Effects of Mass Incarceration on Individuals
One of the biggest obstacles facing large-scale criminal justice reform is a lack of public support. Awareness of the issue of mass incarceration is higher than it has ever been, thanks to nation-wide movements and the incredible work of nonprofits, but many people still have a difficult time understanding the struggles that are faced by tens of millions of Americans every day. It is so much easier to believe that everyone involved in the criminal justice system deserves the treatment that they receive. It’s easier not to think about the potential that is lost, the families that are torn apart, and the circumstances in someone’s life that can lead to a criminal record.
In the years that we have been working on SquareOneJobs, we have encountered countless stories of individuals overcoming incredible odds and going on to help others and lead meaningful lives. Unfortunately, we cannot share the inspiring stories of all the people that we have seen, but we believe that reading about one of these individuals can help average citizens understand the consequences of mass incarceration on a more personal level.
Meet Jerry
“The state of South Carolina no longer considered me Jerry Blassingame. They called me Inmate number 198153.” After being reduced to just another number in the South Carolina prison system, and just another statistic to the rest of the country, all that most people knew about Mr. Blassingame is that he was arrested in 1995 for distribution of narcotics. What they didn’t see on his criminal record were the many challenges that he struggled with in the years leading up to his arrest. What they couldn’t see on his criminal record, was the potential that he had to change the lives of so many people.
At the age of 5, Jerry Blassingame was sitting with his four siblings and his grandparents in their home when he heard two gunshots ring out. As he began running for the neighbor’s house, he had no idea that his mother was already dead, or that his grandfather was about to be shot as he went to check on her. Now, parentless, suffering from undiagnosed PTSD, his life began to spiral. Being raised by his grandparents, Jerry and his siblings lived in poverty, out of a small apartment in a low-income neighborhood. He recalled the cracks in his life that had formed while he grew up without parents; “everything I learned, I learned it on my own. I learned it in the streets. I learned it from my friends.” By age 9, he began drinking, not understanding that it was a way for him to escape the pain in his life. But even through all of this, he managed to excel in school, seeing it as his only chance to break him and his family out of poverty. By the time he graduated high school, he had earned a two-year scholarship to Greenville Tech for engineering, with plans to transfer to Clemson after the two years.
Reduced to Just a Number
It was at this point, however, that the horrors of his upbringing came back to haunt him. Now in college, he found himself needing money, and learned that his friends from childhood were willing to pay him to help bag or distribute cocaine. Over time, he fell deeper and deeper into this world and eventually dropped out of school in his second year.
He was arrested twice for his involvement with drugs with the second sentence totalling 20 years. On his second time in prison, however, instead of concern for his own wellbeing, he found himself worried about the many young men around him that kept returning to prison. “I kept thinking, ‘Why are all these young guys coming to prison?’ So I would talk to them and they would tell me they couldn’t find a job, they couldn’t find housing, nobody would let them live with them, and they had to go back to crime to make a living.” As a way to help them break the cycle of recidivism, he decided to teach his fellow inmates how to read and write, and he dreamt of building a nonprofit that would be able to reach people outside of prison.
Unlocking His Purpose
After serving 3 and a half years of his 20-year sentence, he was released on parole and got to work. With the help of his wife Stephanie, Jerry founded Soteria in June of 1999, just 6 months after he had been paroled. His first endeavor was to buy, repair, and rebuild houses in the same neighborhood where his mother was murdered years before. As his final obstacle to overcome, he successfully turned his own trauma into an opportunity for growth, and a beacon of hope for people who have faced similar adversity.
Their foundation now provides jobs, training, housing, and support services for individuals that are released from prison. They have successfully lowered the recidivism rate for the hundreds of people they serve from 31.8% to just 4% and have helped nearly 300 individuals find jobs in 2014 alone. Their work has been recognized by countless business journals, newspapers and non-profits.
Through his incredible work and dedication in overcoming countless obstacles, Jerry has demonstrated the potential that everyone has to improve the world around them, and he serves as a personal inspiration for us in our mission.
Note: If you want to read more about Soteria, or donate to help them reach more people, you can find their website at https://soteriacdc.org/
