r/ExCons

前几天通过法院公开网看到在里面关系比较亲近的一位狱友呈报了假释，预计本月底就可以出狱了，之前在监狱里我们是一个伙食团（就是物质集中在一起，统计使用，在里面物质非常的短缺，什么都有限制购买），应该说个人关系相处的也比较愉快，在里面有讲过出狱谁先出去就去接，这种承诺应该要去兑现吗？我个人倾向去履行承诺，可是我不知道怎么和他们的家属去介绍自己，会不会尴尬，因为在大部分的观念里，犯罪服刑的人应当要远离，不知道大家怎么看。

同样在红迪上寻找翻盘的机会，谢谢！

Have a 4th degree agg assault conviction from 2012(end of punishment), a Bachelor’s degree, every ServSafe certificate necessary, and 10 years of progressive experience in kitchens, and I can’t get a management job in this town, but can’t move. I’m certified to administer and proctor the FPM test to certify my own boss but can’t pass a background check to be a sous chef or exec chef ever again.

I did get one exec chef job during COVID, because they, presumably, suspended background checks, at a multi-national arena. But the sheer amount of exploitation and work became too much to justify for the 16 hour days I was putting in on half the salary a typical EC would get; and every hour above 40 was diluting my actual per hour payment to be around 10 bucks an hour average. Regret it now, because everyone is background checking all the way back to 18th birthday, 26 years ago.

I’m looking for advice from people who have actually been through California state prison or have firsthand experience with CDCR.

I’m a first-time offender with no criminal history/affiliation. After more than a year of court, I’ve been offered a plea to one count of PC 245(b) with a 3-year state prison sentence. The remaining charges would be stayed as part of the agreement. No one was physically injured in the incident.

I’m not asking whether I should take the deal or for legal advice. I already have an attorney. I’m trying to prepare myself in case I accept it.

Since this happened about 14 months ago, I did 5 months of voluntary anger management and 10 months of therapy, became involved in my Catholic church, completed my sacraments, and have been doing everything I can to improve myself. Unfortunately, mental health diversion was denied. For those who have actually been through CDCR:

What was reception like?
How long were you there before being transferred?
What do you wish you had done before surrendering?
How did you stay in contact with family?
What helped you mentally get through the first few months?
Any advice for someone going into prison for the first time?
I’m trying to prepare myself as much as possible and would appreciate hearing real experiences rather than TV or movie versions of prison.

Thank you.

Anyone have any recent insight on Montgomery or Edgefield Camps? Just trying to compare the two for purposes of asking for a recommendation. Also any info on the RDAP programs, waiting times, how many RDAP programs, do they open up at alternating times, etc. Appreciate any info.

This is the basic story of my journey so far. My intention here is to hopefully answer commonly asked question and offer some guidance for people with a similar story as mine.

I am a 51 year old male. I am from the Bay Area of California. Federal convictions for bank robbery and one state conviction for embezzlement. 3 years served in federal prison and 2 years served state prison but done concurrently in the feds, basically a paper sentence for the state. Maritime will be my second career. When I first became interested in this career it was difficult to know where to start. There is a fair amount of false information out there regarding felons and this industry. The following was my general path and timeline:

3/17/21 released from prison

1/2024 already had my US Passport so no issue there.

4/2024 applied for my TWIC , initially denied due to felony convictions and history of substance abuse. This response from them took approximately 2 months. Filled out waiver form and submitted evidence of rehabilitation ie. Character reference letters from family, friends etc. discharge from federal supervised release letter, doctors note, letter written by me explaining how my substance abuse was the sole cause of my criminal behavior.

10/2024 finally issued my TWIC Card

3/2025 applied for my Merchant Mariner Credential

3/2025 initially denied MMC, USCG informed me that for my criminal convictions there is a five year assessment period that must be satisfied first. That five year clock starts from the day released from prison. They inform me that I can reapply in one year.

During the next year while in holding pattern I took the following courses: VPDSD, STCW, AB, PSC( lifeboatman). I had fishing sea days from back in the 90's, otherwise I am green.

