“Hello, how can I help you?” says the front desk clerk at the hotel as the guest approaches the counter.
The guest checks in and receives their room key and heads on their way. Little do they know, the desk clerk was previously incarcerated and is working to reintegrate into society.
“We start them at the front desk, where the person on the other side of the desk doesn’t even know that they have been incarcerated,” Paroled2Pride Executive Director Sharon Jones told members of the Rotary Club of Columbus during its meeting on Tuesday at Lion Hills Center. “That gives them an opportunity to be themselves. We show them good customer service. We show them how to handle different situations as far as difficult situations when people have problems or complaints. We show them how to handle that successfully.”
Jones, general manager for the Best Western on Highway 45, founded Paroled2Pride in 2007, inspired largely by her brother and his problems with the justice system.
Growing up in a home where their father abused their mother, Jones’ brother turned to drugs to cope. She said he was killed by a corrections officer in Attica, New York, and her family received a settlement from a lawsuit. When her mother passed away, part of that money was left to Jones and was used to fund the nonprofit.
The organization helps people exiting prison find job placement and develop the necessary skills to reintegrate into society.
One way the group helps is by covering probation fees, restitution and even child support for up to three months after release.
“When they get out of incarceration, for me to pay restitution and probation fees for three months while we try to find them employment, actually takes their mind off of having to have the money in order not to go back to prison,” Jones said.
The organization does not accept everyone though. Initially, the group only accepted non-violent offenders, such as those involved with drugs. Over time, that policy has evolved, and it is now on a case-by-case basis. The main requirement is a willingness to change.
“(Relatives) can’t call us and say, ‘Hey, my son is out of jail, we need you to help him get employed.’ We don’t do that,” Jones said. “You have to be the one to reach out and say, ‘Hey, I’m looking for employment. Can you help?’ You also have to be willing to go through the training because some of the properties will not pay during training. If you make it through the training and get the job, you can work your way from the front desk all the way up to management.”
The number of job placements available also dictates how many people can be accepted into the program.
A partnership with the Asian American Hotel Owners Association helps with this aspect by supplying some funding as well as placing the program’s members at its hotels.
According to Jones, the organization has an 80 percent success rate.
One such success is a girl who was incarcerated at 15 years old in Mississippi.
“She came from a low-income family,” Jones said. “There was domestic violence at her home as well. She did 15 years for robbing somebody. When she got out, everybody expected her to be an adult. In her adolescent years, her mind was not even fully developed.”
While incarcerated, the girl faced many challenges including not being allowed to see her mother, or even attend her funeral. She overcame the hardships through Paroled2Pride.
“She’s now an entrepreneur,” Jones said. “She does hair. She also travels talking to other people about incarceration, especially young people. So, when they are given an opportunity to transition back into their community, or an opportunity to change, you will see the success rate.”
Information about how to help or receive help can be found on the group’s website, paroled2pride.org.
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 40 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
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