Just to clarify..I can "foster" if my relative / immediate family member ends up in foster care. That is not what I'm talking about in the video. If that happens I will of course help and take in the baby. I hope this makes sense ❤
I know it's an extreme solution. But consider Australia, but of course you be leaving your friends once again. But you n yours would have a New start without the limitations n the chance to show your ability to excel, n n most important in the recovery n rehabilitation areas. Can't say on the foster parent areas as I have zero knowledge, but many ex convicted folks are part of the awareness n education of young people here. Just a thought.
Makes perfect sense. Btw, you do need a passport to visit Mexico; HOWEVER if you go on a cruise provided you are initially departing from and returning to the USA you do NOT need a passport only a valid government ID (i.e. drivers license), it's easier when you go into ports if you have a passport but it's not a requirement.
I don’t understand how they expect people to rebuild their lives and not return to crime when you can’t get a job or live anywhere?! Must just want you to lay on the streets begging.
Maxx P. It’s the governments responsibility to make sure people are employed. That’s why they track unemployment. A quality of life is a human right and not a privilege.
@@gracenicholass6273 no, it is not the government's responsibility to make sure they are employed. it is on the person themselves. and the quality of life is also a priviledge. you can't go into a rich wealthy area and say, this is my right. you have to earn your way into that quality of life.
*Mine was 45 years ago, and it still screws with my life. The worst part is how you are affected depends entirely on what State you got your felony in. Some states let you apply for and get a pardon as simply as paying a fine after 5 years of good behaviour (no arrests), while others (New York, where I got mine) is permanent. NY **_says_** they have a way for you to apply for and get pardons, but the office responsib;le for that hasn't been given any money to open in decades, and likely never will.*
THIS! The fact that there is little to no support upon release AND felons are still punished even decades after they’ve served their sentence is extremely messed up. They practically set up people for failure
1. Be a foster parent. 2. Can't be a caregiver 3. Can't vote 4. Can't own a fire arm 5. Can't visit friends in prison 6. Can't work at a bank, lot of offices. 7. Rent apartment in a lot of areas 8. Can't own a liquor license 9. Can't have a car dealership license
Another thing is, you can always operate through a straw man and any corporation you control is not a felon. While you can't have certain licenses, it doesn't mean you can't employ licensed people.
My mom is a convicted drug felon, and has been for over 20 years. When she first got released she was on house arrest and was trying so hard to find a job. I remember Walmart told her that she had the job and she was SO excited. They called her back and told her they couldn’t hire her :( the attorney she was using for custody ended up hiring her as her assistant and she worked there for a few years and now she is working in a dentist office as a dental assistant and it’s because two people took a chance!
well, that's why you should think twice before entering a life of crime, breaking laws repeatedly. this wasn't a one time thing. she took that risk repeatedly.
Morgan Orthner actually in other countries it’s supposed to rehabilitate people so they can become a normal part of society again! And Jessica is obviously a normal part of society so she should get a chance to get all her rights back.
There is no such thing as paying your debt to society and that's that. "Paying" is NEVER over. So they want to keep you down and then ask what's wrong with you if you cant make it work
I’m from Europe (the Netherlands) and some things are really weird to me, but we have just a lot of things we do different then the USA.... you can be a better person... you can learn from your mistakes and be a better person. I hope things can change for you. I think you are a very strong person for making these videos and explaining these things because it helps people to understand that things have to change!
The US makes things so prisoners are brutalized in prison and their life is almost certainly ruined the rest of their life, making it likely they reoffend.
I started watching your channel because I work at a restaurant that almost specifically goes out of its way to hire felons ( and other misfits) who genuinely want to improve their lives. I have never been in any trouble with the law personally, but so many of my coworker friends have expressed to me some of their struggles with the prison system and life in recovery. I’m glad I found your channel because I wanted to know about what they may have experienced and how to assist their recovery , without necessarily asking them for more information. They’ve told me a lot but I’m sure there’s a lot they aren’t comfortable with discussing and I know it’s not my place to pry. So thank you for educating me so I can be a better friend and coworker
i agree. I live in florida and they passed Amendment 4 in 2018 allowing felons who have served their time the right to vote if their charges are not murder or sex crime related which I think is step in the right direction if you ask me.
Yeah, that's crazy to me. Even though you are felon, you are still citizen and all citizens should have the right to vote. In my country even prisoners can vote. There are people which bring ballot boxes to places with people, which cannot come to polling stations like nursing homes, hospitals and also prisons.
I have a relative who got a felony charge for having 1 joint on him in the 60's, so he hasn't been able to vote his entire adult life. He lives in a state where marijuana is legal now, it still doesn't matter. It's ridiculous for such a minor non-violent offense.
@@jessicah3450 ok, this i think is unfair because mj is legal now. that's like someone still having a criminal record for drinking alcohol during prohibition.
Yeah and some laws people get prosecuted for are stupid and often the justice system is flawed. How are you going to have influence on laws and changing the system for the better if you are labelled a criminal your whole life and not given equal right for a vote and a say?
As a former Customs and Border Protection officer, I can assure you that you can get a passport and go to Mexico, but expect to have your entire body and all bags searched upon re-entry to the United States. They may even be waiting for you to depart the plane since you are a violent felon. But tell the truth about your recovery and how much clean time you have. They should understand.
I can assure you that you will be put on a "look out" list, which basically means that they are going to search your bags, interrogate you and pat you down. If at any time you suspect that they are doing something wrong, politely ask to speak to a supervisor. It will take a good 10 minutes most likely to find a supervisor if it is busy.
@Harry B Or if her majesty grants an exemption. There are always waivers for everything, especially so here in the US. When in doubt, marry a US citizen! Then your waiver will be under a year guaranteed. I imagine that the Queen of England makes similar exceptions.
I’m a cook. Kitchens are a haven for felons or the “unemployable”. People who have been to prison and had problems end up being the best employees. They don’t want to go back to prison or to the life they had before. They will do whatever it takes to get on the right track. If I had a restaurant or ran a kitchen I would gladly hire felons (assuming I get the vibe they want to do better for themselves). It’s actually a dream of mine to have a business that employs women that are at risk or felons or for whatever reason need help. Maybe someday...
I work for a small, local business that also employs a lot of former felons. Unfortunately it's a mixed bag. Some people have completely turned their lives around, but others show up to work every day high on meth, bring a gun to work even though they can't legally carry, steal from work, start fights with or threaten people, are a no call/no show quite often, we've had police and drug dogs in the building, and that's not even the worst of it. I've already had co-workers that ended up back in prison. It's kind of scary some days and definitely the weirdest place I've ever worked. There's always some drama or someone getting arrested again or an ongoing investigation by police.
The only time a juvenile wouldn't get a break for their criminal history is if they were tried as an adult. Your juvenile criminal record gets sealed when you turn 18.
My dad was a felon and we struggled with finding places to live and he always had to work for himself because he couldn’t get a job anywhere. It’s really sad that the system makes it so difficult for people to get back on their feet.
A couple things: 1. Canadian felons aren't allowed in the United States either :/ 2. That's insane that you can't vote. In Canada, prisoners are given ballots to vote while currently incarcerated because it's a human right. I wish you luck trying to register to vote ❤
In NZ a person serving a 2 or more year sentence cannot vote but that is only while they are serving that. On release their voting rights are restored as they are members of society.
Prisoners should not be allowed vote. They rescind their right to vote among their right to freedom within the time frame of their sentence because they have violated the law.
@@thefayemichelle dual citizens are allowed in. Also, entry into Canada with a criminal record comes down to the crime and whether it is considered a felony in Canada
So in the end former felons are pushed to be criminal just for the sake of making a somewhat decent living. This is sick. And yet politicians dare to cry about gangs and criminals in general. So much for progress and wokeness.....
I have been a forensic psychologist for over 20 years now. This is my biggest complaint about the system. Once a felon, always a felon. That just isn't right. It is possible and a fair % of people absolutely turn their lives around but when the "FELON" tag follows them forever it ends up punishing those people for no reason. I kinda look at life in 5 year blocks. In 5 years a young person can go from a confused HS kid to a young engineer working in their first career type job. A motivated person can totally change the course of their life in 5 years. I think after someone gets out of prison, if they stay out of the system for 5 years they should start gaining their rights back and be able to start shedding the felon stigma. Maybe not have to check the felon box on a job application or a rental agreement. Take it out of the police computer system so a cop that pulls someone over for a burned out light isn't informed of a felony from 8 years ago. After another 5 year block with no issues, 10 years total, it's clear that person is on the right road and highly unlikely to go back to their former dysfunctional lifestyle. At that point, people should, with a few exceptions, get that felony status removed. They should be able to get professional licenses, be allowed to vote, adopt/foster children, own a gun etc. Basically restore full rights. The exceptions should be people that were convicted of an intentional, 1st degree murder, legacy definition rape (use of force or threat of violence) and child sex crimes. Honestly, lots of people get on the wrong path when they are kids/young adults. People can be profoundly different at 15 years old and at 30 years old. If someone's life spins out of control at 15 years old and they get caught up in drugs and all the stupidity that goes along with that for 10 years it is hard to get out of that cycle but those that do get out do a huge amount of growing and maturing in the next 5 and 10 year blocks of life. The 20 year old that's willing to steal something to get their drugs is a totally different person after they have gotten clean and been on the right path for 5 to 10 years. In my opinion, it's pointless and cruel to punish a person that is 35 years old, and has been living a productive life for a decade, for something they did when they were 19 or 20. With the few exceptions I mentioned, we, as a society, shouldn't stigmatize people forever. After someone has done their time and proven themselves, they truly deserve a second chance with the full rights of any citizen.
I am planning on going into forensic psychology actually! If you don’t mind me asking what do you do from a day to day basis? Psychology really interests me but so does law and criminology, so I decided that forensic psych would be a good option
I like your point. I think that felons had already served their time in jail, they've already been punished and learned from it enough to never do it again. This is something that happens all around the world. So how are they gonna become better people and lead a normal and successful life if no one gives them a chance. The "once a felon, always a felon", it maybe true for some people, But not everyone.
@@Greenguy60 I worked in a jail for years. I would screen new inmates for mental illness and decide if they go to the Psych unit or General population. I took emergency calls on the general population units. If a Psych patient had a court date, sometimes I would go to answer questions for the judge concerning that patient's diagnosis, long term outlook etc. I like working in jails. It's kinda fast paced, can get crazy and the pay/benefits are great. Other forensic Psychs can do anything from consulting with attys for jury selection, professional witness etc. Those things pay well too but it isn't stable and you often have to travel. One thing you will not do very often is actually sit down and do counseling with someone. With forensics it's more of an assess, diagnose and go to the next person. We are more concerned with what issues someone has and then they get referred to various different programs.
"I'm pretty impressed with your resume, but I'm not sure about this gap in your professionnal experience." "That's the time I went to yale." "Impressive! You're hired!" "Thanks, I really needed this yob."
I never understood why felons aren't allowed to work in so many places. Like what are you supposed to then. Commit crimes again? But then again the american prison system isn't really about rehabilitation but more about money and from cheap work down to downright slavery.
I think it's just a lot of people don't want to have a felon working for them because there's such a stigma around being a past criminal so they don't want a bad name for their company/establishment.
companies not only see it as "risk" for the felon to do something. It's also they see it as a potential lawsuit for "knowingly hiring a threat to the employees safety". It's why some places might not out right not hire felons but will out right not hire felons with certain charges
@@austinp1124 i think she means. some people who are just getting kids for the money treating them HORRIBLE making the whole system suck. they should be classified as felons but are getting away with it alllll the time. they can be foster parents. when someone like jess who is clearly amazing and caring for children could for sure be a foster mom, even tho she is a felon.
Unfortunately, in our country, you’re only considered a criminal when you get caught. There are so many horrendous, evil, vile people out here who have never even seen so much as the back of a cop car.
"Everyone wants to see a comeback story, but no one wants to help on the come up." So sad how it is over there. As a European, it is very clear to me that they just want the prisoners to come back so that they can make money off them.
This is sooooo very true!! Good catch! There are so many privately owned prisons in America, not to mention the use of basically free labor by companies like Walmart and Victoria's secret, that there is incentive to keep the prisons at full capacity. Even the phone company is a multi billion dollar a year company in there. America has 5% of the world's population and 25% of the world's prisoners. That's insane! And a majority of those prisoners are non-violent addicts that should be getting treatment instead of being thrown into a cage to be institutionalized.
@@AliceSmithVlogs Agreed! The powers that be are making insane money from their prisoners and then feeding them slop that a dog wouldn't even eat, which costs pennies to make. I know I'm getting off topic but that food in county jail is so F-ing disgusting that I lost 20 pounds in 19 days once. I couldn't even eat the "cake". It was sick as fuck. But then you start getting hungry enough that that food actually starts tasting good. It's disturbing.
You actually make a lot of good points. I get why felons cannot work in certain industries, but to basically broadly ban them from working about any kind of decent job just ensures they will be back in prison. The piece people forget is that the practice is at least in part because of how stupid and broadly written liability laws are. Someone gets attacked by a violent felon at work and the company can be sued for damages.
Yooo Jess! Love your channel! I’m 181 days sober from alcohol, I started drinking at 14. *FINALLY* I actually want to be sober, and I’ve been keeping myself going even through a breakup! Thank you!
Congratulations girl!!!! That is so awesome! I may not know you, but being an addict in recovery myself, I am SO PROUD of you- I know the struggle and I know that some days are easier than others. Keep up the good work and “just keep swimming, just keep swimming” ❤️❤️
it honestly amazes me how so many people are saying "America is the greatest country in the world" "we're the land of the free" yet a lot of citizens or residents get very restrained in their rights or their rights just straight up aren't respected.
