r/SexOffenderSupport

He served out his sentence, so no parole/ probation. He is Tier 1, we are in Ohio. What should I be doing to prepare? Any other suggestions? TIA

Looking at going to work a construction job in Nevada for a couple weeks to a couple months. Currently an Oregon resident and registered. What’s registration like down there if I stay in a work camp and put that on my registration will they come check and look for me for address checks? Will they notify the work camp?

Even in just the past year, the way that people obtain jobs has changed tremendously. Working in reentry, I’ve seen these changes take a massive effect on everyone. So I’m going to give you all some advice.

I think one of the biggest mistakes people make when they are desperate for a job is assuming that putting in hundreds upon hundreds of applications automatically gives them hundreds of chances.

It really doesn’t anymore.

In fact, it can often do more harm than good. Look at it as trying to send emails and constantly being filtered as spam - because that’s essentially what’s happening.

Things do not work the way they used to. Most larger employers no longer have a human being sit down and read every application that comes in. Instead, they are using applicant tracking systems, automated screening and AI assisted software to decide which applications ever even make it in front of an actual person.

And here is another problem that people do not think about - a lot of employers are using the same handful of hiring platforms and screening systems.

So, if your resume is formatted badly for one of those systems, does not contain the keywords it is looking for, or gets scored poorly for some other reason, you can essentially be getting rejected by the same robot over and over again at completely different companies.

Sending the exact same resume to 300 employers is not giving you 300 separate chances.

If you have been shotgun applying for months without much success, stop for a minute and change the strategy. If you’re just starting to apply - don’t take this approach to begin with.

For every job you apply for - actually read the posting. Look at the skills and terminology they use and make sure your resume reflects those things (assuming, obviously, that you really have those skills).

If the employer says they want experience with “inventory control,” “forklift operation,” “shipping and receiving,” “customer service,” “machine operation,” etc., and you have that experience, use those words. Do not assume the software is smart enough to figure out that the completely different phrase you used means basically the same thing - because it doesn’t.

Your resume should also be incredibly simple.

No fancy columns. No graphics. No skill bars. No weird fonts. No elaborate templates. No floating text boxes. No giant header full of contact information. Some systems parse those things badly, and you do not want your application rejected because the software cannot correctly read your resume.

Plain and boring is your friend.

Your resume also needs to tell an employer what you can actually DO.

Lead with skills. Certifications. Equipment you can operate. Software you know. Industries you have worked in. Years of experience. Reliability. Availability. Concrete things that make you useful to an employer.

Whenever possible, apply directly through the company’s own website instead of relying on Indeed, ZipRecruiter or similar sites. Those platforms are sometimes useful for finding openings, but I would treat them more like a search engine than the place where you actually apply.

Go find the job on the employer’s careers page and submit it there. Third party applications can be duplicated, outdated, poorly transferred into the company’s hiring system, or filtered before they ever reach the employer.

Applying directly also gives you a better chance of answering the company’s actual screening questions, uploading a clean version of your resume, and making sure your application lands in the system the employer is actually using to hire.

And stop relying completely on online applications.

Call smaller companies. Walk in where that is appropriate. Ask who handles hiring. Use staffing agencies. Talk to reentry organizations. Ask your PO or treatment provider where they are actually seeing people get hired right now. Ask other people on supervision where they are currently working.

That is much more useful than another “felon-friendly employers” list that has been photocopied, reposted and handed to every newly released person for the last ten years.

Smaller construction companies, warehouses, fabrication shops, machine shops, landscaping companies, moving companies, manufacturers, automotive businesses and locally owned companies can sometimes be much easier places to reach an actual decision maker instead of fighting your way through a corporate hiring system.

And if you ARE getting interviews, that is important.

It means your resume is getting through at least some of the time.

If the process consistently dies after the interview or background check, then the resume may not be your biggest problem anymore. At that point, work specifically on how you are talking about your conviction.

Keep it short, accountable and boring.

You do not need to give an employer your entire life story. You do not need to spend ten minutes explaining the case. And you definitely do not want the whole interview to suddenly become about your conviction.

