Story Quoted from Fresh Start Coalition

“I’ve been applying myself and I’ve been going to interviews and then when it comes down to a background check, that’s when they start asking me questions about what happened and they act very suspicious about the explanation I’m giving them, right? I have to explain that I have a mental illness, that I incurred these charges because of my delusional state of mind, it wasn’t me at the time. I’ve been trying my best to maintain good mental health since and trying to obtain some meaningful employment ever since.”

Being a person with mental health challenges and a criminal record means experiencing “stigma on top of that stigma,” Tareq said.

Tareq moves between despair at the obstacles he faces and recommitting himself to hope, to his health, and to renewing his search for an employer willing to give him a chance. “I think if I had access to the job market it would significantly improve my mental health and current state of mind. It would allow me to go into the workforce, be a contributing member of society on a daily basis, and I think I wouldn’t relapse as much.”

“A criminal background check shouldn’t be the end-all, it shouldn’t be what defines me as a human being. It shouldn’t define me or the skill set that I have to offer in terms of performing at a job,” he said.

Story from Fresh Start Coalition

“Pretty much every time my criminal record comes up, when it’s pertaining to employment, I usually have a full-on meltdown for a couple of days where I’m crying in bed,” Kimberly said. “I go into shutdown mode, because I know I have to talk about my personal life again. I’ve got to talk about the things that I’ve worked so hard to socially overcome, mentally overcome, physically overcome. And every time, it’s right back on my doorstep.”

For Kimberly, having a clean criminal record means greater financial security and an end to the shame, humiliation and fear around job searching. But most important is the message it sends to her children. She lost custody of them when they were young, but has built a great relationship with them now.

“All of this tells my girls a story as far as I’m concerned. …It doesn’t matter where you go or what you’ve done, you can always change it,” Kimberly said. “That’s a huge lesson that I want my children to know. That because they ended up being in the system, it doesn’t mean we have to allow that to control the rest of our lives. We don’t have to be system kids for the rest of our lives.”

Story Quoted from Fresh Start Coalition

Scott said having his record cleared would allow him to work and improve his quality of life. “I’d love to get a new vehicle so I can start being able to see my daughter,” he said. He’d also like to date again.

“I’ve got no money to spare to go out on a date and take someone out and to enjoy my life and to move on with my life with someone else, and start feeling good about myself,” he said. “I just don’t feel good about myself. I feel terrible. …I’d rather die than live the way I am, to be honest. It’s ridiculous.”

Being unemployed for so long because of his record, “You feel like you’re being punished more than you should,” Scott said. “You’ve done your time. You’ve done everything, and it should be removed to allow people to get back on with their life. If they start up or if things happen again, then you go after them. But people should be entitled to make one mistake in their life.

“I’ve always worked. I’ve worked hard and I do my best at work.” Without being able to get beyond his criminal record, Scott said, “You just give up, you lose hope.”