3/2026 I reapply for my MMC, I am told that due to the government shutdown there is a 8-12 month wait time. I use [MM-Seas.com](http://MM-Seas.com) software and consulting for my application so at least I know all my paperwork is in order. I want no mistakes to add further time to my wait. My application sits in the queue for about 43 days due to government shutdown. Government opens up and my application is processed in approximately 4 weeks. My MMC is issued and Medical Cert comes a day later.

6/29/2026 I officially join Sailors Union of the Pacific and now will wait for my first job.

The point of this story is that I was continually frustrated with doors closing on me, initial denial's, hoops to jump through, waiting periods etc. I even saw video's where supposed experts said you cannot get an MMC with felonies. There are specific assessment periods that the USCG uses for particular convictions. You will have to be diligent and figure that out if you are a felon.

Just wanted to share my journey for new people and felons who feel discouraged with all of this. I am super excited to start this next adventure.

My LO was sentenced to 96 months.
With 3 years supervise release
He was in a halfway house for 11 months (up until his BOP release date which was March
2025.. his halfway house started April 2024)
His max out date was February 2026
We are wondering why his halfway house is not counting towards the supervised release or is it? (since he got the halfway house for his good time?) and what if he was to say f probation since he already reached his max out date, what consequences could he have for that?

Hi everyone,

I'm also an ex-prisoner and i've been out for 1 year so I understand how difficult it can be to rebuild your life and find a job after being released.

I recently found a job with a company that gave me a chance and things have been going well, they're currently hiring and I can refer people who are interested.

I want to be completely transparent.. if someone I refer gets hired, I do receive a referral bonus so i'm not here to pressure anyone or sell anything, I just know how hard it can be to get a foot in the door, and if I can help someone while also earning the referral bonus, it's a win-win.

If you're looking for work and would like to know more about the job, the pay, or the hiring process, feel free to send me a DM.

I'll answer honestly and help however I can.

I wish everyone here the best of luck in rebuilding their lives.

Alright y’all, I’m 28, a felon, and I’m tired of feeling like I’m grinding in circles.

I make barely 6 figures but only because I’m doing three damn jobs — full‑time office job (\~55k), part‑time restaurant (\~32k), and Uber (\~25k last year). I’m from a tiny town where maybe 5% of people actually made it out of college. I did get an associate’s in business, but my felony (conspiracy to distribute + financial crimes) nuked a lot of the career paths I used to have.

And before anyone says “conspiracy isn’t the same” nah — legally it hits the same as doing the crime. I can’t fix the past, I can only deal with the right‑now.

The reel that messed with my head

Yesterday I saw a video of a 21‑year‑old kid unpacking a lunch his mom made him, explaining why he still lives at home paying $400 rent while stacking money. He’s in a 4‑year electrical apprenticeship making:

• 50% first year
• 55% second
• 60% third
• 65% fourth

And after that he’s guaranteed $40+ an hour.

Bro was calm, focused, and had a clear path. And it hit me — I don’t have a clear path right now. I’m working hard as hell but not building toward anything.

My career path (the rollercoaster)

I’ve worked in a lot of industries, and honestly I’ve done well in all of them:

• 2016–2019: Medicare Program Integrity Investigator (Cigna) — traveled AZ, FL, CT, Manila
• 2020–2021: Business Retention & Compliance Strategist (AT&T)
• 2021–2025: Direct Sales & Marketing Strategy Manager (HyCite) — SLC, Tempe, Austin
• 2023–2025: Commercial Lending Development Analyst (Bluegrass Lending Group) — Louisville & Tempe
• 2023–2025: Consumer & Product Experience Developer (W.C. Bradley) — Canada hubs + AZ• Had to leave after my guilty verdict. They gave me 6 months severance which was honestly generous.

• 2023–Current: Operations Development Lead at Panda Restaurant Group• Got hired literally right after getting out of jail. Walked in, got the job. I’m grateful.
• But long‑term? Nah. Once you hit ACO level the stress is insane and work‑life balance dies.

• 2025–Current: Business Development & Market Growth for a family‑owned construction/environmental company• I’ve grown MRR by 40% in 6 months.
• But leadership is stuck in 1980. Accounting is literally a 70‑year‑old lady who’s been with the family for 30+ years.
• No clear path. No modern systems. No real growth ladder.