Her rights were forfeit as soon as she became a criminal. The only way you can have a free society with rights is if you equally respect the responsibilities that go with those rights. For example, you have the right to keep and bear arms, but you also have the responsibility to use those arms in a safe manner and not cause unnecessary harm to other people or property. And if you can't abide by those responsibilities, you don't get the rights that go with them. You can't have rights without responsibility. It just doesn't work.
We are land of the free are you high go do some research and see what happens in other countries in other countries they will kill u jail you for life for minor offenses people say America sucks this and that go try living in another country and guarantee you'll be right back
With some exceptions like trying to work in a school, it's my opinion that once you've done your time it's done. No one has a right to know you were in prison or deny you a menial job because of it.
In the Netherlands (where I’m from) there are special cafes where felons work in order to gain work experience and build up their resumé and earn money. I believe the entire process of running a café is done by felons, but overlooked and supervised by non-felons. I think that’s a very good way to bring people back into society
The fact that you can't vote is shocking. The only purpose I can imagine to that is to stop people from working class areas voting (and I could go into racial issues here too but I'm sure everyone knows what I'm talking about)...
Exactly, that's insane and very unfair. In many countries even prisoners can vote. They bring ballot boxes to places with people, which cannot come to polling stations like nursing homes, hospitals and also prisons, so the fact you cannot vote even after you've done you time is crazy. I mean, there are not taking away people's citizenship (hopefully not giving anybody any ideas) and if you are citizen, you should have right to vote.
PuffinPride you are 100% correct. It is also why certain politicians will never agree to legalize cannabis. You can disenfranchise segments of society you don't like and go easy on the ones likely to support your views. Also our economy is heavily reliant on prison labor. This country imprisons a higher percentage of our citizens than any other society in the history of the planet.
Imagine if felons could vote and voted for more rights for them or for people in prison so felons could have a normal job in the office or just rent an apartment... then those people would have more of a chance in society and don't have to go back to prison because the only things they can do are illegal... oh and then less people would be in prison and that would save taxes as well... but hey let's just not do that in the States
I am a foster mom, and I was both surprised and moved and heartbroken to hear that fostering was the first thing on your list. I wish more people had your heart! Even though you can't foster, you are doing so much by raising awareness and educating people about fostering and respite. Thank you for that, and much love for your journey.
Hi Jess, I’m 23 years old and have my own story but really I just wanted you to know that your videos have brought me Peace and Guidence through out my years as young adult. I always find my self back to your channel when I’m struggling after long periods of avoiding what I struggle with. I just want to say thank you ❤
a lot of foster kids come from families struggling with addiction, so I feel like you being in recovery would have a unique understanding of where they’re coming from
Can you send me that petition?? I would love to sign it because I think it’s BS that felons can’t vote, when they are finished with parole and prison. Thanks!
Why? You really want people with criminal records voting on the policies of the country? Why would you trust their judgement? Because they have such a long history of making good decisions? How about you stop making decisions based on your initial empathic feelings and think about things a little more logically before you commit to doing things?
@@KurNorock "Because they have a long history of making good decisions" A person made one mistake when they were younger, served their time, got their life back together, but never, ever get allowed to vote again. How is that fair?
My husband is a felon and he's gotten jobs that he shouldn't have got because he "sells" himself to them so well. He admits his past, tells them to give him a chance, and he's gotten those chances. And he's succeeded. Just keep trying, eventually you'll find the right person to give you a chance. He's doing the same thing you're doing right now. Trying to get what he can. He's a great person who messed up in his past... keep trying! You can be successful in life!
I know you mean to be encouraging. That is positive. But I think people have to be allowed to have their struggles as well. It is important that one as society try to improve things for people, rather than making every hardship faced a problem for the individual. Most of these challenges are imposed on her. It is not like the limitations somebody who are blind or deaf face. You cannot undo blindness by changing legislation. But many of the challenges Jessica faces can indeed be undone through legislative change.
There are many jobs felons aren't allowed to do by law. And there are even more companies and people who don't want to have anything to do with you because of your criminal history. Given the very high rate of recidivism in the US this is understandable, but that rate is in part so high BECAUSE convicted criminals have so much trouble getting a decent job after they get out of prison. In other countries for that reason all criminal records are sealed to the point names of suspects and convicts are not allowed to be made public by law, and a hiring manager will never see that you have a criminal record unless a criminal background check is required for the job by law (in which case they still wouldn't know what you'd been convicted of, only whether the government agency doing the check deems the candidate to be a risk too great for the job so the background check comes back with a negative result). Depriving people of their civil rights (including the right to vote, own firearms, rent or own property, run a business, etc. etc.) AFTER they've done their time effectively turns all those crimes into life sentences by default. And then people wonder why those who got convicted once return to a life of crime, when those same people consider those people eternal criminals in the first place.
i had a neighbor who got out of prison. every time i saw him he looked confused. i learned he got 0 help with rejoining the public and couldnt find his way. from what i understand he had been in for 7 years. he ended up hanging himself just 2 weeks after getting home from prison. these people NEED help to readjust to a better life. i dont understand why they arnt given the help. ive been face to face with gang members and didnt feel in danger at all, coz from my experience, they just leave people be. they are people to. i hate this new culture of 'natural selection will decide who stays alive'. it wasnt long ago that people helped others with things and helped people learn. not just leave people to have to try figure everything out on their own no matter how much they are struggling
I have been in areas with gang activity before and while I am personally not scared even passed people wearing gang colors and was perfectly fine my mum on the other hand is always freaking out and saying you need to be careful or you are going to get killed and I am all I am entering into a themepark where everyone is going to have fun and spend time riding rides so are teenage gangs that are also entering into the same place
I got out of prison in 2010 and i still have problems with apartments. I'm a general manager with the same job for 7yrs and make decent money. All my bills are paid on time and i have excellent references. But I still have a hard time finding an apartment.
I never understood why so many places make it SO difficult to give a felon a second chance. Not everyone is the same, I changed. I got off probation and never went back.i couldn't find a job, couldn't rent an apartment, couldn't even get a car in my name. I had to rely on others for help. Society really does need to understand just how hard it is to get back on your feet after a situation like this. I was lucky to find a job that gave 2nd chances. They overlooked your jail record as long as you were honest and didn't hide it from them in the interview process, they didn't care that I was a recovering addict seeking treatment . Their policy was just be honest and we will work with you and for you. We need more places like that spread throughout this country. Not those who turn their noses up at you if you have a past.
Exactly They could have had a massive turn around and be an amazing person (like Jessica) but they’ll still be judged for making a mistake that they regret
yeah, that's why you have to be careful about the decisions you make in life. just like having an affair, being a prostitute or stripper, etc. sometimes it was only a short period in your life, but people will see it as your overall character. for example, a stripper may choose to dance, in order to pay her way through college, and after saving enough money, never danced again, but it could still affect her life. let's say there is a murder investigation and she is a suspect; she could be completely innocent, but because she used to be a stripper, people will think she's capable of it because she must not have good morals. your past CAN haunt you.
@@mlynn998 and when i was talking about the stripper, i wasn't judging; i'm saying realistically, that's what happens in society, so they have to be careful because it could bite them in the butt. there are people who were put into prison because they had an affair and for some reason, that equates to them being murderers. I'M not saying they are, i'm just saying that unfortunately there are people who will see it this way. COULD YOU ACTUALLY READ WHAT I SAID.
@@mlynn998 "people who don't deserve it"?? don't act like they have done NOTHING wrong, they are not complete victims; they commit crimes and they're the victims? they are not completely innocent when they KNOWINGLY commit a crime. and i'm not judging because i could easily commit crimes myself, but if i did, i wouldn't act like some victim. i did it to myself, and i knew there'd be consequences, so it's my own fault i took that risk.
Unfortunately I understand why a lot of these things are the way they are bc not all felons are able to overcome the past. It’s unfortunate that companies and such don’t take more time to actually do some research instead of going off past documents. Sometimes you gotta look deeper than that to really see someone. But to be honest I think it’s awesome that you ended up on RUclips bc you offer so much honesty and education for people who are trying to move forward from past circumstances and we need more of that! Keep telling your story!!
A lot of them can’t overcome the past because the cards are stacked against them when they come out, with stuff like this for example. It’s a viscous cycle.
lots of non felons are shitty people, too. I understand none of these things. Not one. For example, if you want to be a foster parent you should be evaluated and it should be looked at very closely what kind of person/parent you are. A felony in the past tells you nothing about how shitty or not shitty someone is as a parent. Do you know how many people who have never been felons are absolutely not adequate as foster parents? Something that would protect children who are in the system A Lot more is if foster parents got more evaluation before becoming eligible, got more help and training. Not by excluding a whole group of people because some of them can't shake old habits. and same goes for employees. Literally all of these could be regulated a lot better and safer by doing better interviews and evaluations of people who go into important jobs or who will be someone's caregiver/parent/authority figure and have a lot of power over someone. And the voting thing should be considered a violation of human rights. I agree that it's utopic to think everyone will just come out of prison and be reformed (which, by the way, there would be a much higher chance of that happening if people were treated better in prison and prisons focused on rehabilitation rather than punishment) but all of these mentioned things are things that I don't want a shitty person to be able to do. Them being a felon or not tells me absolutely nothing about that being or not being so. All of these things would be better and safer if there was taken a more personal look at any person who wants to do those things instead of excluding a whole group of people because some of them may not be reformed. A lot of people who were never felons aren't fit for those jobs/positions or possessions either.
You should start speaking at schools once everything opens up and talk about this stuff. Sadly your decisions will forever impact your life now, but helping younger generations would be great! Especially elementary before they getting into bigger issues middle or high school.
Man I would loved her to speak at my school! She’s more motivating and wise than some of the “sportstar” they send to you and just keep saying over and over you can do it if you believe and work hard enough
exactly, she's got a hell of a story! I think it would be awesome for her to talk to kids and say "hey, i made huge mistakes with permanent consequences and now i'm going to use my story so younger people don't repeat my mistakes and end up like me." , and while those choices may not seem like a big deal early in life, they can cause serious problems for the rest of your life. If she can influence the choices someone chooses to make, then she's made things and the world a little better. Sometimes, that's all you can do when you make a bad choice that can't be undone
If I'm being honest, there are some things on this list that do make sense to me. Fostering children and owning guns, namely. Visting other felons and voting I think are pretty nonsense, but like... Just because you may be a safe home, doesn't mean that all felons are, and I can understand why courts are cautious about placing children in homes with felons, especially considering the situations many of those children left. I know that you mentioned this, but I just want to reiterate.
Just because your non felon home is safe does not mean all of them are...Disqualifying someone because of a mistake they may have made 20+ years ago is wrong.
@@Zamugustar I mean you can say that about a lot of people. If someone touched a kid 20+ years ago, should we allow them around schools? If someone beat their spouse 20+ years ago, should we warn potential partners?
NO, a ban on gun ownership makes no sense if the person was convicted of a nonviolent felony. Not sure why people don't know that many felonies are for nonviolent crimes and even victimless crimes.
I had a clean record until i had mental health crisis and had a DUI and recklessly drove my car without hurting anyone. 5 months in prison and now im a felon for life. The justice system is cruel.
I understand that it's not fair to you, but think about all the people who *are* hurt or killed because of DUIs. It's illegal for a reason and unfortunately there are consequences. I agree that it's cruel. If I was in charge of how it worked it wouldn't be this way but because it *is* this way, we should be aware of it.
I’m sorry that happened to you :(. The system is such bs. Prisons make people money. It’s such a dumb thing to do time for. You didn’t even hurt anyone. I had to pay $500 and take classes and I rear ended another car with my dui but did no damage. I’m sorry you had to suffer for sometbing that was not in your control and wasn’t your fault
DUI and reckless driving without injury is misdemeanor level offenses, so you were either on your 3rd+ dui or something, but you're definitely not telling the whole story.
Wow! I had no idea. I worked in a hospital for many years and a friend of mine told me she was going to start working with me. I was so excited. I kept waiting and waiting for her to start but she never did. I found out later through the grapevine that they rescinded the offer because during the background check she had a DUI. It was the first time I found out you could lose out on a good job because of a DUI.
You and Christina inspired me to emergency foster. I’m speechless you can’t... You could provide the most healing to a child. The people who have conquered the unthinkable are prevented from stopping the cycle. It’s so wrong. If you petition, could that change? If someone actually looked at your work and your heart they would change that immediately. I think you should try ❤️
Thank you for sharing your story. I appreciate you so much. My friend who’s a felon is losing hope and I’ve sent him numerous videos of you to try and help him understand and help him get through the tough times. Thank you again and I will miss you... whatever is going on in your life you will make it through because your strong and have touched so many lives here on RUclips . Best wishes to you and your family jes ❤️ hope to see you soon!!!!
This has given me a lot of insight. If I’m ever in a hiring position and I meet a felon in an interview, I’m going to give them the chance they deserve
I truly hope you keep that God given mercy. Because Ive known so many many ppl that have said the same thing yet when they reach a leadership position they automatically shift their mindset when faced with opportunities to change someones life who made a mistake and is only trying to rebuild it. Helping those who are without hope is one of the best way to reach Gods heart.
It is impressive, but it doesn’t mean that she gets special treatment. The government isn’t going to look at each individual felon and decide to grant them things that other felons who might not be as successful can’t have.
@@cai0409 I agree with this to a point. I believe at least once a felon serves their time they should have their right to vote restored. As for individual special treatment, no. I’m just so happy she turned her life around. There’s little compassion left in this world.
