Story Type: Your Stories

From Temp to Permanent – Learning the hard way, but still persevering

I had my disciplinary meeting the day before yesterday. At the end of the meeting I was offered the chance to resign rather than face dismissal and for the good of my “Permanent Record”, I took it. All I had to do was write out; “I (my name) hereby resign with immediate effect (date)”.

It was a simple call centre job-inbound- that involved taking calls from policy holders with the company, whose business is to supply warranties for white and brown goods. Following the 3 week training period, I would be taking calls and providing the customers with the details they needed to activate their warranties, which would include providing them with the pertinent repair firm details and reassuring them that a replacement would be provided if worst came to worst. There was also an element of upselling. The upsell was more warranties, the theory being that as the consumer was seeing their warranty in action, it would be the optimum time to offer them further cover for their treasured household appliances. Strike while the iron is hot, if you’ll excuse the appliance-related pun.

The job only paid around 14k per annum basic wage (20-25 ote) , and I had once upon a time vowed never to work in any vaguely sales-oriented job again, but the fact that I had been offered a permanent role at a large reputable firm really made me feel that I could maybe start living a normal life. Perhaps I really could firmly put my past in its place.

I have served three prison sentences. The first one was for 8 months (served 4) when I was 19. The fact that I had not been able to join the army for 7 years, and was prevented from many other forms of employment – after that ridiculous blip had been the source of endless frustration and despondency on my part. I had again and again found dead ends when seeking to further my career and my personal development and eventually, being a callow youth, had given up and resigned myself to a life on benefits. The hopelessness of this predicament had eventually led to me once again serving another sentence, seven years later, of 9 months (served 4.5) at the age of 26. Neither of these offences involved violence, and both were the direct result of imbibing too much alcohol and various other substances, and the wanton behaviour that resulted.

Upon release in the summer of 2009, I tried my upmost to get a basic minimum wage job in a kitchen porter type role in my small town, but my reputation preceded me and after applying for all of the jobs I could, I eventually ended up marooned on benefits and descending once again into drink and drug problems. And this time opiates were starting to make an appearance in the mix, making me feel more creative and less depressed despite the worsening situation. Of course that is testament to the delusory ability opiates have, making it possible to sleepwalk into a life of living death.

Eventually I got the big sentence. 5 Years. However this time things did change. I had been hoping for a bit of a stretch in which to truly get myself sorted out; get the degree; get fit, get off the fags, the booze and the drugs. However I hadn’t anticipated it to coming about in the messy way it did, falling out with friends, one of whom picking up some nasty injuries thanks to me. Once again the whole situation had run away from me, seemingly snowballing and acquiring a terrible momentum of its own. I felt terrible. But after a period of lying in my cell in a blue funk of lament and melancholy for a few weeks, it began to dawn on me that this was the chance I had to really change things.

During the sentence I did the education bit acquiring nearly 120 credits toward a degree with the open university on a part time course, gained various NVQ’s at level 2 and 3, wrote a lot, gave up smoking, got fit and started meditating. I avoided drugs and even got my own prison radio show! It seemed like I had finally grown up.

I got out and worked numerous menial and temp jobs. My sentence plan and probation all went well and I found a modest house share in which to live. After a year of being out the chance of a permanent role came up and I jumped at it. I even turned down another job for it, temp, but with a good chance of becoming permanent and at a company I had enjoyed working at before , in order to take up the offer.

My heart hit the floor when I opened the email which required me to submit 6 years of address history, 3 years of work history etc. I was being comprehensively vetted for a simple call centre role and had absolutely not anticipated such a thing happening. This was a big faux pas on my part. Naturally I had omitted to mention my prison sentence on my CV, but crucially I had also skipped over the criminal record information bit on the application form. This was of course my fault for lying, but what could I do? They wouldn’t have given me a second chance if they would have seen the details of my offence, and I didn’t expect the Spanish Inquisition for such a mundane position, a position for which they wouldn’t have taken a first glance at my history if I was temping.

