Though I am skilled in many areas and would make a superb employee, I am not given the opportunity. For instance, I recently went into the Georgia Department of Labor as a part of my job search. There, the State sponsors a program called Topp Stepp. Hypothetically, the program is supposed to assist ex-offenders find jobs that will hire individuals with criminal backgrounds. Topp Stepp has two dynamics: 1. The Federal Bonding Program (FBP), which offers fidelity bonding insurance protection to ex-felons through the Travelers Property Casualty Corporation; 2. The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC), which provides a federal tax credit to employers of up to $2,400 to employ ex-felons. The program starts inside the prisons as a required self-help initiative mandated by the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles. Once released, parolees are to follow-up with the GDOL where job referrals are made. As part of my first venture out into the world-of-work, I was given a referral to a warehouse near Atlanta's airport. I did all of the preparations and I was sure that I would get the job. I was skilled. I was well groomed. I was ready. However, the stars must have been in the wrong alignment. I had obviously walked into a small version of Fort Knox. The security there was immense and I didn't need a tingling spider-sense to tell me that I had crawled into the wrong web. Well, not to be undone, I decided to sever my ties, temporarily, with the GDOL.

On my next excursion, I walked into a Red Lobster restaurant. The atmosphere was cozy and I was feeling optimistic. I filled out the application and was directed to a little out-of-the-way table, near a window, and away from the aisles, where I was to meet my would-be interviewer. I opened up the discussion with my qualifications and how I would be beneficial to the company. Everything went well at first; I seemed to have won him over. Then came the time to discuss my criminal history; like most undesirable blind dates, it hit him like a ton of bricks and I was left to dine alone. Consequently, it seems my quest for some semblance of normalcy and perceived equality has been and will be laden with tons of ridicule. And, it is apparent that I will have to put myself in hundreds of humiliating circumstances, in order to feel the dignity others take for granted that is commonly associated with one, "earning his keep."

I am told to find a job by parole officials, but in reality, it is an almost impossible task, because C- bearers are scrutinized by means of the NCIC (criminal history inquiry) check. In this way, I am marginalized and disenfranchised to absolute nothingness. It is almost a feeling of being subhuman. And I am not alone; the problem is pervasive and systemic amongst released prisoners, particularly in this post 911 world, when everything is security driven. How is one to succeed if there is a culture created to assure his failure? What are the underlying motivations and incentives that fuel this insanity? And of course, who stands to profit from our failure to successfully reintegrate? More has to be done to truly assist those who wear the Scarlet Letter in our society. Oddly enough, the continually escalating crime rate is definitely correlated with the unemployment of felons. Yet, the ostracizing of felons that need jobs continues with no foreseeable end in sight. Since I am prone to conspiracy theories, I will leave you to ponder logical responses to the above questions.