At 15 years old, I was sentenced to 18 years to life in prison.
I served 16 of those years.
When I was released in January of 2008, I wanted more than anything to stand on my own two feet and build a new life. Like many Ohioans with a record, I found countless doors closed to me. I spent a year fruitlessly looking for work. If it weren’t for my halfway house, I would have been homeless too. Ohioans who have a past felony or misdemeanor conviction make up 16% of Ohio’s available workforce. We are a mostly untapped resource, locked out of opportunities to work and move ahead.
As a member of TimeDone Ohio, I am part of a movement of people with past records. We share resources to navigate a new, better life. We are also working with lawmakers to pass legislation to simplify record sealing for eligible Ohioans who have served their time and have no further encounters with the justice system.
Currently, record sealing petitions in Ohio are complex and limited. Record sealing should be expanded, especially for those who have long been out of the system, and record sunsetting – or phased removal of restrictions for people with records – should be automatic for low-level misdemeanor offenses.
I have been lucky. People took a chance and believed in me, and I have been able to find some stability. I work as a re-entry coordinator and substance abuse counselor. I help people leaving prison find the right treatment and resources to overcome substance abuse and not return to prison.
I work with men and women across Ohio, some of whom have been out of prison for decades, who are trying so hard to get back on their feet.
Sadly, more than 1,600 restrictions in our state prevent them from doing so.
Lack of opportunity for secure employment, education, and credit all make housing more difficult for people with a past record. The struggle to find and keep stable housing is by far the most pressing issue for people post-conviction. With a past record, I have found it incredibly difficult to sign an apartment lease, let alone to buy a house. I have known many people to lose hope, relapse in their substance abuse, return to prison, and even lose their lives over lack of stable housing.
For parents leaving the system, the challenges are even greater. Imagine trying to regain custody of your children without stable housing. Imagine doing everything you can to raise your child in a safe, loving environment but always knowing the threat of homelessness looms because of barriers to finding and keeping a home. These systems don’t just hold us back, they often lock our families into poverty, making it harder to escape cycles of crime and victimization for generations.
I chose the work I do to pay it forward and give back just as I was given a second chance. The path hasn’t been easy, but by helping others build stronger families and communities and participate in our economy, we are ensuring a brighter future for everyone.
At some point, we must decide that Ohio will be a better state when everyone has opportunities to live safe, stable lives. When Ohioans with old records are truly given a second chance, we all win.
Artise Anderson is the Ohio Chapter Coordinator for TimeDone – a project of the Alliance for Safety and Justice – and a Reentry Coordinator for the Mansfield Urban Minority Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Outreach Program.
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