You have made a great comeback. Because you had to figure out how to be successful with everyone telling you no, it makes you self made, and no one can ever take that away from you. It takes a lot of strength to keep going and and figure out how to make it up with everyone saying no. Congrats, and keep doing what you're doing.
She cant be a foster parent but could have as many children as she wants if she gives birth to them. Makes perfect sense. If she's able to raise and care for her own children why not others?
Michelle Heidler It reduces the possibilities to harm children. The fewer children felons have, the less harm they can make to them. Also, I think felons are more likely to harm someone else's children than their own. I think it makes sense. Unfortunately, there is no way to prevent someone from having kids.
Cyril yes, there is, and people have done it before, but it’s extremely unethical. It’s called forced sterilization and it happened in Puerto Rico in the 50s and 60s (I’m pretty sure those are the right dates)
Hello, adopted person here. Speaking from my own experience and relationship that I had with my foster parents, no matter how 'reformed' a felon is, I would've felt uncomfortable. I may even go so far as to say I wouldn't feel safe. You have to remember that most children come from unsafe environments to then be in foster care, so I dont think that being with a convicted felon is the best decision. That's just my opinion on the matter, I just thought it would have more magnitude coming from an adopted person.
@@jordan-josephinglis9580 I'm not an adopted person, but I am a psych major, and have spoken with DCS (Department of Children's Services) in one of my classes, and you're exactly right. Foster children need a safe, stable enviornment. Even some people who are not parents are rejected and are not allowed to foster children, because those children need someone who can provide security. I'll be honest, when the woman in the video was talking about doing the part-time foster care and how it would be, "So fun! Like a baby sitter!" it actually kind of pissed me off: these children are not playthings.
Me, a foster child, hearing about fostercare and respitecare. My foster mother is emotionally abusive and my respitecare mother is also really mean. I would much rather live/stay with someone like you then the people i love with now. You would understand better I feel. I'm also a Canadian so i mean idk what you can do.
I am also in Canada and I wish I could help you. I pray that you get moved to a loving foster home soon. There are good ones out there, I promise, I know some amazing foster families
I’m so sorry, nobody deserves to live like this. I hope things get better for you. I’ll pray for you. I know most people don’t think that it does anything, but I believe it does.
Felons really can’t come to Canada??? That’s awful! I think felons should be able to travel at least in their own continent! Your Canadian subscribers love you!♥️
Marj B I figured! They have reasons but it’s sad considering some people have changed since they were convicted! Jessica being a prime example of that!
I tried crossing the border from Canada into the US and was denied, handcuffed fingerprinted and photos taken all because of a criminal record I got when I was 18. It was 20 years after the fact but it didn't matter. All I wanted to do was see NYC with my wife. She was in tears and we lost money on our booked hotels and tickets to numerous events we already purchased.
Thank you for being so open with your story. I truly enjoy watching your videos. The system in the USA is very broken and it saddens me that there is not more focus on rehabilitation for felons after prison. How hard you have worked to turn your life around is truly incredible. Hoping things look up for you more in the future 💜
The reason they send you to prison is to "correct" you, yet when you're released and do become "corrected" you're denied so many things and are treated like you're still in prison, this is messed up, I feel like you have the right to have a decent job and rent your own place, and to do a lot of the other things you're denied, just because of your past mistakes you're denied so much, and the crime you committed isn't even that bad compared to a lot of other crimes
Take a walk through a large cemetery near a major city. Find a small inexpensive headstone for someone who died at less than a year of life, born around the same year as you, collect a few so you have a good supply of possibilities. A: Get busy looking for birth records B: try to match them up with deaths listed with the social security administration records. If A has a match with B, move on. If you have A and not B...... you now have a new name, date of birth and no felony record. Build the new you slowly and carefully, stay under the radar. This process has become very difficult in the last 30 years, but it can still be done, as a drastic last effort if expungement, clemency or pardon don’t work out.
I think in theory you should have a right to a recent job. But nearly every job has multible applicants. So every detail counts and of course someone having a felony is a mask against them when compared to other applicants.
@@Zephyrmec Might not work because police records will have finger prints, and sometimes dna, and mug shots. But might work. If you get finger printed 1 time though - your new name will be your alias and linked to your old name. Police are also now integrating facial recognition software in stores and in vegas to catch shoplifters.
the voting one is the one that I really cannot wrap my head around. I mean, "felons" (although imo that word is probably dehumanizing & therefore shouldn't be used because dehumanizing people is BAD) can be taxed but can't vote. I seem to recall "taxation without representation" being a pretty big deal in us history 🤔
If you own a company and it;s making money while you are in prison, you can still be taxed. Yet, you have no "liberty". So, loss of liberty is the very essence of punishment for breaking the law. And, not voting is just a lifetime punishment (no different in concept than life in prison).
Josh: Taxation without representation no longer applies to a convicted felon. A felon is considered an untrustworthy criminal, thus he or she looses their rights upon being convicted of most felonies.
My heart hurts for you that even a decade later after serving your time you’re still being punished. I didn’t realize that there were so many things a person couldn’t do if they previously had been convicted of a felony. I do believe that in the state of Illinois once your sentence is up you are able to vote/register to vote if you weren’t prior. Please register soon!! Each state is different on how far in advance you have to be registered (especially important if you plan to vote in the presidential election this November) 💕 also registering to vote is soooooo quick and easy. I did it one day in high school when I was in class
Hey! I've just recently come across your videos and I really appreciate all that you've shared. I don't know if anyone has shared this with you about travel but I want to help. I do not have a passport but I've traveled to the Bahamas and Mexico on cruises. All I needed was my birth certificate and the cruise had to leave and return to/from the same port. Anyway, I'm so happy for you and yours. It's amazing that you are using this platform for the greater good. You're crushing it!
I feel your pain. I am also a felon, and it has been extremely difficult even in the short time I have been clean - 40 days today!!!! Woo hoo! I appreciate this video so much. I have learned even a few things that I didn't know before. For example, I didn't know you could petition to have your rights reinstated or even that you can apply (? for lack of a better word) for voting rights again. So thank you. Also, thank you for simply being you. I have watched you a lot in the past year when my life was spinning rapidly out of control. And not that it matters, but I'm the same age as you. Listening to your stories and how well you're doing in life now was very helpful. I won't say "you're the reason I got clean" or anything cliche, haha. But there were times when I felt so hopeless, like I would always be stuck as a no-good junkie, and I would see your story. In the back of my mind a little flicker of hope would ignite. That hope was everything to me at the time. I am so happy and grateful I am clean today. So thank you for sharing. You inspire me very much. I'm not so scared to live clean anymore, with or without my record.
I'm sorry but if you have gun related charges I think it's just right, that you're not allowed to own a gun anymore. It might be because here in Europe our gun laws are so much more strict, but to me it sounds reasonable not to allow a former criminal to own a firearm.
In the US we have a "god given right to defend ourselves" I am not religious so I will just say a natural born right to self defense. I am a forensic psychologist/criminologist in the US. I don't know what part of Europe you are talking about but most western countries in Europe base their systems on British Common law. There are some notable variations that I am not familiar with however, I am familiar with Britain so I will respond as if you are talking about Britain. In Britain people are allowed to use "reasonable and necessary" equal force to defend themselves. That sounds great but really think about that for a moment. I happen to be a thin 50 yo woman. I, or any woman for that matter, does not have the ability to use equal force against say a 25 year old man. How could an elderly couple defend themselves? This gives young criminals a huge advantage over potential victims. The US and Britain count their murders very differently for national stats but you can see dramatic differences in the trends. In all countries most murders are young men killing young men but in the US the older someone gets, the less likely they are to be murdered. In Britain, you see the opposite trend. The elderly are heavily targeted by young criminals. Same for women of any age. In Britain, women are also targeted by criminals far more for violent crimes. In a free country, once someone has paid their dues and proven themselves after a conviction, with a few exceptions, they should have their rights restored. They should not be made easy targets for young, active criminals simply because they are women or because they are getting older. You sex and your age are determined by nature. We can't change that but laws that forbid a class of people from owning firearms strips those people of the ability to defend themselves. That's not in the spirit of a free country. Sorry for the long comment but I have been studying this stuff since I started school some 30 years ago and it really bothers me that women in Britain, and most of Europe, are made into easy targets for criminals for "the sake of the overall population" with gun laws that really don't help the overall murder rate. If you are truly interested, I would be happy to talk about overall murder rates in Britain vs the US. (lol warning. You will get another long rambling response) . Anyways, that's my little soapbox. :) Good Day! Ms. Shannon
Thank you so much for your comment!! I have never really had an opinion either way on gun control, and am still not entirely sure what to think. I would love if you have statistics or links to the information you're talking about! One of my friends said that if a woman owns a gun, statistically it will be used against her. I would love to hear your opinion on that. Thanks!!!
They don’t even let citizens own a gun in Australia lol. You have to do a whole course, then have supervised visits to a gun range and then past a test before you can apply for a gun license and that’s for citizens.
me: not a felon refused to jwalk until the age of 11 (i wouldnt let anyone jwalk either) rule follower also me: oooooo i need this in case i go to prison one day and need to know the inner loops
Oh my god I KNOW!!! Hearing her say this quite literally broke my heart- because I know what an amazing, loving, caring and protective mommy that she is to her two beautiful little girls. And I know, because I see it- a little bit on here, but more so on her IG lives. She’s worked SOOOO hard!! and has come SOOOOO far.. as I ALWAYS tell her- she is a damn warrior and a 👑queen👑 And more so she is living proof that us addicts can and DO not only recover, but just HOW MUCH!! we can change [for the better] and become a successful & hard working person in society. Hang in there, Jess.. you’re a damn warrior!!! You’re doing SO much good, for not only yourself and your family, but for SO many people around the entire world ❤️❤️
The voting one is so weird to me, because in Australia where it's compulsory to vote, if you're incarcerated, you have to vote like everyone else does (it gets a bit more complicated state by state and depending on the length of your sentence, but your get my point..)
I’ve been a felon for about 16 years for something 22 years ago. I can’t do anything it seems. But I’m retired and day trade. About the only thing I’m allowed to do.
If they can trust you with you own children and you’ve never hurt them I don’t understand why you can’t become a foster parent with just extra monitoring
It's the same strange logic as with non-felons. If a woman gets pregnant, no one asks "Are you fit to be a mother?" But if a woman can't have or doesn't have (more) children and would prefer to adopt/foster, she and her SO are checked inside and out and million rules apply.
@Infinite Galaxy I just said that exact thing out loud! Just not in a polite way. (I have tendency to yell at TV, or YT when something is wrong and pisses me off)
@@ZoeF.O I think that foster kids need more care and more everything (because of all they went or are going through), so it's definitively a harder job but it seems to me that more people should be given chances to foster or adopt if they wish to do so. But I'm no expert in the matter, just my opinion.
I'm a former opioid addict (clean date 11/13/14😁) now a Certified Addiction Recovery Specialist and a former entrepreneur. My family owned a large cleaning business that I ran for 7 years after they passed. I also started 2 other companies prior to heavy addiction. With that said, it's so, so SO hard to be 'that company' who gives people 2nd chances. We tried, but more often than not it was a huge disaster. Take my parents' business for example. Most of their contracts were with NASCAR teams and the residential contacts were $1-$3 million houses. We did businesses at night, while no one was there and residential during the day for the same reason. We had huge keyrings loaded with keys, security cards, alarm codes, gate codes, etc. These people trusted us to do a great job, clean up after ourselves, not break anything, protect their privacy and certainly not steal anything!!!! But you have to think about how tempting it can be for some of us fresh in recovery to have that kind of power/trust. One of our favorite employees was a 50 yr old man named Keith. He did a 25 yr stint that started as multiple DUI's. No license meant it was hard to find a job, so he started selling pot. Of course it caught up w/ him, he served his time and was released in '01. He did very well in prison, came out struggling with nothing and no one. He was on the streets for a while before my dad gave him a chance. He paid him well, considering the circumstances ($15/hr and that was 20 yrs ago) We started slow with the trust, only letting him work on teams. Eventually, after years of no incidents or even suspicions, my dad helped him get his license back, sold him a truck for $200 (that was worth at least $5k) and let him run his own crew which came with much higher pay. We hired other ppl with less-than-perfect histories too. Idk what changed, but one day Keith disappeared sometime after lunchtime. He had a 3 person crew that day & they were all MIA. It was definitely odd, but didn't think too much about it. We tried calling him, went to his apartment, talked to his 'on-again-off-again' girlfriend, no one knew where he or the crew was. A cpl weeks later, it all made sense :( Keith stole a black card (unlimited credit!) from the offices of Tony Stewart!! Him and the crew went to Myrtle Beach, SC and spent over $20k on that card. We started contacting other clients to make them aware of the situation in an effort to be transparent & try to soften the blow our company had taken. I'd say 25 out of 30 clients either had things missing (jewelry, figurines, cash, tools, memorabilia, etc) or had suspicions that things were disappearing. We filed what we could on insurance, but it cost my dad thousands!! Our attorney alone was $50k that year! Keith wasn't the only one that burned us; his was just the most memorable! One woman stole 2 small Tiffany lamps and a very old belt buckle that was valued at $2,500. A guy named Juan was slowly raiding medicine cabinets and was caught on a nanny cam at one house.... These things happened over a course of about 10 years and after that incident with Keith, my dad HAD to make a decision. From then on, he had to run background checks, must have a drivers license, references, etc. It's not like we wanted to do that, but we had to reassure our clients in some way that we were correcting an issue and doing everything we could to prevent it from happening again. A lot of things changed after Keith, we lost a lot of money and a few contracts, but nothing was ever the same again. The news traveled fast in our small town, and after my parents passed away in a car accident on their way home from work one night, my own addiction spiraled out of control and I couldn't handle it all anymore. It's a sad, sad story. I wish it didn't play out that way, but there's a reason why companies have to be careful on who they hire..... That's why I started doing what I do now: trying to help people identify their weaknesses and goals in early recovery, and removing as many barriers as possible to help them reach those goals. I also serve on multiple committee's with a goal of influencing prison/probate reform and ending the war on drugs. I just wanted to explain why it's difficult to hire felons/ex-offenders and the real life liability we face in my anecdotal story.
