This story is based on inmates that are released from prisons and treated wrongful.
My name is Joseph Wright and I was released from a Correctional facility in 2007 after a violation.
After my release, I moved to Herkimer county to start an better and new life, but because of the color of my skin and past criminal backround, I'm being discriminated against by the various jobs i have applied for as well as not receiving the proper assistance from the Herkimer county social service Department.
I first would like to start this story talking about the Department of Social services Here in Herkimer County.
When someone go's to the Department of social service here in Herkimer county, they are humiliated as well as put through things that do not concern the request and application of help. this department is responsible of making people homeless if they come to this Department for help. Example: A friend of mine who's name I can not reveal at this time without permission was released from a Correctional facility 2/24/09, and went to Herkimer Department of social services requesting assistance and housing until he is able to receive employment. He was able to receive housing with my help, but was informed that he would need a paper from Social service stating that his case is pending and that rent payment will be given after the 45 day Social service process. When he went to get this paper, he was told by members of the social service Department here in Herkimer county that they can not do anything for him until after the 45 day wait process is over, and that they can not give him anything to give to the Lanlord stating his pending case and they can not help him with housing.
But this was after he was told by one of the social service workers to get a Landlord Statement stating he has housing in that housing area.
when he brought the landlord statement back to the above social worker, the social work informed him that he can not do anything for him until after 45 days.
now you have a inmate looking for help and is being denied this help after being told by the Social Service worker that he will receive this help on 2/27/09.
so you have a person released from a Correctional facility with $40.00 a bus ticket with no where to live or go; what should he do? but in the correctional facility, this person is given all kinds of reference to take to the department of social services to receive this help. this along with job discrimation towards those released from these Correctional facilties is an on going problem and the primary cause of recivism. There are men and women that return from out of these correctional facilites and want to change their lives but is faced with the hardship of being discriminated against and not given the help needed to make that change.
They are taught and given trades in these correctional facilities that are being paid by taxes dollars, and when they are released, they are denied employment because of their criminal backround. so what is this man or woman to do? With these constant actions of rejection, that person is only going to do what that person know best to live and although it's wrong I understand because I have been down that same road, but is still fighting for the right to live as people should. but there are those that are sometime see no other way other than crime or should I say go's back to crime.
There are people that have come out of these correctional places and became good workers as well as helping their communities, but to have a society to turn their back or discriminated against these people these people is wrong. sure there are those whom are given a chance and mess it up for others, but is that fair? no it is not. If the federal Goverment is willing to give employers money or insurance to hirer these people, that is saying something.
I have been out of trouble over 3 years since my release from a correctional facility and yet to receive a stable job because of my criminal backround and is constanty receiving problems from the Department of social services from employees there like Ms. Barnes, Ms. Fema, and other social services workers employed there. although a person is responsible for their actions; do we as a people push these inmates back to these Correctional facilities? Do we as a people care what happen to those whom are released? These are questions and more that we as a people should look at and do something about because by our lack of concern, can cause someone to get hurt or robbed and then that's when we start to care; that person would have to commit another crime before that person is notice. but when that person wants to live a law bying way, we push them away or make their transition harder.
This is an serious issue that needs to be address to our Government as well as ourselves, because sometimes we do create our own problems.