[rdgrad15]

Has anyone seen an ex-con or knew someone who was in prison at one point? If so, what are your opinions about them being around you once they are out? Maybe I'm just harsh but I just don't like the sight of an ex-con around me. I guess it would have to depend on the crime but the one I am talking about committed several counts of robbery and theft. Spent 10 years in prison and some jail time before that and even a little after that as well. He knew my grandpap which is why he hung around my family a lot before he went to prison. At that time, I had no way of knowing he was bad news since for the most part, he was always nice to me. He started becoming rude right before going to prison. Now he is nice but he exaggerates everything and just seems so awkward and forced.

I feel like they just feel sorry for him since he is only around on rare occasions. But when I do see him, I get extremely uncomfortable and secretly wish he would just leave me alone or even just leave altogether. I just get the feeling that he is just polishing his own apple. I believe he was jailed after being released from prison due to failing to appear in court. To me, he just sounds like an awful person who just doesn't care or respect others. I wish my family would not pity him and tell him to never be around again. My grandpap is no longer around so now there is actually no excuse for him to be around during events. Would you give an ex-convict a second chance? Do you think he is polishing his own apple? He acts friendly and I hear he claims to be changing but of course it is common knowledge that ex-convicts always say that before committing another crime so I can't fully trust him and would take years to trust him again, if ever to be honest. I know I may sound rude or harsh but that is just how I feel.

[RubyRae]

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.Me personally though,I give people a chance.Everyone has a past,everyone makes mistakes and until someone does something to me personally I don't judge them.

I am the point of contact for my support group. I will occasionally get contacted by a probation officer, social worker, or community liason officer at the regional jail and psych centre. They are looking to set up an integration back into the community for offenders. I have arranged for some of them to attend a meeting. I am the only person at the group who is aware of their background.

my uncle is in prison right now for petty theft
he's been in prison since i was born and the only reason he is there for so long is because he doesn't have much support outside of prison and he was a young, black man who couldn't read and had a temper
this sounds like something you would see on TV but according to my mom the judge kept raising his sentence for each time my uncle got mad at him while they were in court

i dont judge ex-cons because i know there are probably many who are like my uncle and basically just got the short end of the stick for being black and being in a system where it works against you instead of in your favor

my uncle has been doing his absolute best to be on good behavior so he can come out, but he's been in prison for so long simply based on his emotional outbursts in court which is expected of a young man who doesn't want to go to prison in the first place

[emgreen]

I taught at a maximum security facility & never had any problems. Going to class was a privilege. There was one guard downstairs at the school, & a cool educational environment for the guys. I'm amazed by the great poetry & prose I was privileged to develop. Guy's who got their well-deserved community college diplomas. Kind of a neat situation...OR, they were trying to convert loyal cadres. Good stuff...Education can open doors.

[Sunflower123]

My ex-husband, his best friend who was also my friend and I all grew up together. When my ex-husband and I married, I was very fond of his best friend P but he was heavily addicted to drugs and was in and out of prison and eventually caught Hepatitis from drug usage. Although I was fond of him and have never looked down on him, I thought he was a bad influence on my ex-husband and limited contact until he got his act straight, which he did. I'm divorced now and I understand my ex-husband has cut off P because he is doing drugs again and is headed back to prison. Really nice, loving, funny guy. Tragic.

[healingme4me]

My late uncle was in and out of jail most of his life. Petty theft, drugs, etc. I don't really know where he made his wrong turns in his life, but in or out of prison he was just a deeply caring soul.
My children have a cousin in and out of the penal system. Petty stuff.
And they have another cousin in prison as I write this. Wouldn't say that they polish their own apples, yet, ya know what? There was this one bday party that I hosted years ago, the last family party that I threw. My bottle of perfume went missing.
Can I be around them? Sure, why not. Do I invite them in? No, not really. And I'm guessing my other relatives may have hesitated as well with my uncle.

Which then brings up the reality of the ties to MI behind bars.

If your gut says keep your distance, no harm in that.