Nearly 2,000 formerly incarcerated people return to Cleveland each year with few job prospects. Some lawmakers want to change that.
This article was published in partnership with The Marshall Project, a nonprofit news organization covering the U.S. criminal justice system. Sign up for theirnewsletters, and follow them onTwitter, Instagram and Facebook.
During the 90-minute drive to the Harbor Light Complex transitional facility, Stewart and Ford talked about using the barber skills they learned in their teens as a way to support themselves and stay out of trouble for good.And they were able to beat the odds and land state-issued barber licenses, despite the many legal obstacles because of their convictions.
“Collateral consequences” are laws or policies that prevent people with criminal records from obtaining employment, certifications, education and more. The National Inventory of Collateral Consequences of Conviction listed over 1,600 consequences that bar such access due to a previous conviction stemming from 1,250 violations in Ohio on its database.
“I see employment as a necessary, but not a sufficient, condition,” Lopez said. “Employment by itself is not a panacea for helping someone change their life … they have to figure out why they want to change their life.” “You have to fully commit,” Ford said. “I had to get a third-shift job so I could go to school from 9 to 5.”
Even though 82% of the applications reviewed by Ohio courts over a nine-year period were approved, according to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, few completed the process. In 2021, just 17 certifications out of 22 court hearings were issued in Cuyahoga County, which points to a problem justice reform advocates say needs to be fixed — the certification process remains relatively unknown to many employers and potential applicants.
Zeke’s was an unofficial community center and resource for people who returned from prison. They could get advice and free haircuts before they saw their loved ones, a fresh shave, and sometimes, gently used professional clothes before a job interview. The shop was also a place where single mothers could bring their sons to get mentorship from other men through daily chess battles, or to have conversations about making good choices.
“We all understood the struggle,” said James “BJ” Moore, 48, a former barber at Zeke’s who now works as a delivery driver and part-time barber. “We just tried to do our part, in our own little way, because people deserve second chances.”
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