First Time Convicted Felons

In 2001, I was convicted of my very first felony, ever. I thought that the way that the system was set up that you do your time and your debt to society is paid. Little does anyone who has not been convicted of a felony know that is bullshit. It does not matter if you have been convicted of your first felony or your third or your 10th. If you have a felony, chances are, you will not get hired anywhere. Only if you are really lucky will you get hired somewhere. Most likely though, it is at minimum wage or just barely above.

I have seen first hand what companies do when they find out that you have been convicted of a felony. They do not ask crucial questions pertaining to the fact that I have a felony. My answers are in brackets, but they could ask questions pertaining to it such as: 1) How many felonies do you have? [1] 2) What happened to casue this conviction? [I caught my best friend in bed with my then wife and beat the living crap out of him. It just happened that he was an off-duty police officer and Indiana does not believe in "crimes of passion," which this was in the eyes of Washington State.] 3) What did your sentencing consist of? [I was convicted of a Class C Felony, Battery on a law enforcement officer, resulting serious bodily injury. I was sentenced to eight years, six suspended and serve two. I was released after a year for good behavior. I was also given eight years probation. I was released from probation 50 months early because I not only completed the other terms of the sentence, but Washington State D.O.C. thought I was a "model Probationee" and was a waste of their time.] 4) What were the other terms of your sentence? [I had to be evaluated for a drug/alcohol problem. It was determined that I had no problems with them. I had to take a stress/anger management class, which I did within three months of being released from prison. I also had to pay my $20/month probationary fees to the State of Washington. I paid for the entire eight years of probation in advance, in one lump sum. I was told that I needed employment during my probation period. I started an online business where I was successful enough that I had plenty to pay rent, utilities and recreational expenses with. Unfortunately, Washington State D.O.C. wanted me to be employed by someone else, not for myself. So, after shutting down my successful internet business, I got a job working for a well established local company. I ended up taking a cut in pay, but I satisfied the D.O.C. requirement.] 5) How do you feel that you have moved up from that? [Well, I have fulfilled more of my life's goals in the past 7-1/2 years than I did in the previous 10 years. I am a published poet, soon to have a second book of poetry out. I am currently working on a work of fiction, National Treasure meets Indiana Jones type storyline. I am currently working on getting my internet business going again. I have my own car now, as opposed to relying on others or the transit system. I have material things that I feel is essential to my business and to my personal life.]

These are the questions that I would like to hear from a potential employer. I would then know, in my heart, that there is actually one employer in the world who gives a rat's ass about giving us convicted felons a chance at actually being productive members of society once again. We can only be that, productive members of society, if we are given a chance.

Now I understand that employers are less likely to give a repeat offender a chance, but a first-time felon, such as myself, come on people! Employers ahve to realize that not all convicted felons are the same. Just because they might have had a bad experience after hiring one convicted felon, do not mean that all convicted felons are the same! Hell, I know I am nowhere near being like some other convicted felons. But I am treated the same.

So, in closing, the felon's debt to society is never paid while society screens potential employees and discriminates us all as being "bad apples." Our debt to society in today's day and age is still owed and we shall continue to pay for the rest of our natural lives.