Bills seek to help ex-inmates as they seek jobs, re-enter society; would remove 'felon' label | The Republic

Don Thompson of the Associated Press tells the story of Jeff Rutland, an ex-addict two years out of San Quentin. Employers, though, will not hire him based on his qualifications because he is a felon.

Rutland, who most recently completed a sentence for felony assault, has given up on finding the kind of job for which he feels most qualified. He considers himself lucky to have landed a part-time position at an urban agriculture program in the San Francisco Bay area. He believes that for others like him, the ability to have a record wiped clean could mean the difference between being able to re-enter society and remaining on the margins. "Anybody coming home, all we want is that one break," he said. "Sometimes you'd be surprised by what that one little break can be that will change the course of a life."

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