Austin native Anthony Jefferson was convicted for drug possession a decade ago, and despite serving his time in jail, completing probation, and graduating from college, that record denied him high-paying jobs he otherwise qualified for.
Jefferson, a veteran, said he made a 180-degree turn in his life, applied to college and pursued his passion. He graduated in the top 5% of his class from Lincoln Tech with a degree in applied science. Despite his passion for learning how things work from the inside, his criminal record devastated him when it prevented him from securing a high-paying position.
“It makes me angry because you put in the hard work and the time to better yourself, you go to school, you stay out of trouble and you think this much time went by that it wouldn’t be a big deal,” Jefferson said. “It’s the only thing that’s being held over my head that’s closing the door, that was years ago, since then I did everything that was asked of me and more but that’s still stopping me, it didn’t make sense to me.”
But Jefferson got new hope. Since last summer, he has been working with the Monroe Foundation, a nonprofit community and enterprise development intermediary. Because Jefferson’s case is nonviolent, they are showing him he may have a chance of getting his record cleared.
“It motivates me to keep pushing forward, before I was angry, I was about to give up,” Jefferson said.
Others in his situation may find similar hope. The Monroe Foundation on Jan. 8, is holding a planning session for workshop later this month that will teach formerly incarcerated people what options going forward may be.
For example, it assists individuals with criminal records with obtaining copies of their rap sheets, police documents listing an individual’s criminal history, including arrests and charges. This document can be used by the individual to review, correct or update their personal record.
Otis Monroe, founder of the Monroe Foundation, said that during the process, the foundation covers the application fee, provides transportation to the Chicago Police Department and retrieves rap sheets themselves.
Monroe emphasized the latter because, he said, there were many occasions when people had an outstanding warrant that they were unaware of and got arrested when picking up their rap sheet. They aim to avoid that happening.
“We’re looking at how can we help entire households where almost everybody, if not everyone in that entire household has had some contact with the criminal judicial system,” Monroe said. “I don’t say “criminal justice” because often there’s no justice and how those individuals were criminally charged or arrested.”
He said the Monroe Foundation has seen success in Englewood and has helped more than 150 people clear their records over the past two years. Now, they aim to assist Austin residents, Monroe said.
They also focus on helping find record-friendly employment opportunities, and are seeking partners to assist with that. They plan to host an event with employment opportunities this June, according to Monroe.
One of the main goals of Monday’s planning meeting is to teach people whether and how to seal or expunge their records. To do that, they first need to obtain their rap sheets, and then apply for the best option. The application will be reviewed by the judge, who will make the decision.
Although the records may be sealed, they can still be accessed by law enforcement agencies, certain government agencies and the courts. However, most employers, landlords and others conducting a background check would not be able to see these records.
The process of sealing or expunging records is not easy and can be started only after three years since the charge. The Monroe Foundation is advocating for this period to be reduced to one year, which would significantly help individuals like Jefferson in moving forward with their lives.
In Jefferson’s case, he said he returned from the military to Austin, and he saw some of his friends who were selling drugs and had new cars and lots of money. He acknowledged he was jealous of that lifestyle and that led him into drug dealing.
He said he knew that it was wrong but now he turned his life around and is trying to move forward.
Yet his story is a testament to the power of second chances and the importance of resources like the Monroe Foundation, he and others said. Despite the challenges he has faced, Jefferson remains hopeful and committed to creating a better future for himself and others in similar situations.
“For somebody to say, ‘we can help you’ that makes it a little better,” Jefferson said.
Monday’s planning meeting will be held at 1 p.m. at His and Hers Barber School at 5355 W. Madison St. A full event will be held later this month.