People returning to society after being incarcerated face a mountain of obstacles. Employment and housing are top on their priority list. Many employers will not hire them after they serve their time. Changes in the city are happening everyday, so many people who returned feel as if they are returning to a foreign country. Our judicial system is designed to “punish” them long after they have served their time and “paid their dues” for their crime. This song is an original poem written by a man who is looking for job after being incarcerated, it details how he feels.
Leon has been incarcerated for over six years, he is making every effort to not go back to jail. He is filling out applications, taking job training and following all job leads. However, he doesn’t have anything to put on an application under “previous jobs”. This and other obstacles are why the statistics for recidivism are so high in urban areas. Leon is channeling his frustration into something positive, he shared this song that he wrote to describe what he is experiencing now. Keep your head up Leon! Change is coming!
