Challenges Don’t End For Formerly Incarcerated When They Leave Prison

By Maybelle Patterson

State Prison in Jessup, Md. (thisisbossi)

SILVER SPRING, Md. --After being released from prison, it can be hard to know where you
stand in the outside world. But when every law seems to work against a successful
reassimilation into society, you get the sense it’s somewhere on the wrong side.

Across the country, people out on parole or extended supervision - otherwise known as being
“on paper”- are discriminated against in many aspects of everyday life, including searching for
employment and voting.

Though formerly incarcerated people aren’t banned outright from working, the jobs they get are
usually low paying, with long hours and no benefits.

This is due, in large part, to the regulations around job licensing in the U.S. which makes it hard
for people with criminal records to get jobs requiring occupational licenses.

As the Washington Post ​reported​ earlier this year, licensing boards in states like Rhode Island
can refuse to grant occupational licenses because of a crime that was committed years or even
decades ago.

In an effort to prepare them for the outside world, many prisons train inmates for jobs such as
plumbers and electricians. Unfortunately, most of these jobs require licenses.
This makes for a harsh cycle wherein prisoners are released onto the streets equipped with a
worthless education, rendering them unable to find jobs, housing, and fresh food. Many turn to
drugs and alcohol, eventually landing right back in prison.

This cycle also disproportionately affects people of color, according to a 2012 ​report​ by the
University of Minnesota Department of Sociology.

While the overall population of black inmates is lower than that of white inmates, African
Americans are only 13% of the US population, and should statistically have a much lower
incarceration rate. Currently, black Americans are 3.6 times more likely to be arrested than their
white counterparts, according to a 2013 ​report​ from the Vera Institute of Justice.

In addition, African Americans are less likely to have the societal and monetary support needed
to get back on their feet. According to a 2017 ​report​ by the FBI, are more likely to be arrested
for murder, rape, and robbery, which lead to higher jail times and greater amounts of stigma.

In an effort to help formerly incarcerated people assimilate into society, some counties such as
Montgomery County have adopted “ban the box” bills, which would ban the question on many
job interviews asking if the applicant has been incarcerated before.

Critics like farmer Marc Grossman, who works with Our House, an organization that focuses on
reintegrating formerly incarcerated youth to society, say this bill doesn’t do anything to help the
released prisoners.

“It’s meaningless,” Grossman says. “Everyone does background checks now. It’s a feel good
progressive measure without any consequences.”

Others are less skeptical. An employee of the Pre-Release and Re-entry Services division of the
Montgomery County Department of Correction and Rehabilitation remarked that it was true that
the ban the box bill wouldn’t help formerly incarcerated people get jobs, but it also wasn’t
supposed to.

The bill will let people get their foot in the door, the employee said.

The state of Maryland is currently considering adopting their own “ban the box” bill.

Aside from the workforce, formerly incarcerated people also have a hard time re-entering their
community, since most states don’t allow them to vote.

Politicians are also unlikely to accept released prisoners as part of their constituency and to
push issues that matter to them.
It hurts the entire community when representatives don’t listen to formerly incarcerated people’s
concerns, says Peggy West, Southeast Wisconsin coordinator for EX-incarcerated People
Organizing, or EXPO.

West says that formerly incarcerated people offer a unique perspective about the criminal
justice system, and that when people leave jail, they often become even more involved in their
communities.

Even so, in states such as Kentucky, Florida, and Iowa, felons are disqualified from voting for
life, excepting personal pardons.

Jane Henderson, executive director of Communities United, notes that even when formerly
incarcerated people do gain the right to vote, they may still lack education on the voting process
and have a feeling of disenfranchisement.

“I've always said that passing the law was going to be easier than engaging that whole new
electorate, because people feel it doesn't matter,” says Henderson. “Changing that perspective,
and making people feel like they have power is really an important part of transforming
communities.”

While Maryland isn’t on the forefront of criminal justice reform, it isn’t lagging behind either-
since 2007, Marylanders who have completed their entire sentence (including parole and
extended supervision) can vote, and even those on paper received suffrage in 2015.

Maryland also boasts re-entry homes that guide ex-convicts back into their old lives.

An employee from the Montgomery County Department of Correction and Rehabilitation said
that re-entry services are crucial.

“[They] lower crime rate, they help convicts pay victims restitution,” says the employee. The
services can also help the families of those incarcerated, since re-entry programs help inmates
support their families.

Both Montgomery County Pre-Release Center and Our House have a large focus on helping
inmates to realize what traits led to them committing crimes, and changing these traits.

An employee at the Montgomery County Pre-Release Center said there were many times where
inmates would come in after dropping out of high school and going to jail, but through hard work
and perseverance, would pass a training program, earn their GED, and leave the Center-- never
to be arrested again.

##
http://users.soc.umn.edu/~uggen/MNReport_2012.pdf
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2008_06_20_-_3597_-_Jessup_-_State_Prison.jpg
https://www.vera.org/downloads/publications/Divided-Justice-Fact-Sheet.pdf

1) Can you tell me about your re-entry services 

Part of the moco dept of corrections. Help ppl get jobs, address peoples issues 
2) How important do you think this organisation is to the specific people who go through 
it? 
Higher than a ten. Vouleneer for program. Taking it serious, get employment, adress  
a) Do you think this facility helps people re-integrate better into society? How? 
b) Helps reduce recidivism. help s people to understand why they went to jail and 
how they can avoid that in the future 
3) What positive impacts does this have on the community? 
Lower crime rate, victems can take back restitution, family members can  
4) Negative impacts? 
Overall its good. Someone who  
5) Do you have any stories you could share from real people in the community? 
Generic: inmates who dropped out hs - come to pre-realse got into training programs never get 
get ged never  
 