The obvious course of action seemed to be just not showing up to the permanent role and see if I could somehow salvage the temp one that I had turned down. However my friends, family and girlfriend made a good case for coming clean. This seemed like a noble idea, and I did really like the idea of working at the place. ‘ So’ I thought, ‘when I go in on Monday, perhaps if I just let the HR lady know there is a bit of a blemish on my record, then they will just appreciate my candidness and let it slide’.

I’m not sure where this blinding flash of wishful thinking came from, as I am normally quite cynical. But clearly I should have just gone with my original ‘cut and run’ plan.

Following the disciplinary meeting, in which the HR people were ever so nice and supportive, providing encouragement and best wishes for the future after accepting my resignation, I got back in touch with the agency. The chap I worked with at the agency (who had now also found out about my past) had promised me that in this eventuality, he would help me find more temp work. However I now haven’t heard from him in days. The same goes for the other agency who I clearly alienated by taking the permanent job over their temp one. Safe to say next time I will most likely put something in the criminal record declaration part of the application form.

I am tired and frustrated and back to square one. Luckily I still have some menial shifts at a restaurant. It’s back to hard work, anti-social hours, little pay, peeling hands and greasy skin. However this set back is not driving me back to wanton oblivion and abandonment of hope, such as set me back all the other times in my life. I have a nice girl who seems to like me for who I am, and a job at least, regardless of its mind-numbing dead-endedness. All I can do is persevere. Persevere and hope that it pays off.

By Valerie (name changed to protect identity)

DBS checks ruin lives

Our eldest son texted us this morning with the great news that after a lot of hard searching he had been offered a job, as a dental technician. An hour or so later he followed this up with the devastating news that the offer had had to be withdrawn as his DBS check showed that he had been convicted and given a conditional discharge for carrying a bladed object quite a few years ago now.

This ‘bladed object’ was a tiny penknife at the bottom of his rucksack that he used the dig any stones out of his skateboard wheels. To give you some idea of how innocuous it was; he won it at a children’s seaside arcade a few years before, when we were on a camping holiday. Although the blade was only 2 ½ inches long it locked and this led the police to charge him. Being away I was not able to attend court and to my horror he pleaded guilty. Although the offence is ‘spent’ it remains on his record forever and I am sure that this is not the last life opportunity that will be denied him because of it.

Young people lives are being blighted forever due to the most minor infringement of laws they probably have no idea they are even breaking. My son is very shy, quiet and the last person you ever suspect of being a ‘criminal’. I have just spoken to the man who offered him the job and he was very sad not to be able to take him on as he was ‘ideal’ for the job. Apparently the General Dental Council will not register anyone with a conviction like this, no matter how minor or that it is ‘spent’.

By Mike* (name & details changed to protect identity)

I am not my conviction – I am a good man

Over the last 15 months I have faced up to some harsh realities. Through my crimes I failed as a father, husband, son, brother and friend. I hurt the one’s I love and I will have to live with that forever. I have been honest with myself, admitting what I did was wrong and with help, I am understanding why I went wrong. But everything that has happened to me, is my fault.

Mid last year, I was released from prison, and that was the first new day of my new life.

I will not forget what I did and the hurt I caused to the people I love. With the support I have and my faith I am looking forward to rebuild my life, I know it will be a path with obstacles in the way, but forward I will go, never to offend again. I have a second chance and I will not falter.

However, I owe society nothing. For 23 years of my working life I helped to protect the people of my county. What I did was wrong, but when I was not committing my crimes, I was a good man. I like many other in life made a big mistake, but how long does society punish us for it?

Why when my crime did not involve driving, does my car insurance go up from £200 – £600 pounds a year. Insurance companies may say, what I did shows a lack of judgement and error, which could come out in bad driving. Rubbish, for the 3 years I was committing my crimes, I did not have one accident. It did not effect my driving. Insurance companies discriminate against people with convictions. What they are saying is, “all people with convictions that are not spent are bad drivers, therefore have to pay more”. That is ridiculous and discriminatory.

