‘It’s been hard staying afloat’
Damica was released from prison Sept. 29 and has only recently been able to land a job. Damica, who asked that her last name not be used, has found the process of getting back on her feet after release not only taxing on her, but burdensome to her family. Damica talks about the drawbacks her incarceration has had on her and her family’s financial stability.
Stephanie Cubias: Can you talk about the events that led to your arrest?
Damica: I was arrested for hindering the apprehension of my oldest son. They incriminated me with all the charges he had, and would only be dropped if my son plead guilty to his crimes. While most of the charges were dropped, I was still sentenced to seven months in jail for supposedly aiding and abetting by son.
SC: What were you doing for a living before being incarcerated?
D: I was working as an administrative aid for the Water Department in Franklin Township for a year, and before that I worked for 17 years as an executive assistant for the president of a nonprofit organization.
SC: During your time in jail were you able to work?
D: No. In jail you are categorized by the crime(s) you’ve committed and I wasn’t eligible to work based on my charges.
SC: How has incarceration affected you financially?
D: Before going to jail I was making a decent amount of money doing administrative clerical work, but I couldn’t go back to my job in Franklin because they had filled the position during my absence. When I was released I applied for unemployment, but I was denied because of my record. And until recently I was unemployed for four months. I’m not making anywhere near what I was making before, and it’s been hard staying afloat.
SC: In what ways was your family impacted by your arrest?
D: During my time in jail, and even now, I’ve had to depend on my family financially. My daughter left school to work two jobs and my sons use the money they make from their t-shirt company to help pay the bills. Even my mother, who is retired and is on a fixed-income, is pitching in. I feel terrible because my family is taking care of me, when it should be the other way around. It hard for me because I’m not use to asking for help, I’ve always been a go-getter.
SC: Did you seek any services for help?
D: While I was in jail, the women would talk about NeighborCorps, that they helped felons with housing and employment. When they would come to the facility to meet with the inmates I never gave it much thought because I didn’t think I needed it. I thought to myself, “I have a house so I’m not going to be homeless, and I’ve always worked so why wouldn’t I be able to find a job.” I didn’t realize how different my life was to be going to be once I was released.
SC: How helpful was their service for you?
D: NeighborCorps showed me how to network, how to write a resume, and they gave me ideas about finding a job in spite of my record. If you put in the effort, they’ll help you. But the way the justice system is set up, instead of helping you it is meant keep you in the prison cycle.
SC: Where did you apply?
D: When I was released I starting applying everywhere. Finding a job with felony is scary, because if they ask if you have been convicted of a crime you can’t lie, but you want to try to explain what happened so that they won’t write you off. Four months later I found a job that didn’t ask me about my criminal record and they hired me.
SC: How is your new job going so far?
D: I don’t make as much, and that’s a setback. I have to start from the bottom and work my way up again. I started taking online classes at Rutgers for medical billing and coding. It’s an accelerated program so I’ll be done in May. But I’m going to continue taking class for health information, and hopefully I’ll be able to work as a medical administrative assistant at some point. I want to work somewhere that helps people with mental health issues.
SC: What made you want to do that?
D: After what I saw in jail I want to help women with mental issues who have been through the system. When you’re in jail you don’t get the help you need. They don’t treat you, they medicate you. The system is messed, it’s not even a system. Being in jail really changed the way I saw people who are struggling with addiction, and any mental health disorders.
SC: Can you talk about that?
D: Some people have nowhere to go when they get out and don’t know about the help that is out there so they go back to their old ways. The system isn’t set up to help those who want to change. I was fortunate enough to have the support of my family, and a house to come home to, but not everyone does. I only went to NeighborCorps because I heard the women talking about it, but if I hadn’t I would have never gotten their help.
