LibGuides: Career & Job Resources: Resources for Formerly Incarcerated Students

Online Library Resources

These eBooks (electronic versions of printed books that can be read on a computer or handheld device) address the challenges faced by individuals who have been incarcerated when they return to the world and the workforce. When you access these eBooks online, you will be prompted to login using your ECC email and password.

Everyday Desistance by Laura S. Abrams; Diane Terry; Michelle Inderbitzin (Foreword by)
ISBN: 9780813574462
Publication Date: 2017-05-31
This book examine the lives of young people who spent considerable time in and out of correctional institutions as adolescents. These formerly incarcerated youth often struggle with the onset of adult responsibilities at a much earlier age than their more privileged counterparts. In the context of urban Los Angeles, with a large-scale gang culture and diminished employment prospects, further involvement in crime appears almost inevitable. Yet, as Abrams and Terry point out, these formerly imprisoned youth are often quite resilient and can be successful at creating lives for themselves after months or even years of living in institutions run by the juvenile justice system. This book narrates the day-to-day experiences of these young men and women, focusing on their attempts to surmount the challenges of adulthood, resisting a return to criminal activity, and formulating long-term goals for a secure adult future.
Falling Back by Jamie J. Fader
ISBN: 9780813560748
Publication Date: 2013-04-15
Jamie J. Fader documents the transition to adulthood for a particularly vulnerable population: young inner-city men of color who have, by the age of eighteen, already been imprisoned. How, she asks, do such precariously situated youth become adult men? What are the sources of change in their lives? Falling Back is based on over three years of ethnographic research with black and Latino males on the cusp of adulthood and incarcerated at a rural reform school designed to address "criminal thinking errors" among juvenile drug offenders.Fader observed these young men as they transitioned back to their urban Philadelphia neighborhoods, resuming their daily lives and struggling to adopt adult masculine roles. This in-depth ethnographic approach allowed her to portray the complexities of human decision-making as these men strove to "fall back," or avoid reoffending, and become productive adults. Her work makes a unique contribution to sociological understandings of the transitions to adulthood, urban social inequality, prisoner reentry, and desistance from offending.

Online Resources

These online resources offer a wealth of information for students who were formerly incarcerated who want to return to the workforce.

CareerOneStop: Job Search Help for Ex-Offenders
CareerOneStop’s Job Search Help for Ex-Offenders is for anyone with a criminal record. You’ll find tips, information, and resources to help you search for, apply for, and begin a new job.
70 Million Jobs
70 million Americans have a criminal record and most have trouble finding employment after incarceration. This organization can help you through the entire process of getting a job when you have a criminal record. It covers everything, from finding misdemeanor- and felony-friendly jobs, to building a resume and submitting applications, to getting hired.
Finding meaningful work after prison isn’t easy. Here’s how these women did.
Here are the personal stories of two previously incarcerated women who are now leading highly successful careers.
My Education, My Freedom: A Toolkit for Formerly Incarcerated and System-Impacted Students Pursuing Education in California
This step-by-step Toolkit can help you get on the right track to further your education, increase your opportunities for employment, and make a difference in your community. By making an educational plan that includes your biggest goals, your strategy for navigating any barriers, and the steps you must take to afford school and stay stable, you can create a better life for yourself and your loved ones.
Roadmap to Reentry: A California Legal Guide
The Roadmap to Reentry Guide is a resource of legal information that people in California can turn to about issues along the path of reentry. It is comprehensive in scope, covering eleven areas of law and civic life: Housing, Employment, Parole & Probation, Education, Cleaning Up Your Criminal Record, ID & Voting, Family & Children, Public Benefits, Court-ordered Debt, Tribal Issues, and Immigration.

The ECC Career Center

The ECC Career Center

The ECC Career Center is available to support you as you explore career possibilities and potential job opportunities. Because the campus is currently closed to students and visitors, Career Counseling Services are now available in a virtual environment. You can use this link to Make a Career Appointment.

The Career Center staff can support you in a variety of ways, including:

Job search help for anyone with a criminal record.
Assist you in decision making when you're feeling stuck or still exploring majors and careers.
Review your resume with a focus on your transferable skills and provide feedback to increase your opportunities toward current and future employment.
Prepare you for interviews through strategies reviews and mock interviews that will help you make the best possible first impression.
Discuss other career-related topics and issues including job sustainability, salary negotiation, and career advancement opportunities.

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