Probation/Parole Officer

Depending what your sentence was, you probably have a probation or parole officer. These officers are paid by you to supervise and you are at the mercy of them. This can mean drugs tests, visits to where you live, keeping informed on when and what you are doing plus much more. Be nice to your officer and always be pleasant. If there is one thing I have learned when dealing with the system it is to always be pleasant and never give an attitude. Giving an attitude never helps you, ever. Yes there are people there that have become bitter and cold. Its easy to treat someone like crap when you already have your idea about them made up, visa vee, a "criminal". There are also those poeple that are doing it for the right reasons and are willing to help and be cordial. Remember, your probation or parole officer has the power to send you wherever they want you. I always make sure I am in compliance. To me jail sucks and it will be a great day when I am finally free of supervision and being stuck in the system. This of course doesnt mean my felony will be erased, but its the next step in becoming more free.

First day at the Sober House

The other day I moved into a sober house. It was a great option since I have to stay sober and could not find housing being a felon. Its in a really nice area. The downside is that people will be coming in and out on a semi-regular basis as well as it being a little dirtier than I would like it. We clean but the house is dirty enough where a kind of "fingernail" cleaning is in order. Since no one really wants to do that we will have to just clean the regular way. There are only two of us currently. Eventually there will be another two of us which I am not looking forward too. The good part of that is I have my own room. Within the last week I also started a new job along with my other business. Nice to know I have something in this bad economy.
The agreement I made to move into this place was to do a 90 in 90. This means 90 meetings in 90 days. I will write more on how I feel and what I think about the program later.

What is the Correctional Education Association and Why You Care?

http://www.ceanational.org/



This website leads to the Correctional Education Association's homepage. Check it!

As you can see, this is a place that helps to educate people while they are incarcerated and more.

Great resource for family members.

How can I rent an apartment being a convicted felon? Resources...

Unfortunately when it comes to living arrangements you have two major obstacles: First, the insurance policies for many rental properties have restrictions against felon tenancy. Second, most city and county districts have strict ordinances against renting to convicted felons. The encouraging thing to remember is that, similar to an employment application, a number of those restrictions lift after the 7-year mark of your conviction. Try an apartment locator service such as http://www.apartments.com/. Look up “apartment locator service” and the name of the area you want to rent and usually you can find someone that is local to help you. Also, you may have better success with private owners, whose screening process is usually not as rigorous. Plus, you can build a relationship with them and boost your chance of being seen "beyond the paper".

Another avenue is asking a social worker for help. Wherever you can get food stamps there is usually someone to help you find a place to live. Along with the local Salvation Army you should be able to muster up something.

If you do not know someone that can help you find a place or get into an apartment you can always try a halfway/sober house. The upside is that you can relate with a people facing similar situations as yours. You may also be required to attend meetings designed to help you work through your situation. The rent is usually reasonable and it’s designed to give people a second chance.


This takes perseverance and humility beyond what some people ever have to consider. Good luck in your efforts.

Employment. Part 1. What should I do now?

Fill out an application for employment can be challenging. You will likely be asked either if you have had a felony in the last 7 years, or if you have had one EVER. What should a person do when faced with a perfect job opportunity and know there is no way of getting the job without checking "no" on the application....?

Of course legally you need to tell the truth. Currently it is becoming ever cheaper and easier to do a background check for employers and in the future will become standard place. So, it benefits you to tell the truth. There is a new reality you need to face, and that is, in a situation like this it’s better to be rejected outright than to be caught in your lie later-on, and fired then. Believe me, I’ve been there!

That being said, remember, there is such a thing as being too honest. If they do not ask or if the employer just looks at your resume then sometimes you can get in without any trouble at all. This is not that uncommon. I got a normal job doing something I really love less than a month after my incarceration had ended. This gives you a chance to prove your value and if they do find out they will more likely be inclined to keep you later on.


What I almost always recommend is starting your own business if this is possible. Usually a service business such as repair or handyman is really good. The best resource you can tap into is your friends, acquaintances and relatives. As long as you are trying to do the right thing life tends to have a way of providing a path. If you ask your local probation/parole office they may have some employers that will hire felons. Don’t stop there either. Contact as many employment agencies as possible. In Florida there is at least one specific agency with a person that handles felony employment. They will have a list of companies and businesses willing to overlook your conviction. Later I will be providing resources people can go to with getting help and links they can use.

Should I Hire an Attorney? Public Defenders? Who should I go with?

Questions about attorneys regarding criminal charges are something I get asked a lot. The best place is to ask advice from people in jail or currently in the courts system. The reason why this is a good idea is because most of the people in jail have been in the situation before and usually have not moved around a whole bunch, meaning they are local lawyer connoisseurs. The best advice you will receive is on your specific public defender. Will this particular attorney you were assigned be as good as hiring a lawyer for your specific charge/case? Is it time to sell your car because it will make a huge difference in the result of your case?

In my own situation with serious violent felony charges I initially hired a private lawyer who did a pretty good job and then got accused of some type of misconduct regarding a witness in my case and was forced to step down. This made me retain a public defender to carry on the rest of the case. He did a decent job but definitely didn’t care as much. My point is that there were a bunch of public defenders but most people in jail knew the ones that were good from the ones that really didn’t care. While a private attorney is paid and will keep in contact and hopefully fight for you, a public defender can be either/or. With little resources and a huge case load they may just try to settle the case as fast as possible instead of giving you the best chance possible. On the other hand it could be you spend five thousand dollars for the same service.

If you or a loved one is currently looking for an attorney/lawyer and don’t have contact with anyone in jail I would search online for your local area. Just remember, you usually get what you pay for. In most situations and in most cases I would highly recommend hiring a lawyer that has a lot of experience and has been around in YOUR AREA for a long time. Usually over 90% of cases end in a plea agreement.

Good luck. Feel free to email me with any questions.

Send Me Your Stories!

If you are in this situation or know anyone who is please leave comments or send me an email. It would be nice to have inspirational stories so that we can help others get through troubled times in their lifes. This is the only way to fight despair.

Fallen Through Societies Cracks

As a felon – who cares about me? This goes from the everyday person to the government. Most would probably like anyone convicted of anything to just go away. Lock them up! Who cares? Unfortunately we do. I do. Some of the problems with this is that there are people that actually make mistakes and want to do right. They want to get their life back or start one they never had. How is one supposed to get their life in order if they are a felon? This blog spot will comment on these concerning questions for the everyday ex-con, felon and anyone that needs a second chance from what they look like on paper. There is no other choice for us. If we cannot make it through to becoming productive members of society then how does someone stay away from old habits? It’s a cache 22 in today’s world. This concerns EVERYONE not just the person locked away or getting out of jail. Without a clear path old habits can lead to horrible possibilities.
So the question is, how do we get a second chance?