Ban the box: good to get word out, how to explain charges so it shows skills important to 
employer, shows employer to get in the door. Doesn’t help ppl get employed, helps them get in 
the door. Create more progarms that teach inmates the skills they need to explain their charges 
to employers.
Interviews: charles sydnor - rep. Of md district 44b, on judiciary committee in the state house of
delegates.
Sponsored bills: HB0760, HB0022
Julie Ebenstien - staff attorney with aclu
Jane henderson, exec. Director of communities united
Larry hogan??? Vetoed a law that would let people on probation vote. Veto overridden.
David moon
Lorig
Jamal?
Tom hucker

“In 2007, Maryland lawmakers allowed individuals who had completed all parts of their sentences to
register to vote. Last year, the legislators expanded the right to those who had left prison but were
completing probation or parole. Gov. Larry Hogan vetoed the bill, but legislators overrode his veto.”
“‘former felons who do gain the right to vote at some point, still have a lot of impediments to voting --
among them a lack of education on how the voting process works and an enduring feeling of
disenfranchisement,’” jane Henderson, executive director of grassroots organization Communities
United
Maryland, the 14th state to allow ex-felons to vote if they have left prison but remain on supervised
release, the change in the law means about 40,000 ex-felons are now eligible to vote.
ex-felons who are on parole or probation will be able to vote on Tuesday in Maryland’s primaries for
the first time. -- usa today, megan morris and megil news service, april 22, 2016
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2016/2016/04/22/former-felons-maryland-no
w-have-right-vote/83400610/
Maybe end on an interview?

Possibly ok line that didn’t make the cut: ​many inmates’ dreams are dashed before they have time
to go to sleep.

Hello! My name is Maybelle Patterson, and I’m a student at Montgomery Blair High School. I
was wondering if I could ask Councilmember Reimer a couple of quick questions about the
2014 “ban the box” bill that he sponsored. Is it ok if I record this call?
County Executive Elrich, Councilmember Rice, Councilmember Navarro,
Councilmember-at-large riemer:

Elrich:
#:​(301) 287-3002 
Email:  
1) Can you tell me a little bit about the ban the box bill that you sponsored?
2) Why did you decide to sponsor this bill?
3) What impact do you think this has had on the community?
a) Do you think this bill helped people integrate better into the community
4) Why do you think bills like this are important to released prisoners?
5) Do you think this bill may have had any negative impact on the community?
6) Can you share any success stories from people in the community?

7) Can you tell me a little bit about the ban the box bill that you sponsored?
8) Why did you decide to sponsor this bill?
9) What impact do you think this has had on the community?
a) Do you think this bill helped people integrate better into the community
10) Why do you think bills like this are important to released prisoners?
11) Do you think this bill may have had any negative impact on the community?
12) Can you share any success stories from people in the community?

Navarro:
#: ​(240) 777-7968 
email:​Councilmember.Navarro@  
montgomerycountymd.gov 
13) Can you tell me a little bit about the ban the box bill that you sponsored?
14) Why did you decide to sponsor this bill?
15) What impact do you think this has had on the community?
 a) Do you think this bill helped people integrate better into the community
16) Why do you think bills like this are important to released prisoners?
17) Do you think this bill may have had any negative impact on the community?
18) Can you share any success stories from people in the community?

Rice:
#:
240-777-79  
55 

Email  Councilmember.​Rice​@montgomerycountymd.gov 

19) Can you tell me a little bit about the ban the box bill that you sponsored?
20) Why did you decide to sponsor this bill?
21) What impact do you think this has had on the community?
a) Do you think this bill helped people integrate better into the community
22) Why do you think bills like this are important to released prisoners?
23) Do you think this bill may have had any negative impact on the community?
24) Can you share any success stories from people in the community?

Riemer:

(240) 389-4267 
#:​

Email:​Councilmember.Riemer@  
montgomerycountymd.gov 
25) Can you tell me a little bit about the ban the box bill that you sponsored?
26) Why did you decide to sponsor this bill?
27) What impact do you think this has had on the community?
a) Do you think this bill helped people integrate better into the community
28) Why do you think bills like this are important to released prisoners?
29) Do you think this bill may have had any negative impact on the community?
30) Can you share any success stories from people in the community?

202 602 6579

councilmember.navarro@mountgomerycounty.md.gov
 
(240) 777-5400 - Ben Stevenson, Acting Chief of community corrections 
Hello! My name is Maybelle Patterson, and I’m a student at Montgomery Blair High School. I
was wondering if I could ask someone about the re-entry services offered by the department of
Correction and Rehabilitation? Is it ok if I record this call?
 6) Can you tell me about your re-entry services 
Part of the moco dept of corrections. Help ppl get jobs, adress peoples issues 
7) How important do you think this organisation is to the specific people who go through 
it? 
Higher than a ten. Vouleneer for program. Taking it serious, get employment, adress  
a) Do you think this facility helps people re-integrate better into society? How? 
b) Helps reduce recidivism. help s people to understand why they went to jail and 
how they can avoid that in the future 
8) What positive impacts does this have on the community? 
Lower crime rate, victems can take back restitution, family members can  
9) Negative impacts? 
Overall its good. Someone who  
10) Do you have any stories you could share from real people in the community? 
Generic: inmates who dropped out hs - come to pre-realse got into training programs never get 
get ged never  
 
Ban the box: good to get word out, how to explain charges so it shows skills important to 
employer, shows employer to get in the door. Doesn’t help ppl get employed, helps them get in 
the door. Create more progarms that teach inmates the skills they need to explain their charges 
to employers.