Training Manual |
Chat Archives | Training & the Prison System 2/25/02
Submitted by
neda on 04/08/2002
linda,ccsc just entered this room... Neda@DCCK just entered this
room... CARIPHX just entered this room...
From linda,ccsc: Welcome, all, I hope we can talk today about
training folks from the prison and courts. We have several agencies
we work with. With me is our Administrative Assistant, Nancy who has
done a stellar job of involving the prisons and courts. We train
folks from the city, county and federal prison systems. We have
people in both day and night who are on work release
From CARIPHX: I am new to this. How do you go about the
interview process when someone has done "time" for a violent crime,
such as rape, child molestation, etc
From linda,ccsc: some are currently incarcerated and some are
on probation. Our interview process is the same. One of the main
challenges is helping these folks get work with records like that
Tammy just entered this room...
From linda,ccsc: Hi, Tammy
From Tammy: Hi Linda vijchef just entered this room...
From CARIPHX: So then, you do take sex offenders in your
program? How has that worked?
From linda,ccsc: We find that we get a lot of support from
parole officers and so forth. For this reason this is a good group
to train actually dee56 just entered this room... From vijchef: Hi
everyone!
From linda,ccsc: so far that specific offense has not come up
From CARIPHX: what about the support from the public?
From Tammy: you also want to look at how long ago did this
crime happen.
From CARIPHX: Linda, Cathy from Phx says hello, and are you
going to the next project inc. in June?
From CARIPHX: We had a gentle man interview on Wed. he got
out of Prison on Sunday. He was in for 10 years an2me just entered
this room...
From Tammy: Did he get released to a half-way house or some
transitional program?
From CARIPHX: no, to his parents... he was around 18 at the
time of the offense, this was in 88, like I said he just got out a
week ago
From linda,ccsc: actually we don't get into the issue of a
particular offense, the public support is an issue I hope we can
work on today. This is a population very much in need of training
and a growing population. We find that the public often fears that
people are going back to welfare if they fail with us but in fact
many go back to survival as they know it. Our enemy is not welfare,
it is the streets
Submitted by
neda on 04/08/2002
From CARIPHX: When we send them out to the internship sites,
they are going to want to know From an2me: We find that the students
who come out of the prison system are more attentive, since they
have to answer to a parole officer and/or the terms of their rehab
center
From linda,ccsc: Nancy says we prescreen with the PO for
violent behavior
From CARIPHX: he has no PO , He served his FULL time. Plus
some From an2me: Do you ever have problems with confidentiality
From linda,ccsc: We strongly agree about the stronger support
with the parole officer. In fact we have parole officers at the
school dropping by and we welcome them
From Tammy: That is why it is important to have evaluations
or some type of assessment with the client but to also know your
network pool of employers. If they know your program they know you
are about second chances.
From CARIPHX: no
From Tammy: You always have your client sign a release of
information form.
From linda,ccsc: we do not publicize that a particular
student is on parole or is a felon and the parole officers are very
discrete. Usually the students choose to reveal their records
themselves
From CARIPHX: But when they start working at the internship
site, who may hire them, do you think they should know of the crimes
they have committed? especially a violent crime
From linda,ccsc: we have employers question us more about
people's addiction issues than records. Of course, we respect
confidentiality in all cases.
From CARIPHX: moreover, it will be asked on the app
From Tammy: We don't volunteer any information but if we know
an employer like, The Central Intelligence Agency, for us we can't
send clients with felonies there so we don't even set them up for
the disappointment. From an2me: I just had that discussion with a
student the other day, my advice is always to be honest about it
since a background search is usually done and if the employer is
misinformed, its grounds for dismissal.
Submitted by
neda on 04/08/2002
From linda,ccsc: we encourage our students to be honest at an
interview, they will need to answer the same questions that come up
just as they would if they were applying without our training. We
try to get a feel for the employer's policy before sending people.
Unfortunately, the positions we like our people to get , like
nursing homes and retirement centers, often will not hire felons,
though some will depending on the crime
From CARIPHX: what if they are not honest, we had that
problem, we sent him to a hospital setting, they wanted to hire him,
found out he was a sex offender, Do you do background checks on
everyone? We caught a lot of heat from that hospital, it took a long
time to build that relationship back up.
