I am a 31 year old university graduate, and have been appalled by the present situation when it comes to ex-convicts being accepted ”with open arms” back into society, and very importantly…employment.
I spent three months inside and it is as if now, I am totally unemployable.
Beforehand, I had job offers coming out of my ears due to my comprehensive educational history and qualifications, but now, it seems I’m viewed more of a risk than an asset to a company.
This is so common amongst ex-convicts that this sort of situation leads to desperation, and eventually under certain environments, re-offending. This situation needs to be addressed immediately to tailor rehabilitation into something that actually works for the individual.
To change the system, educate, train and comprehensively prepare the individuals for re-introduction back into society, on a road that leads to achievement and acceptance, not rejection.
I like working with the team at The Respect Group in taking my experiences into various environments and highlighting the stigma of having a prison record especially to younger audiences through the Citizenship and Guidance framework in Schools.
