The Antelope Valley Times

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Job Fair for the formerly incarcerated

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PALMDALE – If you were formerly incarcerated and are now looking for another chance through steady employment, then you may be interested in an upcoming job fair.

The “Not Forgotten” Network Team will host a resource/job fair for formerly incarcerated job seekers from 12 to 4 p.m., Friday, November 18th, at the Larry Chimbole Cultural Center at 38350 Sierra Hwy, Palmdale.

The job fair is open to job seekers with misdemeanor or felony backgrounds. There is no cost to attend the job fair and an RSVP is not required.

First preference at the Job Fair will be given to job seekers who attend the New Contributors “First Impression Certified” Workshop, which will be held from 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., November 16, 2011, at the South Valley WorkSource Center, 38510 Sierra Highway, Palmdale, CA 93550. The workshop targets job seekers who were formerly incarcerated and covers:

  • Overcoming barriers to employment
  • Building a new identity
  • Work readiness skills
  • Resume techniques
  • Interview techniques
  • Tips on dressing for success
  • Job fair etiquette

A certificate of completion will be provided at the end of this workshop, which will enable job seekers to be the first in line to see employers and resource organizations that hire/service the formerly incarcerated at the “Not Forgotten” Resource/Job Fair on November 18.

To register for the “First Impression Certified” Workshop, email svwscinfo@goodwillsocal.org or call 661-265-4954. Organizers say those attending the workshop should have a resume and be “Dressed for Success.”

Both events are being presented through The South Valley WorkSource Center in collaboration with the “Not Forgotten” Network Team, which includes Paving the Way, New Beginning Outreach Foundation, Antelope Valley WorkSource Center, Goodwill, EDD, Prison Fellowship, and Antelope Valley College.

The events are an effort to open doors to employment for formerly incarcerated job seekers that have the will and desire to make a change in their life for the betterment of themselves and the community, say organizers.

The group is also seeking more businesses that are open to hiring formerly incarcerated job seekers. Contact 661-208-4941 or svwscinfo@goodwillsocal.org for details.

Filed Under: Palmdale

40 comments for "Job Fair for the formerly incarcerated"

  1. I’ve seen a woman who tried to save a horse’s life felonized here at the antonovich court house. She was a 30yr retired, disabled teacher. I saw a guy on my street charged with a felony, for having the misfortune of watching a police action across from his house, and when the sheriffs didn’t find who they were looking for, they went across the street and threw him to the ground, causing damage to his arm, wrist and shoulder. When he dared to loudly complain, the sheriffs told a neighbor they didn’t like his mouth, so even though he had nothing to do with the reason they were there, they arrested him and they’ve charged him with a felony (though they refuse to give him the report, so he has no idea what for). He has lost 2 customers who had relatives working for the sheriffs, and they passed the info to them. (case pending)

    All this in 2 days. 8/29 and 8/30. So while you all throw the term felon around, remember, we felonize everyone up here. By all means, make sure someone who has made all the “right” decisions get them jobs 1st! And be sure to hold ALL “felons” to the lowest common denominator!

        • (from Wikipedia) “The Sea Hag is one of the central enemies of Popeye the Sailor. She is the last witch on earth, and a pirate who sails the Seven Seas in her boat “The Black Barnacle”. She is able to practice Voodoo magic and powerful enough to capture the equally magical Eugene the Jeep and on one occasion Santa Claus. She can even alter her appearance to that of her alter ego Rose of the Sea. Besides having a pet vulture named Bernard as her familiar, she also commands an army of Goons. The most famous of the Goons is Alice the Goon.

          Because she is a woman, Popeye cannot physically attack her. His honor says that he would never hit a woman, even someone as evil as the Sea Hag. In such cases, it is Olive Oyl herself who steps in and does physical damage to her.”

          Maybe she is a fan of Popeye cartoons?

          • Miguel Rivera called me a dried up old sea hag. Although I came here and told him I was a dried up old desert rat, he ran and hid, never responding. He seems to enjoy attacking someone else here, pretending it’s me, but hasn’t had the balls to respond to me directly.

            Thought I’d incorporate it into my name, just to remind him I’m here, and being as I am old and unattractive, I proudly wear the name desert rat, as I’m am from here. Back to attacking everyone we call felon, no comments on the 2 examples I brought up?