I was guilty of my crimes, I admitted that guilt at court and was sentenced to prison as punishment for that crime. I have now paid my dues to society, now it has to let me get on.

Now you should say why should society let me get on?

Because society thinks it is forgiving and will give second chances. I am sure most of society if they make a mistake, hope they are judged on their life as a whole, not the small period they offended. Therefore Society has to practise what it preaches.

Therefore employers should not refuse you a job just because you have a conviction. As Unlock say, there is a vast pool of experience out there, that is disregarded, because people see a conviction and not the person.

I am not my conviction, I am a good man.

Also the only difference between me and other men is I made a mistake. One day it could be them making the mistake and asking for a second chance. Best society is made aware now that the majority of society is unforgiving and there are no second chances. Perhaps that would help to reduce crime if Society knew the truth.

That’s why in my new life I will assist and help charities like Unlock and other organisations to spread the word. That a convicted person is not a bad person, they are someone who made a mistake. Tomorrow a friend or family member or you could make a mistake. How would you feel if you were judged on you conviction, and not as the person you are?

Let them who have not sinned, throw the first stone. If you pick that stone up and throw it. Remember, it could come back to you!

By Brian (name changed to protect identity)

Finding my place in the world through volunteering at Unlock

I was convicted of a serious offence towards the end of 2013. As a result, I lost my job, my reputation and my self-esteem and I attempted suicide during the police investigation. My wife, my family and most of my friends stood by me, but I had lost many things that were important to me. After several unsuccessful job applications I thought I would never work again.

Unlock advertised for volunteers in Spring 2014 and, having used the helpline and the information hub, I decided to apply. I was invited for interview and Chris, Debbie and the rest of the team were very welcoming.

I got the job and worked two days each week doing administrative work in the office. Chris and Debbie could see that I had much to offer and I set to work on a list of tasks that they had wanted to do but never found the time.

As well as enjoying the work, I also enjoyed the social interaction in the office and I enjoyed putting on a shirt and trousers and travelling to work each day. I felt normal again!

I think I made a positive contribution to the work of Unlock in the time I was there, but the best thing for me personally was when Debbie asked me to represent Unlock at a training workshop in London. I travelled up on the train, took part in the discussion, made some new contacts and came back with some useful information. This might seem strange, but it made such a difference to how I felt about myself. These were things that I did all the time in my old job, but now I felt normal again and part of the working world. Yes, I could still do it!

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I was offered permanent paid employment a short time later. An old friend with his own business had a vacancy, he knew I could do a job for him and knew that I was trying hard to help myself.

However, I had “unfinished business” at Unlock. Chris and Debbie had been very good to me and I could not let them down. I did one day a week for a few weeks after I started my new job and finished off some work that I wanted to finish for Unlock.

I hope you will see from the above that Unlock helped me to find my place in the world after a very traumatic experience. They helped me to get back to work, but more than that I also made some new friends. We have kept in touch and I intend to keep it that way.

Thank you Unlock!

By Dave* (name changed to protect identity)

Is honesty the best policy after you’re arrested?

So far, I haven’t got a criminal record. I’ve been arrested, I’m under investigation by the police and I’m on bail. I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future, I’ve been told different things by the police and my solicitor so I’ll just have to wait and see. As a result of my arrest, I lost my job which has had a massive impact on the family income and also on my self-confidence.

I know that the police investigation can go on for a while and I realised a little while ago that I couldn’t just sit around waiting for things to happen to me. I needed to get some purpose back into my life, a reason to get up in the morning and more importantly – a salary.

A couple of weeks ago, I managed to find a new job in a sales office. Not my dream job but at least I was earning and not just sitting around at home. The working hours didn’t conflict with the time I needed to sign on for bail so it all looked good.

I’d been working there for about a week when the Managing Director approached me. He’d seen my CV, noticed that I had a finance background and asked me if I would consider becoming his accountant . This came as such a shock that I told him I needed to have a think about it and would let him know.

