Bear saith:
Right. Between all the "offender databases" and "surveillance for your (cough) protection" and so on, anyone who's got a record winds up so completely frozen out of normal society that it becomes impossible for them to get by without continuing as a part of criminal society.
It's the twenty-first century. Nobody cares if you go straight anymore....
Which brings this to mind again. This and the Where to go thread. So where and what are the disenfranchised to go and do? I'm a middle aged IT professional, recently downsized from a very good job. I also have a felony conviction for selling pot back in the 60's -- big deal, eh? Well it is now -- I've been turned down for three jobs because they did a background check. I no longer even bother to apply if they mention background or drug checks -- which rules out one hell of a lot of places these days and it's on the increase. I never had a background check before this for any job. What does that have to do with my ability to write code? I'm seriously considering taking up robbing banks -- what the hell, my health isn't too good, I have no insurance, can't get a job -- and fuck no, I won't work at Hardees. Why should I? What does my record have to do with my productivity -- my work record is excellent. I've also thought a lot about suicide, but figure if I'm going that far, I might as well give bank robbery a try -- I can always blow my brains out if I get caught. I had a lot of time to think about this, and I'm not finding many answers -- and like Bear and others have said, the future looks pretty bleak. Another thing that set me off on this rant was May's comments about "black hoes" etc. I guess I've come to understand quite well what it means to be black. Fuck it -- why not welfare if you can, why not sell drugs or rob? If the other option is working at a fast food place? Fuck that and fuck anybody who thinks you should.