Companies That Hire Felons

The Live Happy Challenges for the past week have been about the workplace. I have a few readers to this blog who are recovering addicts. A few were incarcerated and/or felons and they are having a hard time finding work after making major life changes. Here is a list of companies that DO hire felons.

Stop The Stigma: Crimes and Jail

Here is another post in the Angry Mom edition of.... Heroin Epidemic in Berkeley County!!!


This post as you will see is a venting about a system that is broken. Not just here in Berkeley County or West Virginia. Everywhere!

That system you may wonder? The criminal justice system.

Many of the jails in this country are now privately owned. I believe our own jail systems in West Virginia under the "Regional Jail System" are privately owned.

I remember when they were county owned but I believe

What Is WV Conditional Discharge?

Some of you may be wondering just what is conditional discharge?

I know I am as I have never heard of it before.

Another question I have about it is, if West Virginia has conditional discharge why is there no other plan in place? For instance for treatment right here in Martinsburg and Berkeley County?

What about counselling? There is no suggestion that someone seek counselling for addiction problems and behaviors.

Read the law: §60A-4-407. Conditional discharge for first offense of possession

Drug Treatment Access

One of the biggest problems right now in Berkeley County and Martinsburg West Virginia is that we have no treatment center right here.

Those of us who have been able to get our loved ones into treatment comes at the cost of families who have to send their loved ones hundreds of miles away. Our own son is five and a half

Consequences of Drug Conviction

Is it against the law to suffer with the disease of addiction? Apparently in the United States it is. We as a country have allowed our lawmakers to criminalize those who suffer with addiction so that now they are discriminated when seeking employment. Currently here, West Virginia has no laws regarding the employer use of criminal background checks.

This trickle down affect has even led to discrimination in housing. Now, a criminal record will likely prevent someone from being able to find an apartment or house even though a person has recovered from their drug addiction.

How in the hell can we as a society expect someone who has recovered, to remain in sobriety with so much discrimination?

The stigma will continue as long as we allow it.

If we want to solve our nation’s drug problems, we need to focus less on obtaining convictions and more on preventing addictions. We should be treating people with addictions, not handcuffing them.

The United States is home to less than 5 percent of the world’s population but nearly 25 percent of its prisoners, in part because of the overly harsh...

Read More @>>>>>>>>>>Consequences of Drug Conviction

New Facebook Group: Inmate 101

There is a new Facebook Group, Inmate 101. This page is for an anonymous inmate to share the story of addiction in hopes to lead others to a path of recovery.

If interested you can join this Facebook Group @ Inmate 101

In WV: Felons and Jobs

One problem we have here locally and throughout this state is that for so many years those who are addicted to drugs have been criminalized for having a substance abuse problem.

Once a person gets clean and they are trying to put their lives back together there is a problem obtaining a gainful job that will support them and often their family. Many places do not or will not hire a felon.

Some states limit employer criminal records. Here in West Virginia we do not have a law that limits employer use of criminal records.

Now there are federal laws that protect from employment discrimination many times this doesn't apply to those who have a record.

The website, Nolo writes:

Some states require employers to consider whether the offense bears a reasonable relationship to the job. Some states have passed laws restricting how employers may use an applicant’s criminal record in making job decisions. And, some states prohibit employers from asking about arrest records.

Two federal laws provide limited protection to applicants with criminal records....

Read More>>>>>> Employer Use of Arrest and Conviction Records in West Virginia

Information for this post from NOLO

This Is Why Criminalizing An Addict Does Not Work

We who love someone addicted to heroin have heard others say, "Just Put Them All In Jail" before. I bet you have to. Maybe you thought it was the best thing for someone abusing. Years ago when my son went to jail for the crimes he was committing in order to get heroin- the stealing- I thought jail was the place he needed to be. YES- For those crimes he committed.

Sure if you commit a crime, there should be a punishment. BUT having the disease of addiction to heroin is not a crime. It is a disease. If someone you love had a disease and all you ever heard was, they should go to jail, how would you feel?

Jail is not a detox center. They don't care in jail about those using and abusing heroin. They don't care about the medical part of it. They are not a medical facility. They are a jail.

I saw this the other day. I saved it and I just cannot stop thinking about it because of comments people make about our son. YES, he has committed crimes for his addiction. YES, he should go to jail, but not to DETOX there.

After watching this video, my heart goes out to this family. I am terrified for our son. He will sooner or later be picked up for his crimes and he will without a doubt detox at the Eastern Regional Jail. This terrifies me.

Our son needs to be medically supervised. He has tried to detox on his own and goes into seizures. Our son has had hundreds possibly thousands of seizures from using, abusing and trying to quit and detox. We don't know how many he has had.

They need to rethink how those using and abusing are treated. They aren't animals. They are human lives. Many are crying out and begging for help. There is nowhere to send them. The longer they are in their addiction without help, the easier it is for them to slip up and commit a crime and end up in jail.

As mentioned I have thought about it since this video was in my Facebook Newsfeed and I have to share this... My heart goes out to the family of Tyler Tabor. A Life Lost...

Not one person should lose their life like this... ever! They need to rethink the way that those addicted are treated, not for their crimes, but for their addiction to this powerful drug.

Video From youtube

© 2016 Gossip Girl

Things I Learned From An Addict: Jail Rhymes With Bail

So with our son using and abusing heroin and opiates, he has committed crimes in order to get heroin or opiates. These are the times that you hate the most. It's hard convincing others that you didn't raise your child like that. It is the demon of the drug. This drug is so powerful that it clouds the mind of the consequences of committing crimes. Committing crimes to get the drug is dangerous