From Tammy: All you can do is stress the importance of
honesty and if they aren't then that is what will happen and ask him
how can he expect you to assist him with employment if he can't even
be honest with you.
From linda,ccsc: It is also very important to get the policy
straight, but we don't want someone to experience another failure.
We once had a graduate go to a retirement center, his felony was in
another county and he understood at the interview that that would
not count. He had been at work for three weeks, they were pleased
and so was he, but they let him go because of the out of county
felony. the last thing we want to do is to see a graduate hurt like
that
From Tammy: I am glad you were able to safe that relationship
with the hospital but most I hope he realized his missed opportunity
because of his dishonesty.
From CARIPHX: What is your interview process like?
From linda,ccsc: one thing about the parole system, honesty
is done for them!
From CARIPHX: he could have cared less, thats why we need to
be the honest ones
From linda,ccsc: we don't do police checks on each of them,
because we are charged a fee for record checks vijchef just left
this room...
From CARIPHX: do you think it is the kitchens responsibility,
since we are representing them?
From CARIPHX: most states, you can look up public record
Submitted by
neda on 04/08/2002
an2me just left this room...
From linda,ccsc: we are still charged to check records
From CARIPHX: the internet is a great place to start
From Tammy: It is the Kitchens responsibility to provide
services that are within your professional means. Anything outside
of that is really just extra support.
From CARIPHX: what does that mean?
From Tammy: If you have a network of support services that
may be able to help assist in different area's utilize them.
From CARIPHX: but if you are sending them to work, the CC is
representing them JaneKCCK just entered this room...
From linda,ccsc: I'd like to get back to the public awareness
thing. I think we all know that we are seeing more and more people
with records, the employers hiring off the street are experiencing
the same thing. What can we as advocates do to train and to help the
public see that most of the time these people deserve a chance to
prove their productivity and to become self-sufficient
From linda,ccsc: Hi, Jane dee56 just left this room...
From CARIPHX: Do you think people act differently to
different crimes?
From Tammy: of course they do.
From JaneKCCK: Hi, all. Sorry to be late. We just finished
serving. We do police checks on all our students and if they have
warrants, we encourage them to take care of them before getting ion
the class. Several have ended up going back to prison, but at least
it is behind them.
From CARIPHX: how can we educate when people do not accept
all crimes as being "equal"
From JaneKCCK: We have used nonviolent crimes as an
indicator.
From CARIPHX: what about rape, sexual assault, child
molestation
From JaneKCCK: We also like felons to be at least five years
from their crime
From linda,ccsc: I do think people react differently to
different crimes. I had one employer tell me to tell him the general
nature. He was pretty open minded and felt every one has a past. He
said drug related crimes he could accept. I think a lot of people
look at it that way Jane, do you want to tell us about your cast of
fugitives who pass through for free meals?
Submitted by
neda on 04/08/2002
an2me just entered this room...
From Tammy: They do look at drug charges as less of a danger,
so to speak, to there business.
From JaneKCCK: I agree with Linda. There is so much drug
usage in food service and as long as they can do their job not using
many food service employers will accept them. I know too much about
the lack of sexual and violent offenders, having very low rehab. The
people who eat here are in jail at least third of the time for
various reasons, but I am not putting those in the workforce unless
they meet out criteria.
From CARIPHX: please explain jane
From linda,ccsc: We have had some violent offenders, but
mostly the crimes still go back to active addiction. When people get
into recovery, t
From JaneKCCK: About rehab of violent offenders? One of my
board members was in social services and had some pretty scary
statistics.
From CARIPHX: yes
From linda,ccsc: Sorry, Jane, I was thinking about the
fugitives you told me about we were escaping and running accross the
country and happen to stop by your place for a meal.
From JaneKCCK: She worked primarily with sex offenders in
prison. an2me just left this room...
From linda,ccsc: when people get into recovery, they recover
from a lot things besides just substances
From CARIPHX: what were the stats?
From JaneKCCK: Oh, those guys..we've had several convicted
serial murderers that have eaten here. There is no way to screen
those out as our only criteria to eating here is they are civil to
other guests, our volunteers and staff. We work closely with the
police and mental health people.