Damn, that is quite a story and does show that even though a person may look like they've changed for the better, sometimes they're still the same old rotten person at the core. Addiction is a lifelong battle and I commend you for the work you're doing. I'd like to do something like that one day but I'm more of an introvert, especially in person.
No wonder prison reform is so difficult to achieve in the US when anyone who was convicted of a felony cannot vote. Like the folks who actually understand prison and what actually happens there don't get a say...
In FL felons can vote but we only passed the law last election and the GOP tried to turn it into a money thing and make it so that only if you'd paid all your fees (which sometimes you can't even find out what you owe) could you vote as a felon, but FL supreme court ruled that unconstitutional and so our felons will be able to vote in Nov!!! It didn't affect me as I only have misdemeanors since my 5 felonies on the case I was fighting 8 yrs ago were dropped, but it affected the majority of my friends and i'm so happy for them that they can vote now!!! Voting is SO important!
@@nikkigriffin08 yes, the reason the GOP disallows felons from voting is so that they can rig the elections. Same reason why they gerrymander, close polling places, and violently oppose vote-by-mail.
Mr Fluthy but.... the Supreme Court has more gop members and they ruled it unconstitutional so felons are able to vote. And vote by mail is very dangerous since people can much much much more easily rig the elections
Thank you for sharing your story. It makes me sad that my idea of felons was so skewed, but learning from you is important. Some mistakes shouldn’t be held against you for life. I’m sorry
Being wheelchair bound due to having a physical disability (cerebral palsy), wouldn't put me off from you looking after me, despite me being fairly independent. In my opinion, no one is perfect and we all make mistakes. Sitting here in NZ, I really do admire you - Murray.
9:06 you’re so right about that, it’s so hard for felons to be connected to the society again, it’s all about stigma, and therefore so many felons relapse. i’m proud of you for not relapsing and for being where you are today. you’re so inspiring ❤️
Wow. Got me right in the feels. I knew about the no gun/no vote/hard to employ bit, but not the rest of it. I have thirty years of massive opioid use behind me (Never got arrested, because they were prescribed, so they've gotta be safe, right??), but aside from that, I'm no different from any other addict.I can do everything you can't, despite there being no practical difference between us re. drugs just because mine were "medicine". I'm currently getting reeducated as a licensed chemical dependency counselor, and I wanted to thank you for the insight this post has given me. Personally, I think every judge who ever might sentence someone with a substance abuse problem should be legally obligated to go to the hospital and be injected with the biggest amount of morphine they can survive, just to give them some perspective. A couple hours of feeling as though life is more perfect than it could ever really be might give them a bit of fucking insight into just how insidious drugs can be. Best of luck.
I read your description and I am proud that you won the battle with addiction. My brother died in 2020 in Rochester Minnesota to an OD but there were three different kinds of fentanly in his system. (I may have spelled it wrong.) I never got his body back and they decided to either bury him in a poppers grave or hold on to his ashes or whatever. The sad part is that I still haven't moved on and I still remember what the cop told my Mother. "Just one less junkie off the streets." I ended up finding myself using alcohol to escape facing that pain. Still drinking if I'm being perfectly honest. It also doesn't help that that Thanksgiving I also witnessed my Father stab my Mother and due to COVID they let him go because of his age and since Hospitals are shit at cleaning wounds I had to clean the dead turkey meat and skin. I had a pretty messed up 2020 but if you can battle addiction for 10 years and come out on top then I have no excuse when it comes to abusing alcohol. Time I let go and move on.
Thank you for spreading the awareness of life after incarceration for so many people. My brother gets out in February and watching your videos makes me even more excited to see him again
This makes sense why people go back to prison so often. Can’t get a job, can’t rent an apartment, WTF. Of course people go back to hustling, they got no other choice.
America is really strict too. My Dad can’t travel to the US from the U.K. because an office charged him for carrying a tiny amount of weed back in the 80s
Honestly, I can understand he might be reluctant to risk it but ninety per cent chance he would get through. British tourists lie on those visa waiver things all the time. US Homeland Security don't have routine access to the UK PNC and they likely won't pull you aside and demand you give them permission to access it, because why would they, unless you're a famous face or known to Interpol etc. This is for travel. Obviously to live or work in America it's a totally different ball game.
That's pretty messed up as can go to the GP for a prescription for it even though most won't do it and must have been over a personal amount or had just an officer who was a dick as the police don't usually arrest for a very small amount for personal use
how unfair that after ten years, the state still treats you like you're a menace, i'm so sorry that you have to go through all this but i am so proud of you for still working to be the best version of yourself!!! lots of love 💕
Great video! Sad that our country is so vendictive and punitive. It’s like we’ve totally forgotten about forgiveness and mercy. Frankly, some of the restrictions caused by the branding of someone as a felon are flat out wicked. Not a free country anymore.
"Illinois has passed a specific law which spells out what effect a felony conviction can have on your right to vote in Illinois. The law is set out in 10 ILCS 5/3-5. In Illinois, a convicted felon has just as much of a right to vote as any other citizen in the state. As long as you are not incarcerated, meaning serving a prison sentence, you can register and cast a vote in Illinois. If you are in court and fighting your case, you can vote in Illinois. Even if you are in jail fighting your case. If you are on probation, you can vote in Illinois. If you are on parole, you can vote in Illinois. As long as you have not been convicted and are in prison, you can vote. However, if instead of being in prison, you are allowed to serve your sentence outside of prison, such as prison furlough or work release, you will not be allowed to vote until you finish your sentence. If you went to prison and lost the right to vote you should re-register once you are released from prison so that you can go to the polls and cast your vote." www.chicagocriminallawyerblog.net/can-i-vote-in-illinois-if-i-have-felony/
I can’t believe I’ve been blind to so many of these things about my own country. My heart goes out to all of those who have lost their opportunity to integrate back onto society. And if I ever get put in a position where I can offer futures to people in those situations, believe me, I will. I come from an abusive family and I know firsthand that you don’t even have to be a criminal to hurt others and be untrustworthy. So for someone who desperate to prove their worth, and for someone who would work hard to take their chance, I would grant them that in a heartbeat.
Girl I want to say great job on all that you have over come. I wish my mother would have been more like you. I currently work in a prison unit of females and I try my best to encourage them to make better choices. You are living proof that you can go from bottom to the top. Thank you for wanting to do better for your children, but most importantly for yourself.
I’ve always thought it was wrong to keep people’s “bad records” after they have served their time. Like I get it, but also it makes it really hard for folks to succeed after prison with their old record hanging over them.
I see your point but there is major positives in keeping track of felons, ESPECIALLY if that individuals had partaken in a sexual crime or abuse. In fact in most cases looking through records are very useful in capturing a perpetrator . Also the fact that majority of inmates are re offenders doesn’t help their case Of course it has negatives especially for those who have truly reformed but I think what would be best is institution, business and society in general stop making ex felons taboo and stop discriminatory practices, ESPECIALLY if that person has commuted a crime that has no past present it future correlation to a job opportunity or action.
Last time I went to Mexico, (I live in Los Angeles) you can just walk over the boarder, no check points. Coming back to USA you need a passport, and if you have anything on your record, (I have Misdemeanors) they'll pull you aside and make you wait for a little bit while they check your records.
Just to clarify..I can "foster" if my relative / immediate family member ends up in foster care. That is not what I'm talking about in the video. If that happens I will of course help and take in the baby. I hope this makes sense ❤
first like💖hehe
I know it's an extreme solution. But consider Australia, but of course you be leaving your friends once again.
But you n yours would have a New start without the limitations n the chance to show your ability to excel, n n most important in the recovery n rehabilitation areas. Can't say on the foster parent areas as I have zero knowledge, but many ex convicted folks are part of the awareness n education of young people here.
Just a thought.
I can't leave the country 😉
Makes perfect sense. Btw, you do need a passport to visit Mexico; HOWEVER if you go on a cruise provided you are initially departing from and returning to the USA you do NOT need a passport only a valid government ID (i.e. drivers license), it's easier when you go into ports if you have a passport but it's not a requirement.
Cruises are the best definitely do that!!!!!
“Everybody wants to see a comeback story but no one wants to help on the come up”
Aint that the damn truth
Ooooh this is a painful truth. 💔
so poignant.
💯
We humans are hypocrites....
I don’t understand how they expect people to rebuild their lives and not return to crime when you can’t get a job or live anywhere?! Must just want you to lay on the streets begging.
That's the "catch 22" they want you to rebuild your life but you can't get a job, or find a place to live. That's why recitivism rates are so high
Maxx P. It’s the governments responsibility to make sure people are employed. That’s why they track unemployment. A quality of life is a human right and not a privilege.
@@gracenicholass6273 no, it is not the government's responsibility to make sure they are employed. it is on the person themselves. and the quality of life is also a priviledge. you can't go into a rich wealthy area and say, this is my right. you have to earn your way into that quality of life.
Not quite buttercup. There are state and federal regulations that prevent companies from hiring her.
no, they just want you to never start the life of crime in the first place. you are expecting sympathy after causing so much trouble?
"Everyone wants to see a comeback story but no one wants to help on the come up"
TRUTH. It's ridiculous
no doubt felons have a pretty tough road to travel, and honestly, that is a huge shame. However, they do kind of do it to themselves though
Can someone find a new quote? Jesus christ 3 times I've read this
My dad committed a felony at 18. 28 years later, owns his own home, business, outstanding citizen and it still screws with his life
Love and power to him ...
im so glad he turned his life around!
*Mine was 45 years ago, and it still screws with my life. The worst part is how you are affected depends entirely on what State you got your felony in. Some states let you apply for and get a pardon as simply as paying a fine after 5 years of good behaviour (no arrests), while others (New York, where I got mine) is permanent. NY **_says_** they have a way for you to apply for and get pardons, but the office responsib;le for that hasn't been given any money to open in decades, and likely never will.*
SharkTank you shut up
@SharkTank you good bro? do you need me to call someone?
And they wonder why felons have a more than 50% chance of recommitting
👏👏
This
THIS! The fact that there is little to no support upon release AND felons are still punished even decades after they’ve served their sentence is extremely messed up. They practically set up people for failure
Hi do you know if the chance are higher for POC ?
They don't wonder. The system is made to send you back to jail.
1. Be a foster parent.
2. Can't be a caregiver
3. Can't vote
4. Can't own a fire arm
5. Can't visit friends in prison
6. Can't work at a bank, lot of offices.
7. Rent apartment in a lot of areas
8. Can't own a liquor license
9. Can't have a car dealership license
Can’t travel outside the country which is one of the worst
Another thing is, you can always operate through a straw man and any corporation you control is not a felon. While you can't have certain licenses, it doesn't mean you can't employ licensed people.
@@alexdenton6586 eh, that's something a lot of us never get to do anyway. At least the U.S. has lots of nice places to visit.
@@alexdenton6586 ???????? whaaaaaf
There is one thing felon can earn money? Create a RUclips channel about why did you go to prison and how you change your life.
My mom is a convicted drug felon, and has been for over 20 years. When she first got released she was on house arrest and was trying so hard to find a job. I remember Walmart told her that she had the job and she was SO excited. They called her back and told her they couldn’t hire her :( the attorney she was using for custody ended up hiring her as her assistant and she worked there for a few years and now she is working in a dentist office as a dental assistant and it’s because two people took a chance!
That hurts, I can't imagine. I'm glad she's okay and it makes me hope for everyone else trying to get back on the high road.
I'm really happy for you and your mom❤️
That's so amazing!!
That’s cool! I’m glad your mom was able to get a good job
I wish her all the best...
It’s so sad that you’ve served your time and are STILL being punished even now!
well, that's why you should think twice before entering a life of crime, breaking laws repeatedly. this wasn't a one time thing. she took that risk repeatedly.
lang 1007 and that’s what prison is supposed to be for
Morgan Orthner actually in other countries it’s supposed to rehabilitate people so they can become a normal part of society again! And Jessica is obviously a normal part of society so she should get a chance to get all her rights back.
There is no such thing as paying your debt to society and that's that. "Paying" is NEVER over. So they want to keep you down and then ask what's wrong with you if you cant make it work
Consequences.
I’m from Europe (the Netherlands) and some things are really weird to me, but we have just a lot of things we do different then the USA.... you can be a better person... you can learn from your mistakes and be a better person. I hope things can change for you. I think you are a very strong person for making these videos and explaining these things because it helps people to understand that things have to change!
I think literally EVERY European country has a better resocialization system than the US xd
@@MrTangerine666 That's because the EU has a human rights code that every member state has to abide by
And you can VOTE when you are in prison, if you want.
A felon can get a passport in America as long as they do not owe more than $3,000 child support
The US makes things so prisoners are brutalized in prison and their life is almost certainly ruined the rest of their life, making it likely they reoffend.
“Everyone wants to see the come up but nobody wants to help” damn. Too true and so unfortunate
ayeee
I started watching your channel because I work at a restaurant that almost specifically goes out of its way to hire felons ( and other misfits) who genuinely want to improve their lives. I have never been in any trouble with the law personally, but so many of my coworker friends have expressed to me some of their struggles with the prison system and life in recovery.