    • I never knew about the woman and the horse, that’s seriously effed up! A felony??????? When did this happen? Can you provide more details, Maureen?

      • A friend had wrote up the story for a different page, so I’ll just repost Her real name is Ginger, and her useless lawyer is Marc Herbert.

        A lady went to court on 8/29. We’ll call her Suzy (not her real name), and she is a sweet, intelligent woman, who taught school for 30yrs, is now retired on a fixed income. And is disabled. A victim of a accident, she can not walk. And has never let it slow her down. Highly independent, she goes everywhere on her scooter, and lives alone on horse property on the west side. And Suzy looks like, well, a freckled, red headed, blue eyed lady.

        Suzy had two horses. One she had owned for awhile, one given to her from some people who could no longer afford to take care of it, and were struggling with the decision of putting it down, as it had a hoof infection. Suzy was raised with and spent her life around horses. She knew that there were MANY different ways this could be treated, and also knew that they may or may not work. Between her and the owners, they came to the decision to try and save the horse. After all, they knew the WORST that could happen is that the treatments wouldn’t work, at which time should the horse need to be put down, they would all know they did their best in giving it a chance. Suzy took possession of the horse.

        Suzy has a neighbor who she had heard caused some trouble with all the other neighbors. This same lady showed up in her front yard with a vet, and told Suzy she had seen the horse hobble a bit, and SINCE the neighbor’s VET HAD BEEN AT HER HOUSE ANYWAY, would Suzy mind if he looked at her horse. Not wanting to give this neighbor a reason to cause problems with her as she had done with others, Suzy said “why not?” After all, Suzy knew she had nothing to hide, right?

        A couple of day later, Suzy came home to find a notice on her door, claiming her horse was in pain, and that she had 48 hours to get a vet on site! Suzy HAD JUST HAD A HOOF SPECIALIST out to see her horse 2 days before, but she figured if it was requested by officials, why argue? She had the specialist come back out, and while he was there, she had him note that not only was the horse under professional care, but was at the proper weight and was getting on it’s feet every day. She then dropped off this information at the animal shelter on Ave. I.

        TWO WEEKS LATER SUZY CAME HOME TO FIND A NOTE ON HER DOOR TELLING HER THAT ANIMAL CONTROL HAD SHOT HER HORSE, LEFT IT DEAD IN HER YARD, TAKING ONLY THE DRESSINGS THAT WAS ON THE HORSES INFECTED HOOF. Really, why should an elderly woman whose life has been spent teaching children, helping animals, paying taxes, involved in her community and overcoming incredible personal health issues expect anything more then her horse dead in her yard? No hearing, no communication, no request for clarification. The animal control officer who insisted on taking this position? A Rachael Montez-Kemp. When Suzy went to speak to someone about how this could happen, Ms Montez-Kemp told her “any animal in pain needed to be put down”.

        Think about that. Any animal in pain needs to be put down. Arthritis? Broken bone? Mange? A cut paw could be highly uncomfortable. Who gets to decide what constitutes pain? I know more then one vet who would be out of business if we were forced to live by ms Montez-kemp’s rules.

        But they aren’t done with Suzy.

        Suzy got a summons to go to court in Long Beach. Why? For an animal neglect charge. Suzy went to the hearing and was told they could of charged her with a felony. But they didn’t.

        Suzy went home, thinking this was just one of the bad things that happen to people, but it was all over.

        In April Suzy got a letter from animal control, telling her they had put out a warrant for her arrest. The letter came two weeks after the warrant was said to of been issued. Signed by Rachel Montez-Kemp.

        Now Suzy was worried, and retained a local Lancaster lawyer. The lawyer told her that any other courthouse in the nation would never of allowed this to get to this point. But not ours.

        The locals wanted to charge this elderly lady with a felony. They told Suzy’s lawyer, Marc, that if Suzy pleaded to the felony, they wouldn’t throw her in prison for three years!!! Suzy told Marc she wanted to fight the charges. Since there is no written law saying how long an animal owner had to try to cure an animal of an illness, or a graph proving levels of pain an animal suffers before having to be put down, she figured this had to be some mistake.(We want to remind everyone that this horse was NOT rolling around on a barn floor in pain and not eating. Proper weight and on it’s feet every day.) Her lawyer said fine. He said he would subpena the 3 different specialist she had treating the horse at different times. That he would bring up the numerous complaints against Rachel Montez-Kemp.

