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| LIVED EXPERIENCE
How is the stigma and discrimination of a criminal record experienced and felt?
How do those impacted navigate and resist?
I had an interview. It went well but I received one of those letters…when I called, they said that it [the conviction] has to be seven years or older, which is hard…because you need a job right now. Everything takes forever to get off your record like five or seven years after your discharge from parole…I really feel like I've lost so many years. When do I get to have my life back? I did my time. I do all the requirements. I don't get in trouble. How much more time do I have to do?
- Amelia, San Bernardino
Despite numerous legal protections, people with convictions continue to face significant discrimination in the job market. The vignettes featured here illuminate the specific ways people have struggled to obtain employment since the passage of the 2018 California Fair Chance Act. These vignettes were produced with help from students at the University of Michigan.
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