I’m glad I found your channel because I wanted to know about what they may have experienced and how to assist their recovery , without necessarily asking them for more information. They’ve told me a lot but I’m sure there’s a lot they aren’t comfortable with discussing and I know it’s not my place to pry. So thank you for educating me so I can be a better friend and coworker
That's awesome of you, thanks for being a genuinely good human.
Not being able to vote is so wrong! You're out of prison as a free citizen paying taxes! I seriously don't get it 🤷🏼♀️
i agree. I live in florida and they passed Amendment 4 in 2018 allowing felons who have served their time the right to vote if their charges are not murder or sex crime related which I think is step in the right direction if you ask me.
Yeah, that's crazy to me. Even though you are felon, you are still citizen and all citizens should have the right to vote. In my country even prisoners can vote. There are people which bring ballot boxes to places with people, which cannot come to polling stations like nursing homes, hospitals and also prisons.
No taxation without representation
I have a relative who got a felony charge for having 1 joint on him in the 60's, so he hasn't been able to vote his entire adult life. He lives in a state where marijuana is legal now, it still doesn't matter. It's ridiculous for such a minor non-violent offense.
@@jessicah3450 ok, this i think is unfair because mj is legal now. that's like someone still having a criminal record for drinking alcohol during prohibition.
There is no sense behind the not being able to vote thing, it's a basic right I honestly can't believe that
Yeah and some laws people get prosecuted for are stupid and often the justice system is flawed. How are you going to have influence on laws and changing the system for the better if you are labelled a criminal your whole life and not given equal right for a vote and a say?
@@zoeg1992 exactly.
It makes no sense. I'm a tax paying member of society who successfully completed parole..I should be able to vote.
In Australia, you even vote in jail.
@@caseysmith8422
Netherlands also. This is absolute bullshit.
As a former Customs and Border Protection officer, I can assure you that you can get a passport and go to Mexico, but expect to have your entire body and all bags searched upon re-entry to the United States. They may even be waiting for you to depart the plane since you are a violent felon. But tell the truth about your recovery and how much clean time you have. They should understand.
I can assure you that you will be put on a "look out" list, which basically means that they are going to search your bags, interrogate you and pat you down. If at any time you suspect that they are doing something wrong, politely ask to speak to a supervisor. It will take a good 10 minutes most likely to find a supervisor if it is busy.
@Harry B Or if her majesty grants an exemption. There are always waivers for everything, especially so here in the US. When in doubt, marry a US citizen! Then your waiver will be under a year guaranteed. I imagine that the Queen of England makes similar exceptions.
I’m a cook. Kitchens are a haven for felons or the “unemployable”. People who have been to prison and had problems end up being the best employees. They don’t want to go back to prison or to the life they had before. They will do whatever it takes to get on the right track. If I had a restaurant or ran a kitchen I would gladly hire felons (assuming I get the vibe they want to do better for themselves). It’s actually a dream of mine to have a business that employs women that are at risk or felons or for whatever reason need help. Maybe someday...
That would be so cool if you started a business like that! I hope you can achieve it.
that's a really nice dream you have there; hope it happens for you one day
This is awesome 🥰
Manual labour like lumber yards too, keeps them busy and away from things
I work for a small, local business that also employs a lot of former felons. Unfortunately it's a mixed bag. Some people have completely turned their lives around, but others show up to work every day high on meth, bring a gun to work even though they can't legally carry, steal from work, start fights with or threaten people, are a no call/no show quite often, we've had police and drug dogs in the building, and that's not even the worst of it. I've already had co-workers that ended up back in prison. It's kind of scary some days and definitely the weirdest place I've ever worked. There's always some drama or someone getting arrested again or an ongoing investigation by police.
No breaks for even Juvenile felons. The system is broken.
The only time a juvenile wouldn't get a break for their criminal history is if they were tried as an adult. Your juvenile criminal record gets sealed when you turn 18.
Weston not all felonies are eligible to be sealed even if they were committed and convicted as a juvenile
She might have one but not be able to publicly say she does for legal reasons obviously
People commit felons to fucking live are you saying people shouldnt try to survive?
@Spencer Caldwell Some people need to steal things so they don’t starve.
My dad was a felon and we struggled with finding places to live and he always had to work for himself because he couldn’t get a job anywhere. It’s really sad that the system makes it so difficult for people to get back on their feet.
A couple things:
1. Canadian felons aren't allowed in the United States either :/
2. That's insane that you can't vote. In Canada, prisoners are given ballots to vote while currently incarcerated because it's a human right. I wish you luck trying to register to vote ❤
Can someone who is a canadian citizen and american but residing in america, if one gets a misdemeanor does it follow to canada?
@@thefayemichelle I don't know about Canada specifically but it usually has to do with
treaties between countries
In NZ a person serving a 2 or more year sentence cannot vote but that is only while they are serving that. On release their voting rights are restored as they are members of society.
Prisoners should not be allowed vote. They rescind their right to vote among their right to freedom within the time frame of their sentence because they have violated the law.
@@thefayemichelle dual citizens are allowed in. Also, entry into Canada with a criminal record comes down to the crime and whether it is considered a felony in Canada
“Everyone wants to see a comeback story but nobody wants to help on the comeup” Brilliant.... Jessica for president 2020
#11 - can’t become president
@@kelseyshania8356 Watch her try ;-)
@@kelseyshania8356 not true. you can be a convicted felon and run for president.
She would just end up like Barak Obama or Joe Biden. All talk no but no change.
Stupid Democrats 🤮
Not with a fellony
Jessica, I googled the voting thing. Looks like in Illinois you're actually allowed to vote, you just need to (re-)register.
So in the end former felons are pushed to be criminal just for the sake of making a somewhat decent living.
This is sick. And yet politicians dare to cry about gangs and criminals in general. So much for progress and wokeness.....
In Florida we have to pay all fines,etc in order to vote (after completing sentence I.e. probation/parole).
Federal law says you can vote. State law can not supersede federal law
I have been a forensic psychologist for over 20 years now. This is my biggest complaint about the system. Once a felon, always a felon. That just isn't right.
It is possible and a fair % of people absolutely turn their lives around but when the "FELON" tag follows them forever it ends up punishing those people for no reason.
I kinda look at life in 5 year blocks. In 5 years a young person can go from a confused HS kid to a young engineer working in their first career type job. A motivated person can totally change the course of their life in 5 years.
I think after someone gets out of prison, if they stay out of the system for 5 years they should start gaining their rights back and be able to start shedding the felon stigma. Maybe not have to check the felon box on a job application or a rental agreement. Take it out of the police computer system so a cop that pulls someone over for a burned out light isn't informed of a felony from 8 years ago.
After another 5 year block with no issues, 10 years total, it's clear that person is on the right road and highly unlikely to go back to their former dysfunctional lifestyle. At that point, people should, with a few exceptions, get that felony status removed. They should be able to get professional licenses, be allowed to vote, adopt/foster children, own a gun etc. Basically restore full rights.
The exceptions should be people that were convicted of an intentional, 1st degree murder, legacy definition rape (use of force or threat of violence) and child sex crimes.
Honestly, lots of people get on the wrong path when they are kids/young adults. People can be profoundly different at 15 years old and at 30 years old.
If someone's life spins out of control at 15 years old and they get caught up in drugs and all the stupidity that goes along with that for 10 years it is hard to get out of that cycle but those that do get out do a huge amount of growing and maturing in the next 5 and 10 year blocks of life. The 20 year old that's willing to steal something to get their drugs is a totally different person after they have gotten clean and been on the right path for 5 to 10 years.
In my opinion, it's pointless and cruel to punish a person that is 35 years old, and has been living a productive life for a decade, for something they did when they were 19 or 20.
With the few exceptions I mentioned, we, as a society, shouldn't stigmatize people forever.
After someone has done their time and proven themselves, they truly deserve a second chance with the full rights of any citizen.
I am planning on going into forensic psychology actually! If you don’t mind me asking what do you do from a day to day basis? Psychology really interests me but so does law and criminology, so I decided that forensic psych would be a good option
I like your point. I think that felons had already served their time in jail, they've already been punished and learned from it enough to never do it again. This is something that happens all around the world. So how are they gonna become better people and lead a normal and successful life if no one gives them a chance. The "once a felon, always a felon", it maybe true for some people, But not everyone.
@@Greenguy60 I worked in a jail for years. I would screen new inmates for mental illness and decide if they go to the Psych unit or General population. I took emergency calls on the general population units. If a Psych patient had a court date, sometimes I would go to answer questions for the judge concerning that patient's diagnosis, long term outlook etc.
I like working in jails. It's kinda fast paced, can get crazy and the pay/benefits are great.
Other forensic Psychs can do anything from consulting with attys for jury selection, professional witness etc. Those things pay well too but it isn't stable and you often have to travel.
One thing you will not do very often is actually sit down and do counseling with someone. With forensics it's more of an assess, diagnose and go to the next person. We are more concerned with what issues someone has and then they get referred to various different programs.
shananagans5 that’s very helpful thank you!
@@shananagans5 You're giving excellent points.
Love how every video you make has an important message!
Aaaaaa I love your videos!
Universal Hobo I’m ur 100th like
Jesus loves everyone
Yeah don’t get arrested
"I'm pretty impressed with your resume, but I'm not sure about this gap in your professionnal experience."
"That's the time I went to yale."
"Impressive! You're hired!"
"Thanks, I really needed this yob."
YOLLLLL
😂😂😂
Lmao 😂
Penn State, my bad state penn
195 days sober 💕💕
Congratulations keep it up👏🏼👏🏼
WOOHOOO!!!!! Look at how strong you are!!
Congratulations ❤❤❤
Alexandrea Scott Awesome! Good for you! I wish you a lifetime of sobriety! May God bless you and give you strength! 🙏🏻💕
GREAT JOB!! Be very proud of yourself!! It's not an easy task!
I never understood why felons aren't allowed to work in so many places. Like what are you supposed to then. Commit crimes again? But then again the american prison system isn't really about rehabilitation but more about money and from cheap work down to downright slavery.
I think it's just a lot of people don't want to have a felon working for them because there's such a stigma around being a past criminal so they don't want a bad name for their company/establishment.
Megan Mullis yeah it’s like, why hire a felon if you can hire someone who isn’t?
F M - Any politician who even tries to change any of this gets called "socialist " and soft on crime . . . .
companies not only see it as "risk" for the felon to do something. It's also they see it as a potential lawsuit for "knowingly hiring a threat to the employees safety". It's why some places might not out right not hire felons but will out right not hire felons with certain charges
When someone else’s livelihood is on the line they’re not gonna put their livelihood in the hands of a convicted felon.
“Everyone wants to see a comeback story, but no one wants to help you on the come up.” Goddamn 👏🏼👏🏼
I don’t understand how a felon can’t be a foster parent but people who should be felons are foster parents sometimes...😏 Anyways love ya 💕
When that felon is also a family member of the foster child and doing well.
No one “should” be a felon. That’s stupid
@@austinp1124 i think she means. some people who are just getting kids for the money treating them HORRIBLE making the whole system suck. they should be classified as felons but are getting away with it alllll the time. they can be foster parents. when someone like jess who is clearly amazing and caring for children could for sure be a foster mom, even tho she is a felon.
@@austinp1124 the comment went right over your head lmao.
Unfortunately, in our country, you’re only considered a criminal when you get caught. There are so many horrendous, evil, vile people out here who have never even seen so much as the back of a cop car.
"Everyone wants to see a comeback story, but no one wants to help on the come up." So sad how it is over there. As a European, it is very clear to me that they just want the prisoners to come back so that they can make money off them.
This is sooooo very true!! Good catch! There are so many privately owned prisons in America, not to mention the use of basically free labor by companies like Walmart and Victoria's secret, that there is incentive to keep the prisons at full capacity. Even the phone company is a multi billion dollar a year company in there. America has 5% of the world's population and 25% of the world's prisoners. That's insane! And a majority of those prisoners are non-violent addicts that should be getting treatment instead of being thrown into a cage to be institutionalized.
💯 agree America is very very broken!!
Michelle Belle it’s seriously messed up in America and I read 6% of their entire population is in prison 💔
@@AliceSmithVlogs Agreed! The powers that be are making insane money from their prisoners and then feeding them slop that a dog wouldn't even eat, which costs pennies to make. I know I'm getting off topic but that food in county jail is so F-ing disgusting that I lost 20 pounds in 19 days once. I couldn't even eat the "cake". It was sick as fuck. But then you start getting hungry enough that that food actually starts tasting good. It's disturbing.
You actually make a lot of good points. I get why felons cannot work in certain industries, but to basically broadly ban them from working about any kind of decent job just ensures they will be back in prison. The piece people forget is that the practice is at least in part because of how stupid and broadly written liability laws are. Someone gets attacked by a violent felon at work and the company can be sued for damages.
Yooo Jess! Love your channel! I’m 181 days sober from alcohol, I started drinking at 14. *FINALLY* I actually want to be sober, and I’ve been keeping myself going even through a breakup! Thank you!
Amazing!!!! ❤❤❤
Congratulations!!!!!! 💖💖💖
Congratulations girl!!!! That is so awesome! I may not know you, but being an addict in recovery myself, I am SO PROUD of you- I know the struggle and I know that some days are easier than others. Keep up the good work and “just keep swimming, just keep swimming” ❤️❤️
Congratulations!
That’s amazing
I’m so happy to see so many people sayings they’re x days sober
You’re amazing ❤️
it honestly amazes me how so many people are saying "America is the greatest country in the world" "we're the land of the free" yet a lot of citizens or residents get very restrained in their rights or their rights just straight up aren't respected.