        That he had checked out the sites Suzy had provided him, and was now convinced that there were a thousand different ways to treat the infection. That she had nothing to worry about, as this would be thrown out as soon as he presented his case to the judge.

        The morning of the 29th, the preliminary, Suzy showed up and a couple of elderly neighbor ladies and her sister came along to give her moral support. The prosecutor, ms. sadinsky showed up with the neighbor who had made the original complaint (a woman being investigated for destruction to a restaurant on 90th st W., she tried running, failed to pay rent on, and while being evicted caused damage to, in a tantrum thrown over her failure), the neighbor’s vet and rachel montez-kemp.Suzy’s lawyer marc showed up with none of the people he had told Suzy he would call to testify. He went in to tell the prosecutor, sadinsky, that his client wanted to fight the charge. After speaking to the prosecutor, he came out to tell Suzy that the prosecutor would hit Suzy with ANOTHER felony if she tried to fight the charge. That she, sadinsky, would get the neighbor’s vet to testify that the 2nd horse had a white line on it’s hoof, that that was a disease, that it proved a pattern of neglect. This was the 1st Suzy had heard of her other horse having “white line disease”, that her vet had never seen it, and could testify the horse DIDN’T have it.

        Her lawyer Marc proceeded to tell Suzy she should accept the plea. He turned his attention to Suzy’s neighbors and sister, convincing them that Suzy was on her way to prison, that fighting the charges were hopeless. That it would cost her thousands to try and fight it, she would probably lose! Nothing like scaring the shit out of old ladies! But then, this way his work was done. He had nothing more to do then sit back and let the lady’s fear work on Suzy. He told her she had 10 minutes to make up her mind. Her friends and family, now terrorized, pointed out Suzy’s limited income, her disabilities, her chances of surviving three years in prison. If she accepted the plea agreement?

        A couple of thousand in court cost and COUNSELING COST, 24 weeks, and 120 hours community service. Her lawyer told her that if she kept her nose clean for 6 to 8 months, did all the court asked, she could get it dropped to a misdemeanor in under a year.

        It worked!!! Suzy’s lawyer and prosecutor terrorized this woman into accepting a felony conviction. She wept when the judge asked her if she was willing to accept the terms of the court. She wept when they told her she would be subject to unannounced compliance sweeps anytime, 24/7. She wept when she was told she could not own as much as a goldfish. (She has had to find a home for her 2 cats.) And she wept when the judge asked her if anyone had threatened her into taking the plea agreement. (Her friends all said under their breath, that yes, both her lawyer and prosecutor had threatened her with as many felony counts as possible until she agreed to plead!)So, here is a felon that rex warns us about! Here’s a felon he doesn’t want living in our town. Here’s a lady who rex can scream felon at, should she ever decide to show up to a council meeting, with opinions differing from his!

        And what did anybody get from this? Well Marc her lawyer got $4,000 for doing nothing for his client. Sadinsky got to keep her conviction rate up. The counseling center we contract animal abuse cases to in Van Nuys get’s a $1,000 for cruelty classes Suzy could personally teach. (And NO, they are NOT set up for disabled clients, but Suzy was told she would have to find a way!) Grace resources get a wonderful woman working for free for 120 hours.

        And Suzy and the community? What did we get? Suzy got a dead horse and a felony conviction. And the opportunity to put her limited cash into the local legal system. And the community got to lose some dignity and honor. And the right to consider all felons as bad people!

        BTW The judge who allowed this bullshit to go down in his court? ESTES.

        • I trust that you presented the facts as accurately as you know them to be and I hate what happened to that woman. It just doesn’t seem possible in America that that could happen.

          I recall reading something about it in the Av Press a while back but not as in as much detail. I would have contributed to her defense fund if I had known more at the time. I love animals and especailly horses and ones that need our care. I had to put down my beloved 18 year old cat a year ago due to renal failure and after being a diabetic for 4 years. Attending to her taught me a lot about love and caring for another being as I don’t have children. It seemed as an inconvenience and financial burden at first but after a few months, when I went to the fridge to draw up insulin, she would go onto the dining room and lay on the carpet as though she knew was I was going to do. The injections weren’t painful and she seemed to appreciate the attention. I miss her dearly and can imagine the pain the woman felt on losing a horse that she took in and cared for. A tragic story for the horse and a loving, caring woman.

