Re: Felonys, Misdemeanors, and Background checks....

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On 1/12/07, Liz wrote:
> On 12/09/06, PATRICK H SKALANDIS wrote:
> I totally agree with you John. I lived in Fla for about 5 yrs
> during my young adult life, 19,20. I will try to get to the point
> without boring you with too much information.
>
> I was put into an uncontrolable situation that led to me getting
> into trouble with the law and getting charged with a felony. The
> guy that I thought I loved did a lot of sh*t that I didn't know
> about. Needless to say I went down with him and the fall was hard.
>
> Up until this point I had never been in SERIOUS trouble with the
> law. Sure I got the occasional speeding ticket, or wrote a hot
> check or 2, but NEVER anything beyond that.
>
> I basically got into trouble because I trusted the wrong person.
> That was my "mistake!!" The court didn't care that I was not the
> one who had committed the actual crime, they didn't care that I
> had never been in trouble with the law, in fact looking back on it
> now, I don't think that the cops evened took into consideration,
> or een cared about the affect that this would have on my Adult
> life that I now live.
>
> Now, I find myself trying to explain this to employers. It's like
> they don't even hear me. They don't even care about the fact that
> I haven't had any convictions in the last 20 yrs. They just stop
> listening to me once I say that I was convicted of a felony 20 yrs
> ago.
>
> I know that I am a good person, and I have a good heart. It just
> really hurts that I have this cloud of lighting hanging over my
> head that is following me for the rest of my life and when I am
> out there looking for a decent job so I can take care of my kids,
> it rains on me every time.
>
> I have even sent an email to the governor of the state. Do you
> really think he replied? NO! He didn't.
>
> Did you know that if you write a hot check over $500/ the law
> considers that Grand Theft, which is a Felony. Does that mean that
> we should not trust that person, because we think they will steal
> something? I don't think so. But Employers will do the opposite.
>
> There are too many uncontrollable circumstances out there that
> could affect all of our lives in very different ways.
>
> I just pray for a safe environment to raise my kids in on a daily
> basis, And I pray for a second chance, to be able to have a normal
> life with a good paying job that I can feel good about(even though
> I am still looking and haven't had ANY luck) and not have to worry
> about the rain soaking me too much along the way!!! :0)
>
>
>
> Sincerely
> Liz
>
>
>> On 7/13/06, DALE LEE SHATTO JR wrote:
>>> On 7/04/06, John wrote:
>>>> Here is my opinion about criminal background checks. If a
>>>> person has made a criminal mistake in their past and paid
>>>> their debt to society, they need to be set FREE (Truly
>>>> FREE) and not oppressed by society for the rest of their
>>>> lives and continually held accountable for past mistakes.
>>>> I AGREE.
>>>> A criminal background check (employment, housing, etc...)
>>>> on an ex-offender only serves to oppress and discriminate
>>>> against these people based on their past mistakes. If
>>>> they have paid their debt to society, then LET them go
>>>> FREE! Truly FREE!
>>>> I AGREE
>>>> Everytime an ex-offender cannot find work, housing, or
>>>> licensing for a profession and better way of life...he or
>>>> she is placed in a desperate life situation. Depression
>>>> and Anger fills them. If this person finds him/herself
>>>> without hope of a better future or any future for that
>>>> matter, then you can most assuredly expect the CREATION of
>>>> More criminal activity, more hatred towards an unforgiving
>>>> society, and a SKYROCKETING repeat offender RECIDIVISM
>>>> rate in our national prison systems.
>>>>
>>>> If ex-offenders cannot find decent work, housing, or a
>>>> better life after their release...what GOOD is their
>>>> FREEDOM..???? What good is their life! SET THEM FREE!
>>>>
>>>> GIVE Ex-offenders BACK their rights to live! Stop holding
>>>> these people accountable for the rest of their lives for
>>>> past mistakes (not a damn one of us is perfect or has
>>>> never sinned), and give them the TRUE FREEDOM to better
>>>> their lives without fear of the oppression and
>>>> discrimination that comes from looking into their
>>>> backgrounds and holding this against them for the rest of
>>>> their lives. How UTTERLY RIDICULOUS and WHAT A TRAVESTY!
>>>> That is NOT JUSTICE, that is OPPRESSION! And when hope is
>>>> finally lost in the souls of these ex-offenders, you are
>>>> CREATING Criminals, NOT rehabilitating them!
>>>>
>>>> You think about that!
>>>>
>>>> Judge not and condemn not, lest YOU be judged!
>>>> The merciful shall obtain Mercy!
>>>>
>>>> There is a higher power to listen too and obey than the
>>>> biases of mankind and His name is God Almighty whom this
>>>> nation was founded UNDER.
>>>>
>>>> FREE those who are wrongly being continually oppressed and
>>>> give the Lord a mightly flood of justice and mercy towards
>>>> those in trouble, in need of help, and who are poor.
>>>>
>>>> I am pissed off and angry as hell at what I see going on
>>>> around me with ex-offenders and with myself.
>>>>
>>>> Unless things change, society is going to see an EXPLOSION
>>>> of criminal activity, until rights are restored to
>>>> oppressed and discriminated ex-offenders!
>>>>
>>>> The whole sitaiton is PATHETIC and I am deeply ashamed!

I TRULY AGREE ! What good is moving into the future if you are so
oftenly confronted with your past! We are all human, and we have all
made mistakes, no matter how large or how small. I believe a great
amount of Ex-offenders out there have paid or completed their
crucial debt to society. So why should they suffer further
consequence when these debts have been paid already! Or in other
words, WHY PAY TWICE? It just isn't right! They say your past is
suppose to make you stronger, and if you have developed into a new
person as a whole why shouldn't society take this into consideration
and look at you for who you today and not for what you were 5 years
ago? Society is making the huge mistake of leaving those
ex-offenders with a small gleam of hope not none at all! AND THEN
THEY EXPECT TO BETTER THE ECONOMY? YA RITE ! How about actually
taking the time to hear us as individual speak? Why must we
constantly feel hopeless and ashamed because of one mistake in the
past. Why must we who have learned our lesson, not be given a chance
to prove who we really are in our efforts to change? What ever
happened to a second chance?
This is discrimination! Maybe not the illegal kind but the social
kind, the feeling of being left out. We are constantly skipped over
and not given the time to prove ourselves, because of the next
individual out there with the record clearer than ours. Honestly,
what is shown that this individual has learned? and if so, what does
this person's life value? There has seemed to be nothing learned!

In fact, What is a record? Nothing but a mere form of document, one
that claims to explain your history in 4 short sentences. Does this
record state your past or present struggles? Does this record truly
explain your personality in detail? Does this record justify your
beliefs and values? and does this record expand in detail of the
efforts you have accomplished today? The simple answer is No.
So then what exactly is the purpose of this thing called record? To
leave those people who today are working harder than those with a
clean record hopeless? To destroy the pride and dignity that we once
possessed and so dearly tried to improve? To eliminate us one by
one being in efforts to show that we are no longer needed on the
face of this earth? This thing called record is nothing but a
document of destruction, poorly written and unstrained. This record,
claims to know you more than you know your self. and if this is so,
we might as well make efforts to make this record worse, being that
we have nothing promised for tomorrow.

Let's think present! Give ex-offenders another chance!