As a child growing up in Pleasant Grove, 34-year-old Vonesha Gates didn't have many role models in her life.
“It’s a small community,” she said. “There aren't many job opportunities, so it's easy to get into trouble.”
Gates said her community also lacks a path to economic stability, leading to young children falling into gangs and eventually lives of drugs and crime. “I ended up in an abusive relationship, and he was into heavy drugs, so I started to indulge a little bit, too,” she said. “I lost myself for a while.”
Gates distanced himself from friends and family, including his two children, and ultimately ended up in prison in March 2023 after a series of poor decisions, she said.
After several grueling weeks in prison, Gates heard about a program that might give her a second chance on a healthy path. The program will one day lead to a stable job and a family with children.
“This program reminded me how important I am and that it's never too late to take it back and love myself,” she said.
For two years, Texas Volunteers of America's Dallas Reentry Career Pathway Program, in partnership with the City of Dallas, has supported approximately 170 formerly incarcerated or soon-to-be-released men and women each year. I did. In September 2022, the Dallas City Council approved a $250,000 contract with VOA Texas to provide employment and workforce training services.
The reentry program, enhanced this year with a $25,000 grant from the Carl B. and Florence E. King Foundation, will provide clients with assessment and case management, financial and employment services, job training, and educational assistance. .
Inmates who are nearing their release date or who have completed their sentence at any point in the past five years can participate in the program.
Gates took classes twice a day, where she learned everything from yoga practice and meditation to writing and parenting education. “There was work to be done,” Gates said. “My days went more smoothly because it felt like work.”
Before she learned about the Pathways program, she remembers worrying about her plans for when she was released from prison. She said, “I was like, 'If I could get out of jail right now, where would I go?'” What can I do? ” Gates said.
Angela King, president and CEO of VOA Texas, said the organization, which serves people in Texas and New Mexico, is committed to helping people successfully reintegrate into their communities after incarceration. He said he is taking a long-term approach.
“Our founders had a real passion for people in prison,” King said. “And here in Texas, we've been operating reentry services for over 40 years.”
VOA Texas is the local chapter of a national faith-based social services organization in operation for more than 125 years.
In addition to its signature programs focused on helping people reintegrate into society, the Texas-based organization provides affordable housing for seniors and people with disabilities, veterans services, substance use treatment, and labor. We also support the provision of strength training.
VOA Texas acquires clients through referrals from prisons and jails and places them in boarding houses for at least 90 days. Once released, clients focus on finding a job, learning new technology, reuniting with family, and setting goals for themselves.
Many policies, such as mandatory disclosure of convictions on applications and background checks, often prevent formerly incarcerated people from finding work and increase the risk of homelessness and recidivism.
But a case study published in December by the Urban Institute, a racial justice research group, found that job applicants with criminal records are hired if workforce program staff have good relationships with employers. It is said that there is a high possibility.
Gates was released from prison in June 2023 and immediately moved into a transitional boarding house as part of his probation. She was able to save money for her own place.
VOA Texas staff helped her with transportation, finding a job, writing a resume, and dressing for interviews. “There was no excuse,” she said. “If you don't know what you're doing, you can feel anxious or discouraged. Then before you know it, you're back to doing what you know, and it's not good. Maybe not.”
“They offered me a completely different path where I no longer had a reason to do the bad things I used to do,” she said. “I had something to look forward to. It made me feel good about myself.”
Finding a safe place to live after being released from prison or jail can make the difference between someone getting a second chance or falling into old habits and potentially reoffending. Dr. King said.
“Housing is a big issue for people, especially people with criminal records, especially if they're a woman and have several children,” King said.
Dr. King said it is now easier for formerly incarcerated job seekers to get jobs than in the past, when a criminal record historically closed many doors. VOA Texas has gradually gathered a network of employers willing to work with its customers.
“Employers know they are good employees,” King said. “If you own a small business or employ people, I encourage you to look out for people with the following characteristics: [criminal] Consider giving people a second or third chance by being a little more open about their backgrounds. Because I think it will be rewarding for them. ”
King said it's harder to match women with jobs compared to men, who typically take warehouse jobs. To expand job options for our clients, VOA Texas partners with workforce training organizations such as South Dallas Employment Project, Dallas College, and Workforce Solutions.
The tightening labor market over the past three years has also forced employers to look at people with criminal records differently as potential workers, King said.
The program works with about 30 people at a time. The Dallas County Jail Program held 338 people in 2023, but less than 4% of inmates recidivated over time, King said.
Taylor Galvan, VOA Texas Employment Specialist for Pathways Programs, visits groups of men and women at the Dallas County Jail every other week for informational sessions and one-on-one sessions focused on each person's goals.
She said the biggest hurdle Galvan's clients face is reliable transportation to interviews and jobs, which, along with access to professional clothing, can undermine their self-esteem and motivation to continue working. Ta.
“We do a lot of mock interviews to prepare, so just being there and walking the talk builds confidence,” Galvan said.
Pathway participants like Gates often begin the program while in prison, with the goal of challenging and uplifting women who have been battered by lifelong trauma and the criminal justice system. Attend daily classes.
Each morning, Gates said uplifting words to herself over and over again, and this was an affirmation challenge that each woman repeated daily.
“I'm beautiful,” Gates told herself while locked up in prison. “I can do it. I'm strong. I'm a soldier.”
Gates said breathing these words every day energized her body and mind, making it easier to say no to things she had done in the past.
Shortly after his release, Gates was hired as a virtual sales expert for AT&T.
“This is the most money I've ever made,” Gates said. “I was able to buy a car in the first two months of working there. I can support my whole family. Last year I had the best Christmas with my kids.”
Gates' 9-year-old daughter and 14-year-old son live with their grandmother just down the street, and she gets to see them every day. When her family reunited over the holidays, Gates said she was proud that her children had seen how far their mother had come and turned her life around. she said.
“They always ask me about my work,” Gates said. “They notice that I’m doing a lot better.”
