PRomise Stewart and Santonio Ford met 18 years ago on a prison bus bound for a Cleveland halfway house. They notice each other’s strengths and start a conversation that changes their lives.
Stewart, 58, had just served two years at Mansfield Correctional Institution for drug offenses. Before his incarceration, he ran a barber shop in Cleveland’s Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood.
Ford, 48, is serving three years at the Richland Correctional Facility less than a mile away on felony charges. He also wanted to be a barber, and was a few credits short of completing a state certification program in prison before being released.
During the 90-minute drive to the Harbor Light Complex transition facility, Stewart and Ford talk about using the haircutting skills they learned as teenagers as a way to support themselves and stay out of trouble forever.
They share ideas. They share tips. A brotherhood was formed.
Despite facing many legal hurdles due to their convictions, they were able to overcome the odds and obtain state-issued barber licenses.
ford and stewart were only nearly 2,000 people returned According to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections, people travel to Cuyahoga County each year from Ohio state prisons and local jails. As formerly incarcerated individuals attempt to reintegrate into society, more than 1,600 laws and regulations often exclude them from employment, housing, and educational opportunities.
Some of these restrictions may soon change in Ohio and beyond. A bipartisan bill passing the state Legislature would expand the releaseees’ access to public housing and some rental properties. Also this year, President Joe Biden designated April as “Second Chance Month,” honoring formerly incarcerated individuals and reintegration programs. The Biden administration directed the federal Small Business Administration to make more business loans available to applicants with criminal records.
“When you put someone in jail, you’re punishing them on the spot,” Stewart said. “So, when they’re doing their time, you shouldn’t be punishing them more when they should be free.”
More than 1,600 potential consequences
An Obscure two-word terminology is one of the biggest hurdles a person of record will face.
“Collateral consequences” are laws or policies that prevent a person with a criminal record from gaining employment, certification, education, etc.this List of Consequences of State Conviction Listed more than 1,600 consequences barring such access due to previous convictions in its database for 1,250 violations in Ohio.
For example, someone with a sex crime record would be barred from working in a nursing home or hospital. A person convicted of any felony is also not eligible to become a driving instructor or apply for a license to drive amusement rides.
According to a 2020 report, people who are incarcerated lose more than $55 billion in potential income each year Brennan Justice Center. The report states that one in five Americans has a criminal record and that those in prison at an early age earn about half as much per year as those without a criminal record.
Steve Lopez, an associate professor of sociology at Ohio State University, said most jobs for former incarcerated people don’t pay a living wage to support a family — or even afford it if the job isn’t close by. The ability to afford reliable transportation did not even reach their home. more importantly, A 2022 study co-authored by Lopez Finding stable employment can prevent people from returning to prison.
“I think employment is a necessary condition, but not a sufficient condition,” Lopez said. “Employment by itself is not a panacea for helping someone change their life … they have to figure out why they want to change their life.”
Entrepreneurship may seem like an easier path, but even that path is fraught with obstacles, said Ronald Crosby, an organizer with Building Freedom in Ohio, an organization that works to restore rights to the formerly incarcerated.
“Barbering is an honorable profession, but if you commit a felony, it’s very difficult to get a loan from the bank or get rent from your landlord. A lot of people end up having to do business under someone else’s name,” Crosby said. “Ownership and entrepreneurship have helped. … You don’t have to be stressed and nervous about how to support your family.
Stewart and Ford earned their certifications at different times and took up multiple side jobs—some lasting only a few days—to earn enough to pay for the barbering academy. They must find employment that does not conflict with their post-post requirements and also allows them to complete the apprenticeship hours required to become certified.
“You have to put your heart and soul into it,” Ford said. “I had to find a job working three shifts so I could go to school from 9am to 5pm.”
Stewart said he wanted a barber’s license because it was important to him to be his own boss. Stewart said haircuts are a solid way to earn income and a service people will always need.
“It’s a great career for a barber because there’s no computer or robot that can do it,” Stewart said.
change the law
IIn 2012, former Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Republican, signed a bipartisan law to ease restrictions on obtaining licenses and certifications in the technology industry. State corrections officials approve applications from prison or formerly incarcerated individuals, and judges issue them work readiness certificates that they can present to future employers.
The program originally issued certificates for jobs including barbering and grooming, real estate, nursing and social work. It has now expanded to include aviation, casino gaming, clinical psychology, medicine, case management and even law enforcement.
