  President Barack Obama praising Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie for giving Michael Vick a second chance following  the quarterback’s release from prison. 

“He (Obama) said, ‘So many people who serve time never get a fair second chance,’ ” said Lurie, who did not indicate when the call occurred. “He said, ‘It’s never a level playing field for prisoners when they get out of jail.’ And he was happy that we did something on such a national stage that showed our faith in giving someone a second chance after such a major downfall.”

You can’t get better press than that.  Even allowing for the fact that Vick, as a gifted athlete, is a unique case, his comeback does demonstrate the possibility of redemption and the importance of letting individuals take a crack at starting over.  What would be nice now would be to see Vick play a broader role in helping other ex-offenders start anew. 

They’re going to need it.   Despite an apparently rosy holiday retail season, the jobs picture hasn’t improved and the indicators are not encouraging.   A recent study by Rutgers University, which followed unemployed workers for 15 months noted that only a quarter had found new jobs and most of those were for lower pay and benefits.   “The Shattered American Dream: Unemployed Workers lose Ground, Hope and Faith,” found that  despite optimistic projections by some economists, many see the changes in the job market as structural and long-term.  New York Times columnist Bob Herbert does a great job of explaining the disconnect here.

One can only hope our leaders wise up  and  take some action to spur real  job growth sooner rather than later — and that in the meantime,  enlightened employers with good stories to tell like Vick’s get the word out.   

Do you know any you’d like to share?

Ban the box update

As I noted in my last post, this week is devoted to checking on the status of legislation affecting  ex-offenders.

One of the more effective strategies — and one that seems to be  gaining steam —  is the  “Ban the Box” grassroots campaign.  The box, of course,  is that section of the employment application that asks about whether you have a criminal record.  The question can come in a variety of forms as  blogger James Walker notes in his very comprehensive post. Sometimes it’s even a series of questions, as I discovered when my son recently applied at our local grocery store for a job as a bag boy.  These are usually yes/no questions, typically followed by a space where you’re asked to explain any charges in further detail.

The problem is that once you check “Yes,” your application often goes no further.  One human resources professional recently told me  that in cases where someone answered yes in an online application at his former employer, the application was automatically deleted. 

Since 2003, some 30 cities states and counties have eliminated the box and the question from applications.  These include:

    Hawaii (1998), Minnesota (2009) and New Mexico, this year.  Just last month,  Connecticut passed a law removing the box from applications for public jobs.  Bills are also pending in Wisconsin and Nebraska.   Major cities that have banned the box for government jobs include San Francisco, Chicago, Boston and Minneapolis/St. Paul.   

The National Employment Law Project offers a comprehensive update by state and city.  The Safer Foundation also provides a detailed list of recent legislation. 

A lesson in owning up to your mistakes

“A man’s errors are his portals of discovery.”

James Joyce, author

Sports columnist Tom Boswell included this quote at the end of a column he wrote this week on the tremendous class showed by umpire Jim Joyce, after he blew a call that cost Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga a history-making perfect game.    In a departure from what we usually see in sports,  Joyce promptly acknowledged his mistake and apologized.  If you haven’t seen it, do yourself a favor and check out this clip:

Galarraga was a complete class act as well.  Instead of exploding in anger and throwing a fit, which seems to be all but standard in professional sports these days, he kept his cool and told Joyce it was okay.

This whole episode is an inadvertent case study in  the unexpected benefits that can come from owning up to mistakes.  Joyce still feels awful, but by promptly admitting he was wrong and accepting responsibility,  he comes off as a very human and honest man.

Inspiring!

When working is hazardous to your reentry

I  spend a lot of  time talking about what ex-offenders can do to get and keep a  job.  But listening to an NPR report today about the mine disaster in West Virginia reminded me that  knowing when to say no to certain jobs–  and certain employer requests —  can be  just as important.

Just to be clear: I’m not saying mine owner Massey Energy Co. was responsible for the explosion that killed at least 25 people.  While some reports suggest there had been several safety violations at the Upper Big Branch  mine, investigators still need to sort out what happened.   What caught  my attention was a  guest on the radio program  who commented that mine workers needed to be better educated about the hazardous conditions they work in every day — the  high incidence of black lung disease, for example, which is on the rise again even after air quality safety  measures introduced in 1995. Even now,  he said,  young people continue to follow their parents into these jobs, despite the inherent dangers,  because they feel they have no other options.