I went home, spoke with my family and decided that I could:-

Say nothing and take him up on his offer
Say nothing, decline his offer and continue in the job I was doing
Tell him the truth

I picked the 3^rd option although I knew that legally I didn’t have to say anything – after all, I haven’t been charged with anything.

Unfortunately, the next day the MD wasn’t in but one of the supervisors was and she asked me whether I had made a decision. Well, I took the bull by the horns and told her the truth. She looked pretty shocked, told me it was the first she had heard of this and said that as the MD wasn’t around I should go home. She said she’d speak to him over the weekend and would give me call to let me know ‘what they were going to do with me!’

I worried about it all over the weekend and a week later I still hadn’t been contacted. I had convinced myself that they didn’t want me back. Although I knew that I’d done nothing wrong, I didn’t really want to work somewhere that I wasn’t wanted. I’d tried to be honest, I’d made a stupid mistake but it seemed that honesty just didn’t pay.

Well, the following week the MD rang me. He wanted to know lots of details about the case (it was pretty intensive stuff and I got really upset as I was explaining it to him) and he told me that ‘although it wasn’t a deal breaker for him’, he would need to seek further advice and would get back to me with his decision.

Great news – he did come back to me. He told me that I was wasted in the sales office and that he wanted to offer me a more admin type of role. He actually created a new job especially for me and I am absolutely loving it. I’m so relieved that I’ve got a job without having to fear that somebody will find out or I may say the wrong thing. I’ve certainly got a job up until my court case and, all being well, I’ll get some sort of community order which will mean that I can carry on working when all this is over.

Just goes to show, there are employers out there that are willing to give people a second chance and I’ll be doing everything I can to repay the trust that has been placed in me.

By Hannah* (name changed to protect identity)

Developing success from failure

My world came crashing down in November 2010 when I was given a 33 month prison sentence. I had never been in trouble before and the reality that I would be spending time at Her Majesty’s pleasure started to dawn on me. The first few weeks in were naturally hard, I missed both family and friends along with my freedom. I had decided from the outset that this would be my one and only time behind bars.

I’d be the first to admit I was never academically gifted, so decided to use my time in gaining some qualifications and certificates. I tried my hand at bricklaying, a bit of plastering here and there and plumbing. This wasn’t for me though, so I decided to speak to the prison education department. I then discovered the Open University, a way of me gaining a degree without the need to attend university full time. I successfully applied to the Prisoners Education Trust for a grant to cover the course fees and enrolled onto a business course.

It was now March 2012, time to be released and I was nervous to say the least. My accommodation had fallen through 3 weeks earlier due to outside interference. Fortunately I had been communicating with my probation officer in the weeks leading up to my release and alternative accommodation had been sourced. I found myself in a hostel, not a million miles away from home but in a town I knew nobody.

I had worked all of my adult life and long-term unemployment was not on the agenda. I knew my conviction would go against me, but determined as ever I secured interviews for a wide range of jobs. I eventually signed with an agency in May 2012 and left the hostel for rented accommodation. The next 18 months saw me work tirelessly to make ends meet. Throughout this period I continued to apply for permanent positions without success, all but one stating my criminal conviction made me a ‘risk’ to employ.

It was now September 2013; I was off licence and was enjoying more freedom. I had applied for and was successful in my application to a family manufacturing company. At last I had that security of a permanent job behind me. The HR Manager said to me after I disclosed my criminal conviction, “As a business we have an obligation to employ a range of people who make up the local community, and those with criminal convictions, whether spent or unspent, fall within this category”.

I married my long-term girlfriend in June 2014 and we are now planning for the future. I am now halfway to completing a degree in Business and Environmental Management. To cap it all off, I have an interview next week for a management position at the family manufacturing company.

Dale Carnegie once quoted “Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success.”

