Dear John,
Every person has dignity and potential. But 1 in 4 American adults has a criminal record, which limits their access to education, jobs, housing, and other things they need to reach their potential. Prison Fellowship® works to raise awareness about these barriers and unlock brighter futures for people with criminal records who have paid their debt to society.
People like Robbie.
Robbie had been in and out of detention centers and prison since he was 14 years old. During his second stint in prison, he joined a Prison Fellowship program that prepared him to return home a changed man.
“When I got out, I had hope because I had a lot of support in my back pocket,” Robbie says. He was able to get a job, join a church, and live in a transitional home. As he got his life back on track, Robbie married and had a son.
When his son was in preschool, Robbie volunteered to assist at a school party. School policy for volunteers included running background checks. That check revealed Robbie’s felony conviction from years before. The school called Robbie’s wife (not him) and told her he could not volunteer.
“That was when I felt the most judged—at my son’s school,” he says.
Robbie, who had been out of prison for a decade, explained that the choices he made in the past no longer define the man he is today. Background checks are a useful tool for keeping kids safe, but they don’t tell the whole story. Robbie’s not a threat to anybody; he’s just a dad, and he wants to be an active part of his son’s life.
Because of his persistence, the school offered Robbie an apology and allowed him to volunteer. “You can’t keep persecuting people for what they’ve done in their past,” Robbie says. Today, he runs a reentry center in his town to help others become productive citizens.
Robbie’s story is just one example of the barriers faced by people who have paid their debt to society. A criminal conviction can keep people from finding jobs to care for their families, getting a loan to go to college, or other, everyday things they need to be contributing members of their communities.
You can help raise awareness of the hurdles former prisoners like Robbie face. And you can help break down barriers that stand in the way of second chances.
By signing the Justice Declaration, people like you are taking a stand for a more restorative response to crime.
Your voice is needed now! Important criminal justice reforms are under consideration all over the country, and decision makers need to know how much you care. Add your name to the Justice Declaration today!