This took me back to a story I heard from an ex-offender  last year.  The man  felt his  employer had taken advantage of him because as a former felon he had no where else to go. For example, while other workers at his construction site used safety  harnesses  on upper floors and scaffolding, this man wasn’t given any safety equipment.   Later, when he  injured his back on the job, his boss declined to get him treatment.  In fact, the man’s supervisor told him that  if he took work off to see a doctor, he would be fired.  This particular man  had two kids to support.  He feared his probation officer would be disappointed if he didn’t keep his  job.  What do you think he did?

The truth is, when you’re grateful to have any work, as many ex-offenders are, you can find yourself in a tough position if an employer wants to take advantage of the situation.  I’m not suggesting anyone go looking for problems, or that you quit the minute you’re assigned a task you’d rather not do.  In many cases the only position you may be able to get with a record will require you to start at the bottom.  Moving beyond the criminal mindset often means going  from an attitude of  entitlement to one of  humility.

But there’s a difference between a job that requires you to  get your hands dirty and one where you’re endangered or subjected to outright abuse.  And regardless of what you’re done in the past, it’s important to remember that you have certain rights as an employee and as a person.

So what should you do if you feel you’re in a work situation that is unhealthy?

• Seek counsel from someone you trust.  Talk to your job counselor, your p.o., or someone else who understands your situation, but can also be objective.  Lay out the facts.  See what they say.  You want to get a reality check to make sure this isn’t just you feeling paranoid or  persecuted…
• Evaluate your other options and the viability of finding another job.    They say the best time to find a new job is when you’re currently employed.  So start looking around for something better.
• If you feel your health is truly endangered or you’re being subjected to outright abuse or harrassment, you may be better off leaving the job immediately.  People will treat you the way you expect to be treated. Remaining in a bad situation will only breed more resentment on your part, which can lead right back to old behavioral patterns.  This could be  more detrimental to your reentry than leaving the  job.

Readers, how about you?  Has anyone had a bad employment experience following their release?  What did you do?  Or how did your counselors advise you to handle it?

Some jobs to say goodbye to…

I know some of you get tired of hearing me go on about  the importance of getting an education and learning new skills.  But in doing some research last week, I stumbled upon the list of the 30 jobs expected to decline the most in the future.  And you know what?  A surprising number of these disappearing occupations are the very ones many ex-offenders I work with hope to get.   So I thought it might be worth listing a few — not to be a downer — but as further evidence that I’m not making this up.  To be smart, you may need to plan ahead for a very different future.

Jobs                                                   Projected Decline 2008 to 2018

1.  Admistrative Assistants                                                        11.6 %

2. File Clerks                                                                                     23.4%

3. Shipping and Receiving                                                            6.6%

4.  Telemarketers                                                                          11.1%

5. Packers and Packagers                                                          4.5%

6.  Data Entry Keyers                                                                 6.1%

7. Switchboard Operators                                                      10.9%

8. Order Clerks                                                                            26.1%

9. Information and Record  Clerks                                      11.8%

10. Machine Feeders and Offbearers                                 22.2%

The average job is expected to grow 9 to 10 percent over the next ten years, so even a 6.6 percent decline  in the number of shipping jobs is significant.

The only industries where low- and semi-skilled jobs are still increasing?  Food service, custodial work and some service jobs.

But don’t take my word for it.   Check out the list from the Bureau of Labor Statistics here.   You can also look at the 30 fastest growing occupations here. With the exception of about four categories, including home health care aides and personal aides, most of these newer jobs require at least a two-year associate’s degree.

So at the risk of repeating myself,  think twice before you rule out getting additional education.  Even if school wasn’t your thing, there are vocational training and certificate programs that are very practical and job-specific.   Completing one of them could mean the difference between getting a job you can grow in and not getting a job at all.   And as I’ve noted earlier, such training is often more affordable than you think.