From JaneKCCK: The stats I remember were less than 30%
recovery
From linda,ccsc: I encourage you again to get in touch with
city, county and federal prison systems and get their support
From CARIPHX: we need the support of the general public,
From JaneKCCK: I'm sorry can CARIPHX tell where you are from?
From CARIPHX: CC Phoenix, AZ
From linda,ccsc: we also work with the drug courts here.
People are offered the chance to recover or go to jail. We have
spoken at the drug court often and have had some successful. We find
that the courts, and prisons need us as much as we need them
Submitted by
neda on 04/08/2002
From JaneKCCK: We have drug courts here too and soon to have
mental health courts. I think they can be powerful allies.
From Tammy: CARIPHX can you tell me what your role is at cc
From CARIPHX: Employment specialist, social worker
From linda,ccsc: I don't think there is any debate that we
are not going to rehabilitate serial criminals, but there are so
many people we can help
From JaneKCCK: I agree Linda and we have had some great
students who really want to turn their lives around. As I said some
went back to prison to pay their debt to society
From CARIPHX: BUT, if you had a person walk in and want to
join the program, after serving 10 years, sexual assault on a child,
HOW WOULD YOU DEAL WITH IT?
From JaneKCCK: We would not take them
From linda,ccsc: in our current classes, we have three
students are actually increated, they actually go back in house at
night, one on parole and we are towards the end of the training for
these groups. /we are very pleased with these groups
From Tammy: We would not take him either but I would refer
him to services that specialized in that area.
From CARIPHX: This has been my main concern
From linda,ccsc: ditto what Tammy says
From JaneKCCK: Many of our women have been on parole. We have
had a difficult time communicating with the PO's for confidentiality
reasons, but we need to know how to help them so it becomes a catch
22
From linda,ccsc: CARIPHX, what is your percentage of offences
of this nature?
From CARIPHX: Many people referred to as not asking what the
crime was, I disagreed because of the severity of different crimes,
and if we do place them , we are representing them
From Tammy: If the client signs a release of information the
PO needs to comply.
From CARIPHX: have been running this for almost 2 years, this
is the 2nd one that we know of. We have been getting more and more
violent crime offenders
From JaneKCCK: So far that has not worked for us, but we
still try. The same is true of mental health participants, but we
have had better luck working with case managers
From linda,ccsc: I guess, I would have to just say we would
not take the person, do you feel the offender really wants to work
in Food Service?
From CARIPHX: I am not sure, he committed the crime when he
was around 18, he was in jail for 10, trial was about 3. worked with
food in the prison
Submitted by
neda on 04/08/2002
From JaneKCCK: He may have had fs experience in jail or in
the service and just want to get some practical help, but we still
could not take on that liability
From CARIPHX: I think this is touchy, not only because of the
nature, but the whole issue of discrimination
From linda,ccsc: Could you recommend some other type of aid
for him, Would it be possible for him to continue to work in prison
food service but as a civilian?
From CARIPHX: no,, they do not take convicted felons
From JaneKCCK: You are right about discrimination, but would
you want your child around someone with that background?
From CARIPHX: as silly as it sounds
From linda,ccsc: yeah, that is a bit silly!
From Tammy: it is not discrimination when you are looking at
the safety of your agency. and it is not that you are not offering
assistance. Just not at your facility but again were persons are
qualified in that area of service.
From CARIPHX: no not at all, that is why we think we need to
be truthful about what their felony is
From JaneKCCK: We have had the same experience with convicted
felons. Particularly with getting them housing. It is impossible!!
And that is not considered discrimination.
From linda,ccsc: I agree , but I think the issue is that you
decided not to admit him for the training and I guess the disclosure
is not an issue
From Tammy: cariphx when you get some time call me at DCCK.
my ext. is 105. Bye all!! Jane I hope to see ya in June!
From CARIPHX: I think it is very hard. Considering why we are
here
From linda,ccsc: I think it may be time to wrap up. Thank you
all for participating today. I cannot wait to see you all in Juen.
From JaneKCCK: I'll be there in June JaneKCCK just left this
room... Tammy just left this room...
From CARIPHX: thank you for your time to be open, I know it
is difficult
From CARIPHX: have great day
From linda,ccsc: You bet
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