Im going to the US for a different reason, to get someone out of the US and go somewhere else
Her rights were forfeit as soon as she became a criminal. The only way you can have a free society with rights is if you equally respect the responsibilities that go with those rights. For example, you have the right to keep and bear arms, but you also have the responsibility to use those arms in a safe manner and not cause unnecessary harm to other people or property. And if you can't abide by those responsibilities, you don't get the rights that go with them. You can't have rights without responsibility. It just doesn't work.
America is a third world country wearing an Hermes belt 👀✌🏽
We are land of the free are you high go do some research and see what happens in other countries in other countries they will kill u jail you for life for minor offenses people say America sucks this and that go try living in another country and guarantee you'll be right back
n g - How about having to pay a fee for being out on probation or parole ?
With some exceptions like trying to work in a school, it's my opinion that once you've done your time it's done. No one has a right to know you were in prison or deny you a menial job because of it.
In the Netherlands (where I’m from) there are special cafes where felons work in order to gain work experience and build up their resumé and earn money. I believe the entire process of running a café is done by felons, but overlooked and supervised by non-felons. I think that’s a very good way to bring people back into society
Cool, welke cafés ? Hebben ze een naam? Ik vind het een prachtig idee
Rehabilitation, that's what people there need, not to keep being pushed asode
Isa Bredek hi, sorry voor de late reactie... oepss 🥴 het gaat om ‘Heilige boontjes’ in Rotterdam
I volunteered at Share for 3 years to get something on my resume,and some trust,finally got a job were I worked almost 9 years,till just recently.
“Everyone wants to see a comeback story, but no one wants to help on the come up.” - Jessica Kent 2020. Preach! 👏🏾🙌🏾
it's been 45 years since my convictions , it never ends
The fact that you can't vote is shocking. The only purpose I can imagine to that is to stop people from working class areas voting (and I could go into racial issues here too but I'm sure everyone knows what I'm talking about)...
Exactly, that's insane and very unfair. In many countries even prisoners can vote. They bring ballot boxes to places with people, which cannot come to polling stations like nursing homes, hospitals and also prisons, so the fact you cannot vote even after you've done you time is crazy. I mean, there are not taking away people's citizenship (hopefully not giving anybody any ideas) and if you are citizen, you should have right to vote.
PuffinPride you are 100% correct. It is also why certain politicians will never agree to legalize cannabis. You can disenfranchise segments of society you don't like and go easy on the ones likely to support your views. Also our economy is heavily reliant on prison labor. This country imprisons a higher percentage of our citizens than any other society in the history of the planet.
Imagine if felons could vote and voted for more rights for them or for people in prison so felons could have a normal job in the office or just rent an apartment... then those people would have more of a chance in society and don't have to go back to prison because the only things they can do are illegal... oh and then less people would be in prison and that would save taxes as well... but hey let's just not do that in the States
In California felons can vote. As long as you’re not on parole or locked up.
Because They know that the “type” of people that go to prison will screw up their tampured fraud voting system
I am a foster mom, and I was both surprised and moved and heartbroken to hear that fostering was the first thing on your list. I wish more people had your heart! Even though you can't foster, you are doing so much by raising awareness and educating people about fostering and respite. Thank you for that, and much love for your journey.
Hi Jess, I’m 23 years old and have my own story but really I just wanted you to know that your videos have brought me Peace and Guidence through out my years as young adult. I always find my self back to your channel when I’m struggling after long periods of avoiding what I struggle with. I just want to say thank you ❤
a lot of foster kids come from families struggling with addiction, so I feel like you being in recovery would have a unique understanding of where they’re coming from
Just the other day, I signed a petition that would allow felons to vote. I wish I could do more.
Can you send me that petition?? I would love to sign it because I think it’s BS that felons can’t vote, when they are finished with parole and prison. Thanks!
Yeah, drop the petition link here!
Why? You really want people with criminal records voting on the policies of the country? Why would you trust their judgement? Because they have such a long history of making good decisions?
How about you stop making decisions based on your initial empathic feelings and think about things a little more logically before you commit to doing things?
@@KurNorock "Because they have a long history of making good decisions"
A person made one mistake when they were younger, served their time, got their life back together, but never, ever get allowed to vote again. How is that fair?
I’m about to vote for that in California. It’s a proposition that I really hope gets approved this year.
My husband is a felon and he's gotten jobs that he shouldn't have got because he "sells" himself to them so well. He admits his past, tells them to give him a chance, and he's gotten those chances. And he's succeeded. Just keep trying, eventually you'll find the right person to give you a chance. He's doing the same thing you're doing right now. Trying to get what he can. He's a great person who messed up in his past... keep trying! You can be successful in life!
I know you mean to be encouraging. That is positive. But I think people have to be allowed to have their struggles as well. It is important that one as society try to improve things for people, rather than making every hardship faced a problem for the individual. Most of these challenges are imposed on her. It is not like the limitations somebody who are blind or deaf face. You cannot undo blindness by changing legislation. But many of the challenges Jessica faces can indeed be undone through legislative change.
There are many jobs felons aren't allowed to do by law.
And there are even more companies and people who don't want to have anything to do with you because of your criminal history.
Given the very high rate of recidivism in the US this is understandable, but that rate is in part so high BECAUSE convicted criminals have so much trouble getting a decent job after they get out of prison.
In other countries for that reason all criminal records are sealed to the point names of suspects and convicts are not allowed to be made public by law, and a hiring manager will never see that you have a criminal record unless a criminal background check is required for the job by law (in which case they still wouldn't know what you'd been convicted of, only whether the government agency doing the check deems the candidate to be a risk too great for the job so the background check comes back with a negative result).
Depriving people of their civil rights (including the right to vote, own firearms, rent or own property, run a business, etc. etc.) AFTER they've done their time effectively turns all those crimes into life sentences by default.
And then people wonder why those who got convicted once return to a life of crime, when those same people consider those people eternal criminals in the first place.
But is he white tho?
@@NadiaVenice yes, but he took the felony time to protect his black friend, so does his race matter?
@@erikengheim1106 you can pass legislation to make things more accessible for blind people, though…..
i had a neighbor who got out of prison. every time i saw him he looked confused. i learned he got 0 help with rejoining the public and couldnt find his way. from what i understand he had been in for 7 years. he ended up hanging himself just 2 weeks after getting home from prison. these people NEED help to readjust to a better life. i dont understand why they arnt given the help. ive been face to face with gang members and didnt feel in danger at all, coz from my experience, they just leave people be. they are people to. i hate this new culture of 'natural selection will decide who stays alive'. it wasnt long ago that people helped others with things and helped people learn. not just leave people to have to try figure everything out on their own no matter how much they are struggling
That’s so sad.
@@eg8664 yehh. Life in the community is completely different from prison. Would be super hard to adjust alone
I have been in areas with gang activity before and while I am personally not scared even passed people wearing gang colors and was perfectly fine my mum on the other hand is always freaking out and saying you need to be careful or you are going to get killed and I am all I am entering into a themepark where everyone is going to have fun and spend time riding rides so are teenage gangs that are also entering into the same place
I got out of prison in 2010 and i still have problems with apartments. I'm a general manager with the same job for 7yrs and make decent money. All my bills are paid on time and i have excellent references. But I still have a hard time finding an apartment.
Where do you live now?
Me too desirea brown. Im currently looking for a place and have been denied several times in a row. Crazy
I never understood why so many places make it SO difficult to give a felon a second chance. Not everyone is the same, I changed. I got off probation and never went back.i couldn't find a job, couldn't rent an apartment, couldn't even get a car in my name. I had to rely on others for help. Society really does need to understand just how hard it is to get back on your feet after a situation like this. I was lucky to find a job that gave 2nd chances. They overlooked your jail record as long as you were honest and didn't hide it from them in the interview process, they didn't care that I was a recovering addict seeking treatment . Their policy was just be honest and we will work with you and for you. We need more places like that spread throughout this country. Not those who turn their noses up at you if you have a past.
That place sounds nice! I'm glad you found that, hope you're doing great.
I googled it after you had mentioned in a prior video that you couldn’t vote in Arkansas. You can vote In Illinois as a felon.
It's insane to me how once someone is locked up they are judged for life
Exactly
They could have had a massive turn around and be an amazing person (like Jessica) but they’ll still be judged for making a mistake that they regret
yeah, that's why you have to be careful about the decisions you make in life. just like having an affair, being a prostitute or stripper, etc. sometimes it was only a short period in your life, but people will see it as your overall character.
for example, a stripper may choose to dance, in order to pay her way through college, and after saving enough money, never danced again, but it could still affect her life. let's say there is a murder investigation and she is a suspect; she could be completely innocent, but because she used to be a stripper, people will think she's capable of it because she must not have good morals. your past CAN haunt you.
lang 1007 how about instead of judging people who don’t deserve it, you criticize the systems that are oppressing them in the first place...?
@@mlynn998 and when i was talking about the stripper, i wasn't judging; i'm saying realistically, that's what happens in society, so they have to be careful because it could bite them in the butt. there are people who were put into prison because they had an affair and for some reason, that equates to them being murderers. I'M not saying they are, i'm just saying that unfortunately there are people who will see it this way. COULD YOU ACTUALLY READ WHAT I SAID.
@@mlynn998 "people who don't deserve it"?? don't act like they have done NOTHING wrong, they are not complete victims; they commit crimes and they're the victims? they are not completely innocent when they KNOWINGLY commit a crime.
and i'm not judging because i could easily commit crimes myself, but if i did, i wouldn't act like some victim. i did it to myself, and i knew there'd be consequences, so it's my own fault i took that risk.
Unfortunately I understand why a lot of these things are the way they are bc not all felons are able to overcome the past. It’s unfortunate that companies and such don’t take more time to actually do some research instead of going off past documents. Sometimes you gotta look deeper than that to really see someone. But to be honest I think it’s awesome that you ended up on RUclips bc you offer so much honesty and education for people who are trying to move forward from past circumstances and we need more of that! Keep telling your story!!
A lot of them can’t overcome the past because the cards are stacked against them when they come out, with stuff like this for example. It’s a viscous cycle.
@@apc_46and28 good point.
lots of non felons are shitty people, too. I understand none of these things. Not one. For example, if you want to be a foster parent you should be evaluated and it should be looked at very closely what kind of person/parent you are. A felony in the past tells you nothing about how shitty or not shitty someone is as a parent. Do you know how many people who have never been felons are absolutely not adequate as foster parents? Something that would protect children who are in the system A Lot more is if foster parents got more evaluation before becoming eligible, got more help and training. Not by excluding a whole group of people because some of them can't shake old habits. and same goes for employees. Literally all of these could be regulated a lot better and safer by doing better interviews and evaluations of people who go into important jobs or who will be someone's caregiver/parent/authority figure and have a lot of power over someone. And the voting thing should be considered a violation of human rights. I agree that it's utopic to think everyone will just come out of prison and be reformed (which, by the way, there would be a much higher chance of that happening if people were treated better in prison and prisons focused on rehabilitation rather than punishment) but all of these mentioned things are things that I don't want a shitty person to be able to do. Them being a felon or not tells me absolutely nothing about that being or not being so. All of these things would be better and safer if there was taken a more personal look at any person who wants to do those things instead of excluding a whole group of people because some of them may not be reformed. A lot of people who were never felons aren't fit for those jobs/positions or possessions either.
@@mael2039 10000000%
You should start speaking at schools once everything opens up and talk about this stuff. Sadly your decisions will forever impact your life now, but helping younger generations would be great! Especially elementary before they getting into bigger issues middle or high school.
She would prob need to pass a police check to speak in schools.
Maybe a part of a dare program? Be an example of what not to do & like the do in the antiDUI training for HS students
Man I would loved her to speak at my school! She’s more motivating and wise than some of the “sportstar” they send to you and just keep saying over and over you can do it if you believe and work hard enough
@@mypieyourfork7976 Yes, but she could accompany a Dare officer as part of the program.
exactly, she's got a hell of a story! I think it would be awesome for her to talk to kids and say "hey, i made huge mistakes with permanent consequences and now i'm going to use my story so younger people don't repeat my mistakes and end up like me." , and while those choices may not seem like a big deal early in life, they can cause serious problems for the rest of your life. If she can influence the choices someone chooses to make, then she's made things and the world a little better. Sometimes, that's all you can do when you make a bad choice that can't be undone
If I'm being honest, there are some things on this list that do make sense to me. Fostering children and owning guns, namely. Visting other felons and voting I think are pretty nonsense, but like... Just because you may be a safe home, doesn't mean that all felons are, and I can understand why courts are cautious about placing children in homes with felons, especially considering the situations many of those children left.
I know that you mentioned this, but I just want to reiterate.
Just because your non felon home is safe does not mean all of them are...Disqualifying someone because of a mistake they may have made 20+ years ago is wrong.
@@Zamugustar I mean you can say that about a lot of people. If someone touched a kid 20+ years ago, should we allow them around schools? If someone beat their spouse 20+ years ago, should we warn potential partners?
NO, a ban on gun ownership makes no sense if the person was convicted of a nonviolent felony. Not sure why people don't know that many felonies are for nonviolent crimes and even victimless crimes.
@@lorrilewis2178 um, she admitted she had a violent felony. Classification absolutely needs to be improved, yes. But violent crimes.. girl.
@@ktevans881 I said "a person". I wasn't talking about her specifically.
I had a clean record until i had mental health crisis and had a DUI and recklessly drove my car without hurting anyone. 5 months in prison and now im a felon for life. The justice system is cruel.