By Paul*

Banning the Box and the Demands for Disclosure – Part 1

It’s a sobering thought when you’re sat there, faced with three strangers you’ve never met: the panel at your job interview has more information about your criminal record than a jury would if you were on trial. And, in a capitalist economy where we all have to earn a living, employers are every bit as powerful an influence on your life as judges.

In a criminal trial, the jury is not allowed to know if you have a previous conviction. This is to make sure they aren’t prejudiced against you so that you get a fair trial. Research with mock juries has shown that jurors are likely to believe a defendant guilty if they know the defendant has been convicted a similar crime in the past. So it’s probable that interview panels are more likely to believe people with convictions might commit a crime while they’re employing them if they know about previous convictions. But, with one in five unemployed people having a criminal record, how are they supposed to get a fair interview if they’ve already had to disclose their convictions to the potential employer on their application form?

Some employers make sure that interview panels aren’t shown your disclosure so that they aren’t prejudiced. Many do not. And many small firms don’t have an HR dept., it’s just the boss, your application form, you and your record. So it’s impossible to remove prejudice. And that’s exactly why ‘Ban the Box’ action is crucial.

The practice of employers seeking a disclosure is very common, according to one survey carried out for British Industry in the Community (BITC) it’s a staggering 73%. In response, one year ago, BITC supported by Nacro, Unlock and others, launched the UK’s own Ban the Box campaign, #bantheboxuk.

The idea is to work with employers to get them to remove the criminal convictions question (‘the box’) from application forms and only ask about convictions at a later stage in the process – this varies depending on the employer, but many instead ask at interview.

So, imagine being in an interview in your forties and being quizzed about the worst and most stupid thing you did in your teens. Does that seem like a reasonable interview question to you? No? Well, that’s exactly the kind of situation people with convictions face every day.

Emotionally, it can be a truly gruelling process. Even the most well-meaning of employers, like charities who work with the disadvantaged, walk you back through the worst time in your life, get you to talk about what was going on for you at the time, assess your level of regret and remorse then thank you very much for your honesty and show you the door. If they don’t give you the job, there was absolutely no need for them to put you through that or for them to have that information. It’s an invasion of privacy of the highest order, and many people who’ve been through it never again seek work from employers who behave that way.

If employers ask about records on application, it means everyone who applies needs to make a disclosure, even though only one person – the successful candidate – ever really needs to. All the other applicants and interviewees are just members of the public with no legal obligation to disclose or undergo a DBS check. Their offending isn’t relevant to the employer because they are not employed, and are not going to be. So they should be able to exit the recruitment process with their privacy and dignity intact, shouldn’t they?

This is Part 1. More to follow….

You can read more about Ban the Box at http://www.bitc.org.uk/programmes/ban-box

Embassy interview to travel to the US

I had visa interview this morning (Paris Embassy) and was granted. Passport coming back end of week. My record – 2 arrests – 1 caution for D&D in 2005, 1 for ABH in 2010 which resulted in 10-week tag, 260 hours community service, £400 fine from Magistrates.

I applied for B1/B2 visa from US Embassy in Paris, as currently at university in France. Filled in standard visa application, whereby I declared both caution and conviction. I also got ACPO certificate but this is not mandatory for visas from France. Booked appointment online, and turned up with confirmation of payment, Stamped Addressed Envelope, photos, etc.

Arrived at 0730 (smartly dressed in suit and tie!), given a number, and gave all docs for registration. about 20 mins later, was called to a screen with US immigration officer. There was no private room, just a rank of booths not unlike a bank branch. She asked me what I was doing in France, what I wanted to go to the US for, and how was I going to finance it. I gave her a copy of my uni course confirmation, and my bank statements.

She then asked me to give more detail about the 2 arrests / convictions which I did, and also handed over the ACPO certificate. After she tapped away on a computer for a bit, she then said “I just have to go and check something”, and 5 minutes later she came back and said, “Everything is fine, and you’ll get your passport back with the visa in 2-3 days”.

