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This is a great question. As an ex-offender there are a myriad of obstacles along the path to employment. Having a criminal record is so frowned upon in our society that answering "Yes" to the ubiquitous application question usually means an automatic 86 of your candidacy. I knew this going in (or getting out), that's why I made enrolling in college upon release a priority. I knew that a college education would effectively reduce the negative effects of my criminal record. Also to my advantage, the magazine journalism industry doesn't routinely ask about your background. If you demonstrate the experience and ability to do the job, you're qualified. That's not to say I didn't have the doors of major companies slam in my face when I informed them of my background. I did. Big time. It was disappointing, but never discouraging. I knew it could happen, so I always pressed on to the next one because I knew I was a good journalist. I also knew that the more I built up my resume, and the further I got away from my incarceration, the more it would become a non-issue.
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Good question, one that I get a lot from women. All of the women I've dated have been completely shocked when they learn I've been to prison. Fortunately, none of them disassociated me for it. I'm not sure if it's because women like a professional man with a touch of edge or what. Honestly I think it's because my incarceration is so far behind me. I've built up an extended track record since then that's positive.
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I was incarcerated for a total of six years.
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I got started in writing initially by keeping journals in prison or what I later hoped would be my book. That was a good way to hone my love and craft of writing. Afterwards I enrolled in college for journalism, worked newspaper internships and got my first jobs at Blaze and The Source magazines once I graduated. The rest is history. So I'd advise your brother to ignore his teachers/friends and just write.
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For me the catalyst began in prison when I read tons of biographies on the lives of black men i.e. Langston Hughes, W.E.B. DuBois, James Baldwin, Richard Wright, etc. Their stories gave me a sense of relation to who I was and what I was capable of. The rest came from me falling back on the positive values I was taught within my family.
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Dating a man in prison is tough for both people, but especially the woman because she's doing a lot of heavy lifting for the dude, i.e. writing letters, driving miles to visit, putting money on his books, etc. Years ago when I was in, my gf was trooper with me for 6 months when she decided she just couldn't do it anymore. I respected her for her decision because I understood.
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Joel Randell’s Bio
Magazine editor, reality TV newbie, and author of Razor Horizon: My Curious Journey from Jail to Celebrity Journalism. Walk with me.