Although 82% of application review According to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, Ohio courts are granted approval over a nine-year period, but few complete the process. In 2021, just 17 certifications were issued out of 22 court hearings in Cuyahoga County, underscoring a problem judicial reform advocates say needs to be addressed — that many employers and potential applicants remain relatively ignorant of the certification process.
As for housing, Republican Rep. Bill Seitz of Cincinnati and Latina Humphrey of Columbus, Ohio, introduced a bill earlier this year that would expand access to publicly funded housing for people with criminal records Opportunity. The bill has been referred to the House Criminal Justice Committee.
Seitz, who serves on the committee, said that while the legislation may not address all of the hurdles that formerly incarcerated people may face, it could help put them on a path to earning a steady paycheck, building a credit history and putting themselves in a good position advance.
“People can change, they do change, lessons learned … go out there and be a role model for others to do the same,” Seitz said.
“People deserve a second chance”
fFrom 2005 to 2018, Stewart owned Zeke’s Barbershop on Detroit Avenue. During his incarceration, his family ran the business – which also included a nail salon. Ford joined the shop in 2006 after his release from halfway house. He eventually became the store’s manager and head barber.
Zeke’s is an unofficial community center providing resources for those returning from prison. They get advice and free haircuts, shaves before meeting loved ones, and sometimes slip into business attire before interviews. The store is also a place where single mothers can take their sons to get guidance from other men through daily chess games, or to have conversations about making the right choices. It has the feel of a family living room rather than a barber shop.
Stewart said he knew he wanted Ford to be one of his partners when he was released from the halfway house.
“When I told Ton I had a barber shop, I don’t think he really believed me at first,” Stewart said. “I get it. People will tell you all kinds of stories at the federation.”
Ford, Stewart and the other barbers in the store often go the extra mile to help ex-cons who come into the store.
“We all understand the struggle,” said James “BJ” Moore, 48, a former Zeke’s hairdresser who is now a delivery driver and part-time hairdresser. “We just want to do our part, in our own way, because people deserve a second chance.”
Nelson Beckford, 51, a sales executive and former customer of Zeke’s, said Ford and Stewart “rewrote their story” and used their experience to help others.
He said being locked into working only for other people would only “clipping the wings” of the formerly incarcerated.
Struggling with “tags”
smallTewart closed his Detroit-Shovel store in 2018 after rent increases. Many barbers have returned to work sidelines or moved to other shops in the city. He reopened the store in 2020 at a new location in Old Brooklyn.
The sudden closure prompted Ford to realize his dream of running his own stores.
He worked as a personal barber during the COVID-19 pandemic and saved enough money to open Authentic Kutz, a barber shop in the city’s Bellaire-Puritas neighborhood, in 2021. The process is not easy. Ford said he was rejected for several bank loans because of his record.
“People put a label on you and expect you to wear it forever, no matter how much you’ve changed,” said Ford, who grew up in foster care and group homes around Cleveland. “I remember one time I did everything they (loan officers) told them to do and still got rejected.”
The bond Stewart and Ford formed during their bus ride has evolved from friendship to partnership to entrepreneurship. Most importantly, it allows both men to be present in their children’s lives. They’ve been able to see some of them graduate from college and start families of their own. The two men, now grizzled, also doted on their grandfather — something both men said they thought they’d never see.
“I cried. I was devastated,” Ford said. “But I kept going until I was able to make my own way, and some good people helped me along the way. You have to keep going.”
Local Reentry Assistance Organizations
The following counties and nonprofit organizations are just a few of the many agencies that provide information, legal services, and job opportunities to formerly incarcerated individuals. For a more detailed listing, visit the Cuyahoga County Office of Reentry website.
Cuyahoga County returns to office: The county office works with community agencies throughout greater Cleveland to coordinate service and educational activities for formerly incarcerated individuals. (216) 881-5554
Building Liberty Ohio: This organization provides and facilitates leadership, organizing, and strategic planning workshops for formerly incarcerated individuals. The group’s founder and many of its members were once held at Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correctional facilities. (216) 417-2743 info@ohorganizing.org
Cleveland Legal Aid Society: Provides free legal services to individuals with limited resources. 888-817-3777
towards employment: The agency is a workforce development organization that connects people with job opportunities in Northeast Ohio. (216) 696-5750