I understand that it's not fair to you, but think about all the people who *are* hurt or killed because of DUIs. It's illegal for a reason and unfortunately there are consequences. I agree that it's cruel.
If I was in charge of how it worked it wouldn't be this way but because it *is* this way, we should be aware of it.
Casie i think the sentence is correct just the aftermath is what is unfair
I’m sorry that happened to you :(. The system is such bs. Prisons make people money. It’s such a dumb thing to do time for. You didn’t even hurt anyone. I had to pay $500 and take classes and I rear ended another car with my dui but did no damage. I’m sorry you had to suffer for sometbing that was not in your control and wasn’t your fault
DUI and reckless driving without injury is misdemeanor level offenses, so you were either on your 3rd+ dui or something, but you're definitely not telling the whole story.
Wow! I had no idea. I worked in a hospital for many years and a friend of mine told me she was going to start working with me. I was so excited. I kept waiting and waiting for her to start but she never did. I found out later through the grapevine that they rescinded the offer because during the background check she had a DUI. It was the first time I found out you could lose out on a good job because of a DUI.
This is why restorative justice is SO important as compared to the retributive justice US adversarial system runs on.
You and Christina inspired me to emergency foster. I’m speechless you can’t...
You could provide the most healing to a child. The people who have conquered the unthinkable are prevented from stopping the cycle. It’s so wrong.
If you petition, could that change? If someone actually looked at your work and your heart they would change that immediately. I think you should try ❤️
Thank you for sharing your story. I appreciate you so much. My friend who’s a felon is losing hope and I’ve sent him numerous videos of you to try and help him understand and help him get through the tough times. Thank you again and I will miss you... whatever is going on in your life you will make it through because your strong and have touched so many lives here on RUclips . Best wishes to you and your family jes ❤️ hope to see you soon!!!!
This has given me a lot of insight. If I’m ever in a hiring position and I meet a felon in an interview, I’m going to give them the chance they deserve
I truly hope you keep that God given mercy. Because Ive known so many many ppl that have said the same thing yet when they reach a leadership position they automatically shift their mindset when faced with opportunities to change someones life who made a mistake and is only trying to rebuild it. Helping those who are without hope is one of the best way to reach Gods heart.
Your comment is underrrated. The biggest comment ever! Thank you!
You’re a felon but you’ve got a bachelors degree... can they give you a damn break? Wth congrats to you!
It is impressive, but it doesn’t mean that she gets special treatment. The government isn’t going to look at each individual felon and decide to grant them things that other felons who might not be as successful can’t have.
@@cai0409 I agree with this to a point. I believe at least once a felon serves their time they should have their right to vote restored. As for individual special treatment, no. I’m just so happy she turned her life around. There’s little compassion left in this world.
@@helloimnoname Of course. I think all felons should be able to vote. Some places even let them do it while still in prison and I think, why not?
@@cai0409 Exactly!
@@davidsmock8235 you get the privilege of being seen as a person who achieved those things.
You have made a great comeback. Because you had to figure out how to be successful with everyone telling you no, it makes you self made, and no one can ever take that away from you. It takes a lot of strength to keep going and and figure out how to make it up with everyone saying no. Congrats, and keep doing what you're doing.
She cant be a foster parent but could have as many children as she wants if she gives birth to them. Makes perfect sense. If she's able to raise and care for her own children why not others?
Exactly. So messed up.
Michelle Heidler
It reduces the possibilities to harm children. The fewer children felons have, the less harm they can make to them. Also, I think felons are more likely to harm someone else's children than their own. I think it makes sense. Unfortunately, there is no way to prevent someone from having kids.
Cyril yes, there is, and people have done it before, but it’s extremely unethical. It’s called forced sterilization and it happened in Puerto Rico in the 50s and 60s (I’m pretty sure those are the right dates)
Hello, adopted person here. Speaking from my own experience and relationship that I had with my foster parents, no matter how 'reformed' a felon is, I would've felt uncomfortable. I may even go so far as to say I wouldn't feel safe. You have to remember that most children come from unsafe environments to then be in foster care, so I dont think that being with a convicted felon is the best decision. That's just my opinion on the matter, I just thought it would have more magnitude coming from an adopted person.
@@jordan-josephinglis9580 I'm not an adopted person, but I am a psych major, and have spoken with DCS (Department of Children's Services) in one of my classes, and you're exactly right. Foster children need a safe, stable enviornment. Even some people who are not parents are rejected and are not allowed to foster children, because those children need someone who can provide security. I'll be honest, when the woman in the video was talking about doing the part-time foster care and how it would be, "So fun! Like a baby sitter!" it actually kind of pissed me off: these children are not playthings.
Me, a foster child, hearing about fostercare and respitecare. My foster mother is emotionally abusive and my respitecare mother is also really mean. I would much rather live/stay with someone like you then the people i love with now. You would understand better I feel. I'm also a Canadian so i mean idk what you can do.
Its strange that the people deemed "good" are the worst and the ones deemed "bad" are the best 🤔
I am also in Canada and I wish I could help you. I pray that you get moved to a loving foster home soon. There are good ones out there, I promise, I know some amazing foster families
i'm so sorry, i hope you get a different foster family soon
I'm sorry, try taking to your social worker? Hope you are in a nice home soon
I’m so sorry, nobody deserves to live like this. I hope things get better for you. I’ll pray for you. I know most people don’t think that it does anything, but I believe it does.
"I'll shall not judge another, when they themselves breath the same air as myself"
The quote people should live by in my opinion
I got lucky and DIDN'T keep my felony. My sentence was deferred. 15 years sober! So proud of you Jessica! Love your channel! 💕
Keep up the great work Kiffany!! 10 years for me. I'm so proud of you!
Felons really can’t come to Canada??? That’s awful! I think felons should be able to travel at least in their own continent! Your Canadian subscribers love you!♥️
Even having a dui bars you from Canada even though it’s a misdemeanor
Depending on your charges Canadiens cannot cross the border too. They dont want us in the US either so its not a one way thing
Marj B I figured! They have reasons but it’s sad considering some people have changed since they were convicted! Jessica being a prime example of that!
BolnoyBratchny I’ve heard that before but I know someone with a DUI who just went to Canada.
I tried crossing the border from Canada into the US and was denied, handcuffed fingerprinted and photos taken all because of a criminal record I got when I was 18. It was 20 years after the fact but it didn't matter. All I wanted to do was see NYC with my wife. She was in tears and we lost money on our booked hotels and tickets to numerous events we already purchased.
Thank you for being so open with your story. I truly enjoy watching your videos. The system in the USA is very broken and it saddens me that there is not more focus on rehabilitation for felons after prison. How hard you have worked to turn your life around is truly incredible. Hoping things look up for you more in the future 💜
The reason they send you to prison is to "correct" you, yet when you're released and do become "corrected" you're denied so many things and are treated like you're still in prison, this is messed up, I feel like you have the right to have a decent job and rent your own place, and to do a lot of the other things you're denied, just because of your past mistakes you're denied so much, and the crime you committed isn't even that bad compared to a lot of other crimes
america home of the brave land of the screwed :P
Take a walk through a large cemetery near a major city. Find a small inexpensive headstone for someone who died at less than a year of life, born around the same year as you, collect a few so you have a good supply of possibilities. A: Get busy looking for birth records B: try to match them up with deaths listed with the social security administration records. If A has a match with B, move on. If you have A and not B...... you now have a new name, date of birth and no felony record. Build the new you slowly and carefully, stay under the radar. This process has become very difficult in the last 30 years, but it can still be done, as a drastic last effort if expungement, clemency or pardon don’t work out.
like, if your charge involved something with children (chomo or something) I get why they wouldn't let you have children. But anything else? Why?
I think in theory you should have a right to a recent job. But nearly every job has multible applicants. So every detail counts and of course someone having a felony is a mask against them when compared to other applicants.
@@Zephyrmec Might not work because police records will have finger prints, and sometimes dna, and mug shots. But might work. If you get finger printed 1 time though - your new name will be your alias and linked to your old name. Police are also now integrating facial recognition software in stores and in vegas to catch shoplifters.
the voting one is the one that I really cannot wrap my head around. I mean, "felons" (although imo that word is probably dehumanizing & therefore shouldn't be used because dehumanizing people is BAD) can be taxed but can't vote. I seem to recall "taxation without representation" being a pretty big deal in us history 🤔
If you own a company and it;s making money while you are in prison, you can still be taxed. Yet, you have no "liberty". So, loss of liberty is the very essence of punishment for breaking the law. And, not voting is just a lifetime punishment (no different in concept than life in prison).
In Australia prisoner and ex felons are legally required to vote.
@@BlitheDream In the US the government cannot force anyone to vote.
Josh: Taxation without representation no longer applies to a convicted felon. A felon is considered an untrustworthy criminal, thus he or she looses their rights upon being convicted of most felonies.
How is felon dehumanizing? Because the way people use it? The word itself is not.
"everyone wants to see a comeback story but nobody wants to help you on the come up" YES!!
My heart hurts for you that even a decade later after serving your time you’re still being punished. I didn’t realize that there were so many things a person couldn’t do if they previously had been convicted of a felony.
I do believe that in the state of Illinois once your sentence is up you are able to vote/register to vote if you weren’t prior. Please register soon!! Each state is different on how far in advance you have to be registered (especially important if you plan to vote in the presidential election this November) 💕 also registering to vote is soooooo quick and easy. I did it one day in high school when I was in class
Girl... TED talk about helping felons back into society. NOW haha. Ur an amazing speaker
Seriously! Jessica needs a Ted Talk!
@@pflynn623 she recorded one!
There is no helping felons back into society. Once you have a felony it's over, talking from experience BTW.
!!
Right? Seriously. She is so eloquent. I love her.
Hey! I've just recently come across your videos and I really appreciate all that you've shared. I don't know if anyone has shared this with you about travel but I want to help. I do not have a passport but I've traveled to the Bahamas and Mexico on cruises. All I needed was my birth certificate and the cruise had to leave and return to/from the same port.
Anyway, I'm so happy for you and yours. It's amazing that you are using this platform for the greater good. You're crushing it!
I feel your pain. I am also a felon, and it has been extremely difficult even in the short time I have been clean - 40 days today!!!! Woo hoo!
I appreciate this video so much. I have learned even a few things that I didn't know before. For example, I didn't know you could petition to have your rights reinstated or even that you can apply (? for lack of a better word) for voting rights again. So thank you.
Also, thank you for simply being you. I have watched you a lot in the past year when my life was spinning rapidly out of control. And not that it matters, but I'm the same age as you. Listening to your stories and how well you're doing in life now was very helpful. I won't say "you're the reason I got clean" or anything cliche, haha. But there were times when I felt so hopeless, like I would always be stuck as a no-good junkie, and I would see your story. In the back of my mind a little flicker of hope would ignite. That hope was everything to me at the time. I am so happy and grateful I am clean today.
So thank you for sharing. You inspire me very much. I'm not so scared to live clean anymore, with or without my record.
I'm sorry but if you have gun related charges I think it's just right, that you're not allowed to own a gun anymore. It might be because here in Europe our gun laws are so much more strict, but to me it sounds reasonable not to allow a former criminal to own a firearm.
In the US we have a "god given right to defend ourselves" I am not religious so I will just say a natural born right to self defense.
I am a forensic psychologist/criminologist in the US. I don't know what part of Europe you are talking about but most western countries in Europe base their systems on British Common law. There are some notable variations that I am not familiar with however, I am familiar with Britain so I will respond as if you are talking about Britain.
In Britain people are allowed to use "reasonable and necessary" equal force to defend themselves. That sounds great but really think about that for a moment.
I happen to be a thin 50 yo woman. I, or any woman for that matter, does not have the ability to use equal force against say a 25 year old man. How could an elderly couple defend themselves? This gives young criminals a huge advantage over potential victims.
The US and Britain count their murders very differently for national stats but you can see dramatic differences in the trends. In all countries most murders are young men killing young men but in the US the older someone gets, the less likely they are to be murdered. In Britain, you see the opposite trend. The elderly are heavily targeted by young criminals. Same for women of any age. In Britain, women are also targeted by criminals far more for violent crimes.
In a free country, once someone has paid their dues and proven themselves after a conviction, with a few exceptions, they should have their rights restored. They should not be made easy targets for young, active criminals simply because they are women or because they are getting older.
You sex and your age are determined by nature. We can't change that but laws that forbid a class of people from owning firearms strips those people of the ability to defend themselves. That's not in the spirit of a free country.
Sorry for the long comment but I have been studying this stuff since I started school some 30 years ago and it really bothers me that women in Britain, and most of Europe, are made into easy targets for criminals for "the sake of the overall population" with gun laws that really don't help the overall murder rate.
If you are truly interested, I would be happy to talk about overall murder rates in Britain vs the US. (lol warning. You will get another long rambling response)
. Anyways, that's my little soapbox. :)
Good Day! Ms. Shannon
Thank you so much for your comment!! I have never really had an opinion either way on gun control, and am still not entirely sure what to think. I would love if you have statistics or links to the information you're talking about! One of my friends said that if a woman owns a gun, statistically it will be used against her. I would love to hear your opinion on that. Thanks!!!