My constraints

I’m on probation for 4 more years. I cannot start my own business. I must have a W‑2 full‑time job. If I switch jobs, I get looked at under a microscope. Ubering is what kept me off an ankle monitor.

I network a lot in construction and environmental services. People in my field — especially women — are making 80k–120k easily. And yeah, being a guy in construction sales is a disadvantage. A lot of dudes on job sites will entertain a pretty woman selling them a bag of air before they listen to me.

So I’m stuck between:

• A job I’m good at but has no future
• A company that’s too old‑school to scale
• A felony that limits my options
• A probation officer who will question any sudden change
• And a work ethic that’s burning me out

But I’m hungry for more. I’ve always been hungry for more.

So here’s my question:

Felons who bounced back — what industry did you end up thriving in? How much are you making? What path actually worked?

I’m not scared of work. I’m not scared of starting over. I just need a direction that isn’t “grind 3 jobs forever.”

I keep thinking about that damn reel of the kid with the lunchbox and the apprenticeship. He has a path. I want one too.

Disclaimer: AI 🤖 was used to refine and gather my ideas but every expression is very much my own!!

The judge deferred finding for my case for a year along with several terms to complete like community service. Is it possible to get off a deferred sentence early?

I am a 28 year-old female in George on felony probation for charges. I went in for my intake in January and initially failed my first THC drug test. I didn’t see my PO until march and was not tested. I now have been just doing all the things like fines,community service and also doing drug abuse therapy due to a test I was made to take .
It’s now almost July and he just called and asked my schedule. I asked if everything is okay and he was like yeah you just need to be seen. Didn’t say anything about a test or asking me to come in. My fiancé just left me and I hit my pen here recently. You think I’m okay or should I be worried? I had such a horrible lapse in judgement

I’m recently trying to better my life after losing myself into mental health, and making some poor decisions. I was charged with a misdemeanor for shoplifting in November of last year. I’m currently trying to find a job with this fairly recent charge, and was wondering what might be available, or jobs you may have found with a similar charge. I want to avoid fast food if at all possible, but any suggestions I would greatly appreciate :)

Please answer carefully, as I'm interested to know if it's legal or not.

I’m dealing with a federal criminal case and I’m struggling with how to view the fairness of it.
The government’s position is that I was involved in a scheme involving federal education benefits and academic work that was completed by someone else. What frustrates me is that there were multiple people involved, but I’m the only person facing the bulk of the consequences.
The restitution amount being discussed is hundreds of thousands of dollars, far beyond what I personally received. The theory is that because I allegedly connected people or facilitated things, I’m responsible for losses attributed to multiple participants.
From my perspective, it feels like I’m being held accountable not only for my own conduct but also for the actions of several other adults who made their own decisions.
The part I struggle with most is that the financial consequences could wipe out everything I’ve built over my lifetime, on top of the possibility of prison. Regardless of whether people think I deserve punishment, I’m having a hard time understanding how one person can be assigned responsibility for such a large amount when multiple people were involved.
Has anyone dealt with a situation where one defendant ended up carrying most of the restitution burden in a conspiracy case? How did you make sense of it?

Edit -loss amount was $450,000 now they are adding more and saying $750,000. Looking at leadership role too, so 41 - 52 months. I have no idea my chances of probation if I pay most back upfront.

My bf 23 (m) just got arrested…the court case & all the good stuff was published saying first degree burglary w/no bond, which is N.C. is a felony charge. Idk how long he’ll be in there esp w/his other criminal charges in the past, I have no way of contacting him unless I mail smtg nor do I have his family’s contacts to even ask what happened. This kind of situation really bothers me 21 (f) cause idk what to do, I love & care for him but there’s obviously nothing going for me if he’s continuously getting in trouble. I need some advice please help a girl out

Also I didn’t know where to post this 😭

A couple weeks into my incarceration I met a trans woman. This is a story about the conversation where she shared her perspective with me.

Hey guys need high paying jobs

Travel jobs too

I have violent felony for 2009.and 2019 changed my life 360 looking to step up my career game

Louisville ky