          What is happening to our country and our society? Gay marriage is treated as an evil. Providing health care for the less fortunate is considered evil. Providing a living wage, collective bargaining and caring for a sick animal is treated with punishment.

          I struggle to come up with an effective way to address these perverse behaviors by some in our country that will be successful and not simply have those same people re-double their efforts which they have shown a unique ability to do despite how egregious their actions and hypocrisy appear to an objective observer. They don’t care. That have no shame and can’t be shamed.

          • I just lost my “big dog” of 10 years William. So you have my sympathies. Losing our pets leaves a big hole in our lives. I look for my girl every day.

            The good news is we didn’t get charged with felonies behind our pets illnesses.

            I have been to Garland rescue this publication ran a story on a couple of months ago. They are overwhelmed with abused or abandoned cats. I KNOW we can’t replace the pets we’ve lost, but might I suggest you check them out, and possibly adopt a new love? You sound like the kind of man that could be the savior of one of their cats! All you will get in return is some critters love and devotion.

        • Thanks, Maureen. I checked out Garland Rescue and saw the most beautiful cats and kittens and saved the website. I’m remodeling my house right now and would have to wait till things are finished.

          I had pretty much decided not to get another pet as I’m 65 and was concerned about what to do if I’m no longer around or can’t care for her or him or them. I had that concern with my previous cat. However, I’m going to ask Garland if I can set it up so that they can accept a pet I get from them if I’m no longer able to care for it/them.

          I never had that consideration when I was much younger about future care for a pet. You know, when you’re young, you think you’ll live forever. I would hate to have my older pet put down unnecessarily because I was was no longer around and it/they coudn’t be adopted.

          • Your welcome William. I also am aging quickly. (Seems to fly by the older you get.

            Being as there are soooo many pets needing rescue, might I suggest adopting an older cat? I recently saved an old Shepard (10) and she has turned into a real joy. We got her around the beginning of the year, and just having her has helped us get past losing our big girl.

            But bless you for saving ANY cat.

          • I am glad to know that there are other Cat-Lovers here. I used to wonder if I was the only one? It seems that people are cruel to animals, but incredibly cruel to cats. I have taken in about eight cats (three of whom are still alive) in my lifetime and they are a joy!

  2. William, I see your point. The big thing is that a person with a felony will never be allowed in a position where they handle money. Yes, if a person does the time they should be considered for the position but at whose expense? Do you have kids like I do? If so then how would you deal with them being pushed aside?

    • Marianne; It is a fair argument that a person who committed a felony will likely have more limitations on what kind of work he/she is qualified to be employed at, due to the nature of their particular crime. But to follow Matt’s extreme position that they should never be able to get any help whatsoever in finding employment is simply vindictive madness.

      BTW: I, too, hope that your kids find suitable work for themselves.

    • While I’m not a natural fan of felons, I don’t see how in this particular country in the 21st century we can continue to ‘punish’ people once they’ve done their time. There may be jobs that they’ve lost the right to work at, such as a doctor or a lawyer or working with minors, but if a felon who has done their time and has no other disqualifying marks against them, they should be considered solely on their job qualifications at McDonald’s alongside a teenager fresh out of high school.

      Would you pass a law that is constituional to discriminate based only on the fact that they are a felon? How could they ever get a job if they were competing with a non-felon. Think this through some more. Please.

  3. I have two teenagers who will be leaving high school this year and I pray everyday that they can stay in this area and find some work.

  4. I never claimed to be “perfect”, but I sure as hell have not committed a felony either. I have no problem with felons getting jobs, but they can stand in line behind those with no criminal record whatsoever!

    • Should they get in the back of the bus, too, Matt?

      Seriously, you have 365 1/4 days a year to get these benefits and you want to complain when somebody else with a distinct disadvantage in getting employment gets ONE job fair event? Get over yourself, Matt!

      • I don’t need a job, Jason! I have one! I’m talking about the thousands of young people in this Valley with no criminal records who are good kids just trying to get by and the people with skills acquired through trade schools or colleges and universities.