@@shananagans5 just a small note - most western countries in Europe do not base their systems on British Common law :)
@@shananagans5 Thanks for your comment! I appreciate seeing different peoples POV
They don’t even let citizens own a gun in Australia lol. You have to do a whole course, then have supervised visits to a gun range and then past a test before you can apply for a gun license and that’s for citizens.
me: not a felon
refused to jwalk until the age of 11 (i wouldnt let anyone jwalk either)
rule follower
also me: oooooo i need this in case i go to prison one day and need to know the inner loops
Don't go! You'd be doomed!... Js
That’s sad that you can’t be a foster parent 😭. You are an amazing parent
Oh my god I KNOW!!! Hearing her say this quite literally broke my heart- because I know what an amazing, loving, caring and protective mommy that she is to her two beautiful little girls. And I know, because I see it- a little bit on here, but more so on her IG lives. She’s worked SOOOO hard!! and has come SOOOOO far.. as I ALWAYS tell her- she is a damn warrior and a 👑queen👑 And more so she is living proof that us addicts can and DO not only recover, but just HOW MUCH!! we can change [for the better] and become a successful & hard working person in society. Hang in there, Jess.. you’re a damn warrior!!! You’re doing SO much good, for not only yourself and your family, but for SO many people around the entire world ❤️❤️
The voting one is so weird to me, because in Australia where it's compulsory to vote, if you're incarcerated, you have to vote like everyone else does (it gets a bit more complicated state by state and depending on the length of your sentence, but your get my point..)
yeah we get fined in Australia if we dont vote hahah
I’ve been a felon for about 16 years for something 22 years ago. I can’t do anything it seems. But I’m retired and day trade. About the only thing I’m allowed to do.
I really respect how honest and open you are, thank you so much xx
If they can trust you with you own children and you’ve never hurt them I don’t understand why you can’t become a foster parent with just extra monitoring
It's the same strange logic as with non-felons. If a woman gets pregnant, no one asks "Are you fit to be a mother?" But if a woman can't have or doesn't have (more) children and would prefer to adopt/foster, she and her SO are checked inside and out and million rules apply.
@Infinite Galaxy
I just said that exact thing out loud! Just not in a polite way. (I have tendency to yell at TV, or YT when something is wrong and pisses me off)
@@molekyyli
Exactly!
@@ZoeF.O I think that foster kids need more care and more everything (because of all they went or are going through), so it's definitively a harder job but it seems to me that more people should be given chances to foster or adopt if they wish to do so.
But I'm no expert in the matter, just my opinion.
@@molekyyli so true. Agencies cry for foster parents/ adopted parents yet they make it difficult
I’m so happy you make these videos. Will hopefully prevent young people from committing felonies and potentially ruining their lives.
I'm a former opioid addict (clean date 11/13/14😁) now a Certified Addiction Recovery Specialist and a former entrepreneur. My family owned a large cleaning business that I ran for 7 years after they passed. I also started 2 other companies prior to heavy addiction. With that said, it's so, so SO hard to be 'that company' who gives people 2nd chances. We tried, but more often than not it was a huge disaster. Take my parents' business for example. Most of their contracts were with NASCAR teams and the residential contacts were $1-$3 million houses. We did businesses at night, while no one was there and residential during the day for the same reason. We had huge keyrings loaded with keys, security cards, alarm codes, gate codes, etc. These people trusted us to do a great job, clean up after ourselves, not break anything, protect their privacy and certainly not steal anything!!!! But you have to think about how tempting it can be for some of us fresh in recovery to have that kind of power/trust. One of our favorite employees was a 50 yr old man named Keith. He did a 25 yr stint that started as multiple DUI's. No license meant it was hard to find a job, so he started selling pot. Of course it caught up w/ him, he served his time and was released in '01. He did very well in prison, came out struggling with nothing and no one. He was on the streets for a while before my dad gave him a chance. He paid him well, considering the circumstances ($15/hr and that was 20 yrs ago) We started slow with the trust, only letting him work on teams. Eventually, after years of no incidents or even suspicions, my dad helped him get his license back, sold him a truck for $200 (that was worth at least $5k) and let him run his own crew which came with much higher pay. We hired other ppl with less-than-perfect histories too. Idk what changed, but one day Keith disappeared sometime after lunchtime. He had a 3 person crew that day & they were all MIA. It was definitely odd, but didn't think too much about it. We tried calling him, went to his apartment, talked to his 'on-again-off-again' girlfriend, no one knew where he or the crew was.
A cpl weeks later, it all made sense :( Keith stole a black card (unlimited credit!) from the offices of Tony Stewart!! Him and the crew went to Myrtle Beach, SC and spent over $20k on that card. We started contacting other clients to make them aware of the situation in an effort to be transparent & try to soften the blow our company had taken. I'd say 25 out of 30 clients either had things missing (jewelry, figurines, cash, tools, memorabilia, etc) or had suspicions that things were disappearing. We filed what we could on insurance, but it cost my dad thousands!! Our attorney alone was $50k that year! Keith wasn't the only one that burned us; his was just the most memorable!
One woman stole 2 small Tiffany lamps and a very old belt buckle that was valued at $2,500. A guy named Juan was slowly raiding medicine cabinets and was caught on a nanny cam at one house.... These things happened over a course of about 10 years and after that incident with Keith, my dad HAD to make a decision. From then on, he had to run background checks, must have a drivers license, references, etc. It's not like we wanted to do that, but we had to reassure our clients in some way that we were correcting an issue and doing everything we could to prevent it from happening again. A lot of things changed after Keith, we lost a lot of money and a few contracts, but nothing was ever the same again. The news traveled fast in our small town, and after my parents passed away in a car accident on their way home from work one night, my own addiction spiraled out of control and I couldn't handle it all anymore. It's a sad, sad story. I wish it didn't play out that way, but there's a reason why companies have to be careful on who they hire..... That's why I started doing what I do now: trying to help people identify their weaknesses and goals in early recovery, and removing as many barriers as possible to help them reach those goals. I also serve on multiple committee's with a goal of influencing prison/probate reform and ending the war on drugs.
I just wanted to explain why it's difficult to hire felons/ex-offenders and the real life liability we face in my anecdotal story.
Damn, that is quite a story and does show that even though a person may look like they've changed for the better, sometimes they're still the same old rotten person at the core. Addiction is a lifelong battle and I commend you for the work you're doing. I'd like to do something like that one day but I'm more of an introvert, especially in person.
Congratulations
No wonder prison reform is so difficult to achieve in the US when anyone who was convicted of a felony cannot vote. Like the folks who actually understand prison and what actually happens there don't get a say...
In FL felons can vote but we only passed the law last election and the GOP tried to turn it into a money thing and make it so that only if you'd paid all your fees (which sometimes you can't even find out what you owe) could you vote as a felon, but FL supreme court ruled that unconstitutional and so our felons will be able to vote in Nov!!! It didn't affect me as I only have misdemeanors since my 5 felonies on the case I was fighting 8 yrs ago were dropped, but it affected the majority of my friends and i'm so happy for them that they can vote now!!! Voting is SO important!
@@nikkigriffin08 yes, the reason the GOP disallows felons from voting is so that they can rig the elections. Same reason why they gerrymander, close polling places, and violently oppose vote-by-mail.
Most states actually allow it. It a state by state issue.
Mr Fluthy but.... the Supreme Court has more gop members and they ruled it unconstitutional so felons are able to vote. And vote by mail is very dangerous since people can much much much more easily rig the elections
@@gal3xy059 i was referring to the Florida case, where the Supreme Court's conservative majority refused to grant an injunction
Thank you for sharing your story. It makes me sad that my idea of felons was so skewed, but learning from you is important. Some mistakes shouldn’t be held against you for life. I’m sorry
Loved it my wife is a felon and you are so spot on. She has had a job that took a chance on her 14 years ago.
Being wheelchair bound due to having a physical disability (cerebral palsy), wouldn't put me off from you looking after me, despite me being fairly independent. In my opinion, no one is perfect and we all make mistakes. Sitting here in NZ, I really do admire you - Murray.
You’d be a great foster mom. You’d know what to do to support the kid(s), and truly help.
9:06 you’re so right about that, it’s so hard for felons to be connected to the society again, it’s all about stigma, and therefore so many felons relapse. i’m proud of you for not relapsing and for being where you are today. you’re so inspiring ❤️
Wow. Got me right in the feels. I knew about the no gun/no vote/hard to employ bit, but not the rest of it. I have thirty years of massive opioid use behind me (Never got arrested, because they were prescribed, so they've gotta be safe, right??), but aside from that, I'm no different from any other addict.I can do everything you can't, despite there being no practical difference between us re. drugs just because mine were "medicine". I'm currently getting reeducated as a licensed chemical dependency counselor, and I wanted to thank you for the insight this post has given me. Personally, I think every judge who ever might sentence someone with a substance abuse problem should be legally obligated to go to the hospital and be injected with the biggest amount of morphine they can survive, just to give them some perspective. A couple hours of feeling as though life is more perfect than it could ever really be might give them a bit of fucking insight into just how insidious drugs can be. Best of luck.
I read your description and I am proud that you won the battle with addiction. My brother died in 2020 in Rochester Minnesota to an OD but there were three different kinds of fentanly in his system. (I may have spelled it wrong.) I never got his body back and they decided to either bury him in a poppers grave or hold on to his ashes or whatever. The sad part is that I still haven't moved on and I still remember what the cop told my Mother. "Just one less junkie off the streets." I ended up finding myself using alcohol to escape facing that pain. Still drinking if I'm being perfectly honest. It also doesn't help that that Thanksgiving I also witnessed my Father stab my Mother and due to COVID they let him go because of his age and since Hospitals are shit at cleaning wounds I had to clean the dead turkey meat and skin. I had a pretty messed up 2020 but if you can battle addiction for 10 years and come out on top then I have no excuse when it comes to abusing alcohol. Time I let go and move on.
That was a terrible thing for the cop to say! Praying for you and your family
Thank you for spreading the awareness of life after incarceration for so many people. My brother gets out in February and watching your videos makes me even more excited to see him again
This makes sense why people go back to prison so often. Can’t get a job, can’t rent an apartment, WTF. Of course people go back to hustling, they got no other choice.
I definitely agree that people getting out of the prison system need us to give them a chance. 👍
America is really strict too. My Dad can’t travel to the US from the U.K. because an office charged him for carrying a tiny amount of weed back in the 80s
Honestly, I can understand he might be reluctant to risk it but ninety per cent chance he would get through. British tourists lie on those visa waiver things all the time. US Homeland Security don't have routine access to the UK PNC and they likely won't pull you aside and demand you give them permission to access it, because why would they, unless you're a famous face or known to Interpol etc. This is for travel. Obviously to live or work in America it's a totally different ball game.
That's pretty messed up as can go to the GP for a prescription for it even though most won't do it and must have been over a personal amount or had just an officer who was a dick as the police don't usually arrest for a very small amount for personal use
I did 4 months for a quarter once of weed,just over 11 years ago,now it's legal.. lol.
thats abit cringy realy on the part of the system that is,you cant leave the country because you carried abit of a tiny harmless plant.......
how unfair that after ten years, the state still treats you like you're a menace, i'm so sorry that you have to go through all this but i am so proud of you for still working to be the best version of yourself!!! lots of love 💕
Great video! Sad that our country is so vendictive and punitive. It’s like we’ve totally forgotten about forgiveness and mercy. Frankly, some of the restrictions caused by the branding of someone as a felon are flat out wicked. Not a free country anymore.
"Illinois has passed a specific law which spells out what effect a felony conviction can have on your right to vote in Illinois. The law is set out in 10 ILCS 5/3-5. In Illinois, a convicted felon has just as much of a right to vote as any other citizen in the state. As long as you are not incarcerated, meaning serving a prison sentence, you can register and cast a vote in Illinois. If you are in court and fighting your case, you can vote in Illinois. Even if you are in jail fighting your case. If you are on probation, you can vote in Illinois. If you are on parole, you can vote in Illinois. As long as you have not been convicted and are in prison, you can vote. However, if instead of being in prison, you are allowed to serve your sentence outside of prison, such as prison furlough or work release, you will not be allowed to vote until you finish your sentence. If you went to prison and lost the right to vote you should re-register once you are released from prison so that you can go to the polls and cast your vote." www.chicagocriminallawyerblog.net/can-i-vote-in-illinois-if-i-have-felony/
I can’t believe I’ve been blind to so many of these things about my own country. My heart goes out to all of those who have lost their opportunity to integrate back onto society. And if I ever get put in a position where I can offer futures to people in those situations, believe me, I will. I come from an abusive family and I know firsthand that you don’t even have to be a criminal to hurt others and be untrustworthy. So for someone who desperate to prove their worth, and for someone who would work hard to take their chance, I would grant them that in a heartbeat.
Girl I want to say great job on all that you have over come. I wish my mother would have been more like you. I currently work in a prison unit of females and I try my best to encourage them to make better choices. You are living proof that you can go from bottom to the top. Thank you for wanting to do better for your children, but most importantly for yourself.
I love your channel. Your videos are open, honest, informative, and straight to the point. And you seem so genuine and strong. You go girl!
I’ve always thought it was wrong to keep people’s “bad records” after they have served their time. Like I get it, but also it makes it really hard for folks to succeed after prison with their old record hanging over them.
I see your point but there is major positives in keeping track of felons, ESPECIALLY if that individuals had partaken in a sexual crime or abuse. In fact in most cases looking through records are very useful in capturing a perpetrator .
Also the fact that majority of inmates are re offenders doesn’t help their case
Of course it has negatives especially for those who have truly reformed but I think what would be best is institution, business and society in general stop making ex felons taboo and stop discriminatory practices, ESPECIALLY if that person has commuted a crime that has no past present it future correlation to a job opportunity or action.
I voted for the first time this past year in Indiana!!! Was so excited!
Last time I went to Mexico, (I live in Los Angeles) you can just walk over the boarder, no check points. Coming back to USA you need a passport, and if you have anything on your record, (I have Misdemeanors) they'll pull you aside and make you wait for a little bit while they check your records.