Metta's story: Ex-Cons

LOGAN—many hurdles face ex-convicts attempting to re-enter society. Jobs, housing and prejudice all fall very near the top of this list.

According to the Report of the Re-entry Policy Council, about two out of every three people released from prison in the U.S. are re-arrested within three years of their release. There are over 11million men and women in the U.S. criminal justice system, so that means that of those 11million, over 7million will return.

All the experts will tell you, most ex-cons will be repeat offenders and re-enter the pen at one point or another. If you talk to these people and ask them what they think, they could give you a million reasons why they might go back to prison, but most of them don’t want to.
The challenges facing ex-cons when they attempt to reenter society are surmountable. When entering the prison system, they have committed a crime, and they are locked up by our society in an attempt to punish them, a ‘time-out’ if you will. They spend their years thinking about their mistakes, regretting being in the wrong place at the wrong time, working for pennies a day in the prison laundry room or kitchen, reading, eating, sleeping, reading, eating, sleeping… over and over, day in, day out.

Some try to better themselves by taking advantage of the few resources available, for instance there is high school diploma programs, further education, college courses, some even have technology training.

When trying to re-enter the town where he grew up, Dallas Derrick, 27, of Logan, has found no welcoming committee. He was terminated, meaning he served his full sentence and released with no parole, and immediately began trying to find a job. Derrick applied at businesses all over town and was turned down repeatedly including by the Logan Taco Time. “What was I supposed to do? Nobody would give me a chance.” said Derrick. He was beginning to lose hope, when his brother pulled some strings at his own company and was able to get him hired.

The task is no easier for Derrick in attempting to find a place to live. Single and without children, he has been looking at apartments all over town in an effort to find a place to call home. He has filled out numerous applications, and they all seem interested in renting to him until they meet him face to face. “People just can’t see past it” Derrick said about his time spent in jail. Derrick has a strong face and pale blue eyes, his head is shaved and he has a tattoo on the right side of his neck that says ‘Dillon’ the name of his son he never sees. He has other tattoos, but they are usually covered up by his clothing.

The same is not so true for Jeff Schirado, 31, of Boise, Idaho. He is covered from head to toe with tattoos and they are not so easily covered. He has them on his scalp, neck, arms, fingers, all the way down his body. Schirado spent 11 years in the Utah State Penitentiary before being released in September of 2005. He was released with partial parole and put out on the streets with nothing, not even his clothes. He was given someone else’s clothing and not even change for a phone call. He wandered the streets of Ogden, Utah, which is where he was released from and was lucky enough to find a convenience store clerk who let him make a collect call to his brother who lived two hours away.

Schirado had to request approval from his parole officer to move to Boise, where his family, the only source of help he had, was living. "I wish there were more programs to help released convicts." Schirado said. Once his approval came through, he was expected to get a job right away. As in Derrick’s case, Schriado didn’t have much more luck. He also applied at many places around Boise and was turned down repeatedly, only he was faced with the very real possibility that if he did not get a job, he could go back to jail. “Being in jail that long changes a person, I don’t really like being around too many people anymore” Schirado said. He eventually found a job working for the county.