        These people deserve priority at all times. If this is a personal issue for you and you have a felony on your record, I understand your frustration, but you cannot expect me to sympathize with those who have purposefully chosen to break the law over those who haven’t.

        • There you go again.

          You know, for a person who claims to have so much education, you don’t seem to have learned much.

          You’re also pretty much clueless on deductive reasoning, too.

          • When did I bring up my education? Not once on this site or any other! Yet, you have brought it up twice on this thread now? What gives? Are you jealous because of your lack of education?

        • you have a point there Matt, but on the other hand if they don’t get jobs then they end up collecting assistance, I am all for getting them a job, they are probably going to get employment in places where money are not an issue and they are probably getting manual labor if they get anything at all, there are not that many jobs and the reality is that most employers will hire the good kid over the one with a past but again I am all for putting them to work…

    • “I never claimed to be “perfect”, but I sure as hell have not committed a felony either” – Matt Keltner

      You mean none that you got caught for, Matt…

      Try to remember: “Yea, but for the grace of God go I.”

      • Oh yes, Jason! What “felony” did I commit but did not get caught for committing? Please tell me!

        • Stinger ,

          Do people go around all of the time and commit felonies and then try to hide them? I never knew a felony was so easy to commit.

          • I would like to know the same thing, Mariane ! Especially since I have never committed one or done anything that would remotely be grounds for even the accusation thereof. I think Jason (yes, your writing pattern is distinguishable) should speak up and tell me what I have ever done that is felonious!

          • Matt,

            Your “felony” is that you seem to like the BLVD in Lancaster more than you should .That is probably grounds for a “felony” conviction on this site-lol! If they cant bring up your sexuality and get you upset I guess they have to declare you a “felon”-ha!

        • Matt, we have all done things that we regret. Many of those might surprise you to learn have been made into felonies by overzealous politicians trying to get votes by the sheeple.

          This is what I meant by the phrase, “Yea, but for the grace of God go I.”

          As for your investigative skills, you might want to go back to whatever 2 bit school you went to to get your money back. You’re as bad as Ace is! Try again.

  5. How about a job fair for the many people who DON’T have felony records and who have managed to conduct themselves responsibly in society? What about the promises of jobs made to the people who kept themselves on a good path and obtained college degrees?

    There are also tons of high school graduates looking for a job right now and about 95% of them have no criminal record.

    • Here we go again with the vindictive whining about how THEY shouldn’t be helped becasue they made a mistake. Matt, ANYBODY (including you perfect people who NEVER have made a mistake in your perfectly sinless lives) can go to either of the WorkSource Centers in the AV at ANY time. There are MANY job fairs held throughout the year for EVERYBODY.

      Somebody tries to reduce recidivist crime by holding ONE job fair for those that screwed up and were formerly incarcerated for it and the short-thinking types want it shut down because they FEEL that it’s NOT FAIR?

      Has it occurred to you that the statistics show that former offenders that find gainful employment are significantly less likely to return to committing crimes against the community? Helping THEM get jobs helps US, too!

      Or did your vindictive sense of punishment want them to pay for their stupidity FOREVER?

      • I thought that a person who was penalized for a crime, paid his dues. Then, when they are done with prison or whatever, they should be hired based on qualitfications like anyone else and not penalized again as that would be ‘cruel and unusual punishment’.

        There may be exceptions like for pedophiles who cannot work at certain jobs but other than that, they should be on equal footing with others, felon free or not.

          • At one of my jobs, a woman was just laid off who is 60 years old. She has one bad eye due to glaucoma and her husband is stricken with kidney cancer that has spread to his lungs and liver. Her husband was laid off before the cancer was diagnosed and they have been fighting with Workers Comp for some help from his former employer. She has gone to various places all over the Antelope Valley looking for work so that she can save her house from foreclosure. Mind you, this woman has worked her entire life, raised four kids and is on her own (unfortunately) as all of her kids have moved away. Why in God’s name should she have to compete with a felon for work? I prepare meals for her and take them out to her about once a week. The only thing she wants is a job at this point. In a better economy, I would be all for ex-convicts getting jobs, but as Marianne also said, not at the expense of people who’ve lived straight lives and kept on the right side of the law.