A second chance, a fresh start

 

If there’s one universal behavioral trait among human beings, it has to be this: We all make mistakes. But those mistakes range from redeemable (forgetting to zip your jacket before venturing outside into a snowstorm) to misguided and/or tragic (robbing a drugstore or hot-wiring a car).

That second category can color your life forever. Even after you’ve served your time and have been reintroduced to society, there’s one challenge that can seem insurmountable––finding a job.

“Nobody would hire me,” recalls Lance, age 40. “Nobody.” Wearing a black knitted hat and a neatly trimmed goatee, he speaks quietly, thoughtfully. So polite that he could be your next-door neighbor, gratefully returning a borrowed lawn mower. “I thought, somebody’s got to give me a chance,” he sighs. “And then the very next day…Michael called.”

Lance is now a forklift operator at M.A. Folkes, Inc., in fact, one of the best in the building. He’s also a member of our Second Chance Program, which offers paid employment to former lawbreakers eager to prove themselves worthy. I’m just as eager to provide them that opportunity.

My reasoning is simple: People grow. They often transform their very lives. (I should know!) But too often, potential employers look at the record, not the person. Only rarely do they realize that having been incarcerated drove home its intended message, that old behaviors must cease––and morph into something more productive. Thus…a Second Chance, which looks not at where this person has gone, but at where he could go in the future.

In Lance’s case, he shows up for work every day and even imparts his insights to the new guys just joining the program. And one morning, when he requested a few hours off, to his amazement, he was granted them.

“The longer I’m here,” Lance marvels, “the more they seem to respect me.” That’s because being trusted to do his best has increased his confidence and reshaped his attitude. He carries himself differently. He smiles more. Suddenly, life isn’t so bleak after all.

 

 

 


Add a Comment

 

Return to Blog Listing

 

 

Latest Posts