A Meeting With Pathways to True Freedom
It can be easy to focus on the barriers that justice-impacted individuals face during re-entry — and to feel that these barriers are daunting. However, during our conversation, Devord J. Allen, co-founder of Pathways to True Freedom, was also able to proudly highlight wins that his program participants have experienced, including finding jobs and having records expunged — often after decades of fighting for this. As Allison noted, this helps restore a sense of dignity. And, Devord added that it underscores the importance of remembering that we are all more than what we have done.
In our conversation, Devord J. Allen, the co-founder of Pathways to True Freedom, and I had the opportunity to talk about the organization’s expungement clinics and how these clinics can help break down barriers to employment and housing for justice-impacted individuals. Devord also highlighted how a small amount of resources — something as simple as a bus card or stipends for lunch — can make the difference between success and failure in the complex re-entry process.
During our conversation with Devord J. Allen, co-founder of Pathways to True Freedom, I had the privilege of speaking to two justice-impacted individuals who have participated in the organization’s programming. Zone of the participants, Shemeika, shared some of the challenges that she encountered after serving a 65-day sentence. But, with persistence — and the help of Pathways — she has emerged on the other side of her experience doing work to help other impacted individuals find sustainable jobs.
Shemeika courageously detailed her experiences with the criminal justice system and the downward spiral in her life circumstances — including temporary homelessness and joblessness — when a public defender convinced her to take a plea agreement. She is currently working to have her record pardoned so that these charges will no longer negatively impact her and her family, and she is eagerly awaiting a hearing date with The Minnesota Clemency Review Commission.
Often when we think about the obstacles that justice-impacted individuals face, we think about challenges, such as finding employment or affordable housing. But, often the challenges that the family members of impacted individuals face are glossed over. Robert, a participant in Pathways to True Freedom, talked about how this has personally touched his family, including his toddler daughter who was born while he was incarcerated, as well as his girlfriend, mother, and sisters. Robert’s experience underscores the importance of thinking about re-entry challenges holistically. Organizations, like Pathways to True Freedom, understand the importance of this.
It was my pleasure to talk to Robert, a young man who is justice-impacted and has been participating in mentoring and other programming with the Twin Cities-based organization Pathways to True Freedom. Robert highlighted how important mentorship has been in navigating re-entry challenges and pointing him to resources and opportunities. Robert has recently successfully completed OSHA-10 certification, which he hopes will give him a leg up for stable, well-paying construction jobs.
During my conversation with Devord J. Allen, co-founder of Pathways to True Freedom, we were able to delve into some stunning statistics related to the criminal justice system — including the annual cost of incarceration and the disproportionately high percentage of men of color who are incarcerated in the United States. Even though I know these numbers on an intellectual level, hearing them out loud is always a wake up call to me that we — including stakeholders with power and influence in the criminal justice system — need to do better. And, even though “better” has some degree of subjectivity, it is important to remember — as Devord so wisely articulated — the people that his organization are helping are not looking for a handout. They are looking for a hand up.
One of the interesting topics that Devord J. Allen, co-founder of Pathways to True Freedom, and I touched on during our conversation was the role of public defenders in the criminal justice system. Many of these public defenders are swamped and lack the time or energy to truly get to know and advocate for their clients.And, often, defendants do not understand the system or what is happening to them. From public defenders and defendants to prosecutors, there is a lack of full understanding of the collateral consequences of guilty pleas. And, this can have devastating impacts on justice-impacted individuals.
The good news is though there are opportunities for change if we come together as a community.
For more information about how it truly takes a village to transform the criminal justice system, check out our YouTube channel https://lnkd.in/e3KEC9gd and visit Pathways’ site, https://lnkd.in/eKGweXFv