Total time at Embassy – 1 hour. Obviously there will be some minor procedural differences between Paris and London, but the key takeaway is that the system can work, and the bureaucracy not be so bad. Clearly it’s not all quite there, as I won’t believe the final hurdle is overcome until I set foot on American soil. It’s a major weight off my mind, however.

I tried again for my B2 Visa and was granted

After my last attempt in London two years ago I bit the bullet and tried again.

I must admit the new online application process and booking system for the US Embassy/Consulate is speedier and cheaper than going through the old (09) £1.20pm number.

I applied for my visa at the US Consulate in Belfast, very nice building, bit tricky to find but head towards the Ulster Bank offices and there is the security office.

My appointment was at 11.45am but arrived at 11.30am. Security were friendly and you can leave your mobile phone with them which is a bonus as there are no public pay phones near the Consulate. After being searched, I walked up the grounds past the Consular Generals office (he was in and waved when he saw someone walking up the path who was a visitor). You go right to the back of the building into a small office with three counters and an Interview Booth. There is a vending machine for drinks.

I passed all of my documents over:

DS-160 Confirmation Page
Interview Confirmation Page (Printed off the new website)
Old Passport
ACPO Certificate
VCU01 Form
2”x2” Photo

I was asked to sit down and wait, there were another ten people in the room. I was called up to the desk again around 40minutes later and they took my fingerprints and handed me back my photo. About 20minutes later I was called into the Interview Booth and was greeted by a nice friendly American Lady.

She asked me:-

Why I wanted the visa?
What I was going to do in the States?
How long I was with my partner?
Explain to me what happened regarding your conviction etc. – I was very truthful and told her about my volunteering etc to keep paying back to the community.

She typed away at her screen. Thanked me for being so upfront and honest and she said that “it’s my decision [dramatic pause and stern look on her face] to grant you your visa for 10 years.” (Big moment! I cried and was full of thanks. Now I am just waiting for my passport to come back.)

Total time at the consulate: 1hour 20minutes

Just be truthful, honest and dress smart. Just remember to take all of your information with you and be honest.

The prizes in life we fail to win, is because we doubt the strength within

As my Mum always told me throughout my sentence, I urge you to listen, “The prizes in life we fail to win, is because we doubt the strength within”.

In the May of 1999 my life fell apart! I was convicted of the importation of a class A drug and sentenced to four years in prison. I was 19.

I made the most of my time inside, determined that if I would be granted my parole and I kept my head down I would make my time away as productive as possible. So therefore, I worked long hours in the prison kitchen, attended computer courses and I even got addicted to cross stitch! I did anything that would make the time away from my Mum, my Nan and friends more bearable. My hard work paid off and I was granted parole. I then, thankfully, left HMP after serving only two years of a four year sentence.

Life outside was strange. Going out in the dark and even everything generally taken for granted like the feel of a carpet between my toes.

On release the whispers start. ‘ She has been released’…..’ Bet she won’t go anywhere in life’…. Really?!!

I had my first interview two weeks later. The first thing I told my potential employers was that I was released from prison two weeks ago. I had to disclose my conviction as it was not spent and at the time would never become spent. That evening I got the call ….. The job was mine. I was 21.

I am now nearly 35 and for the past 13 years I have worked nonstop. I have never been out of work and now run the UK division for a global company. I go on fantastic holidays. Drive a wonderful car. Eat in lovely places and……………… fill in the gaps! Am I boasting?? Yes maybe I am because people love to see other people fail. Even more so when you have ex-offender printed on your forehead.

So it goes to show that by working hard, having focus, vision and sheer determination then your dreams really can come true.

For me now the old book is well and truly closed because of the information I have learnt from the Unlock website. The new legislation that came into effect in March 2014 means my conviction has now become spent, which I am so thankful for. I know now that I am a different person to the one I was from when I was 19. I have worked hard to make something of my life and no longer have the stigma of an ex-offender on me.

So as I said at the start: ‘My Mum always told me throughout my sentence and I urge you to listen: “The prizes in life we fail to win, Is because we doubt the strength within”’