Hi my name is Taylor Evans and I am on the team with Prison Professors.
When people are going through their court cases the focus is usually surrounding how long of a sentence will the individual be serving. Most of the time people aren’t thinking about the collateral damage that their injustice has caused.
Michael and Justin share in this video their experiences dealing with people’s mentalities during their incarceration. They share that most inmates are so focused on how unfairly they were treated or how messed up the prison is, all the things that hinder them from moving forward and achieving success.
That is why Michael and Justin created this video, to bring awareness to people that more than likely you will have a life after prison to think about, and the earlier you put a plan in place to achieve success in life after lockup.
The first aspect of collateral damage Justin and Michael discuss is finding employment. Getting a job is much more difficult with a criminal record, so Justin and Michael share that it is important to adjust expectations. Sometimes you might have to take a job that may be a step back for you, but understand it helps you progress with probation, it builds self-value, and you are generating income.
My first job after incarceration was something I had done in my first job out of college, but it was a great experience, I generated income, and most importantly my probation officer was happy.
Michael and Justin talk about creating and executing a five-year plan, understanding that the first job you receive upon incarceration is the hardest job to get, and it is also not your dream job but more of a foot back in Corporate America’s door.
People tend to overlook the fact that they will have a life after prison. No matter what stage you are in in your journey to earning freedom, I would highly recommend coming up with a plan to find employment after incarceration, put some funds away in a savings account so you can have some financial freedom so you can be a bit more selective in your job search, and continue to nurture your current network and connect and network with professionals that you do not know who could be potential advocates for you.
