Correcting the Narrative About Formerly Incarcerated People - Jay Gonzalez

We showcase the successes, humanity, and agency of people with criminal records.
The Correcting the Narrative Campaign employs a combination of story-telling, and in-person and virtual events to promote acceptance of people with criminal records as not just, at best, taxpayers, employees, and neighbors, but rather equal citizens, employers, and potential family. The narrative has transitioned over time from one of fear and danger to often pity for people with criminal records and spectacle for what we did and who we were. While it is very true that the difficulties of our demographic leading to, during, and post-incarceration is absolutely true, over-portraying them is also detrimental to our end goal of equality. The pity and spectacle narrative, often pushed by well-meaning and even system-impacted people, actually causes society to connect who we are and who we can be more with our shadows and the stereotypes promoted in the media and uninformed communities.
For our second season of Correcting the Narrative, we highlighted formerly incarcerated folks succeeding in industries that the general public would not associate with our demographic. Jay embodies this greatly and powerfully.
As Jay states: "When people look at me, a lot of times they're like, 'I can't believe it.'"
Learn more about our work here: thecommunityno...