Something as simple as:

“I was convicted, I served my sentence, I’m currently compliant with parole, and I’m focused on working and rebuilding.”

Then move right back into why you would be a good employee.

The goal is not to convince them that your conviction was unfair, explain every circumstance surrounding it, or ask them to take pity on you. The goal is to show them that it is something you take responsibility for, that it is being handled, and that you are there because you want to work.

And keep some perspective.

If you have only been home a few months, I know three months without a job feels like an eternity when you desperately need income. But it is unfortunately not unusual for someone coming home from prison - particularly someone with a registry requirement - to have to work considerably harder to get that first employer to say yes.

Hell, plenty of people with completely clean records are struggling to get hired in three months right now.

So keep your head up and keep applying - but apply differently.

I would much rather see someone submit 10 carefully researched applications this week, tailor their resume to each job, follow up on all 10 and make an effort to reach actual human beings than submit another 150 generic applications into online systems and hope one somehow survives the exact same automated filters they have already been fighting.

I hope this helps! Good luck out there!

Been struggling to find any place willing to rent to so's in or around Wichita ks. Any leads?

My attorney intends to file my application for a downward departure this week. After going through everything, he believes there are several strong arguments worth presenting to the court.

The application will address the amount of time I've been on the registry (over two decades), where I am in life today, my recovery and rehabilitation efforts, community references, and other evidence showing how much has changed since my original conviction.

My recovery efforts are going to be a significant part of this. I've spent a considerable amount of time working on myself, taking responsibility for my past, and trying to give back to my community. A lot of that has been through NA and AA, which eventually lead to me working as a peer advocate and trying to help others who are going through their own struggles. I've put a considerable amount of time into becoming a different person than I was decades ago, and I want the court to be able to consider that when looking at who I am today.

There is also a very significant practical consequence if the departure is granted. Because I'm currently classified as a Level 2, I'm subject to lifetime registration. If I were moved to Level 1, the registration period would be 20 years, and I've already been registered for longer than that. So a successful downward departure would potentially mean that I would no longer have an ongoing registration obligation rather than simply moving from one level of supervision to another.

My attorney also told me that he's seen several cases in the last few years with circumstances similar to mine where the Board of Examiners recommended or approved a lower classification, and the courts ultimately followed those recommendations. Obviously, every case is different and there is no guarantee mine will go the same way, but hearing that there is a recent track record of cases where the process has worked is encouraging.

At this point, I'm cautiously optimistic. Nothing is guaranteed, but I feel like there are legitimate arguments here. More importantly, I'm hoping the court gets the opportunity to look at the entire picture, including more than two decades on the registry, the person I am today, and the work I've put into changing my life and giving back to my community.

NCPTC monitoring software

So I just bought an open box HP laptop , a ultra core 7. It's supposed to have 9 to 12 hours of battery life. I just had the modeling software installed the other day and I was having a lot of issues with things like websites loading extremely slowly on nothing loading at all. I had to restart it twice and it finally started working but it all depends if I use edge or Firefox.

Now I'm trying to connect my phone to the laptop. It keeps disconnecting from Bluetooth and when I connected to the USB cable your phone shows up but it says it's empty.

And now my laptop was charged 100% when I left the house and the only thing I've done is have it on public Wi-Fi at the library and trying to connect this thing to Bluetooth and it's already down to 69% with 2 and 1/2 hours left.

I don't know if it's the laptop itself or if it's just modeling software, draining the battery and giving me all these problems.

My issue is I only have 15 days from the time of purchase to return it since it's an open box and if I do I'll have to pay another $45 to have the software installed on a new laptop.

And tech support says I can't get another tech support help date until Tuesday even though I called them within 10 minutes of getting off the phone with the original tech when the website's were not loading and they say they're all booked up.

Has anyone had any of these problems? If it wasn't for the 15 days it wouldn't be such a problem. The laptop does still have 11 months warranty on it, but that's going to be a hassle I can already tell.

I'm 26, living in Cumberland county NC. I was released a little over a month ago after a total of about 37 months of incarceration. I can reliably commute an hour or more, and I am on Satellite-based Monitoring (ankle monitor) for the next 5 years of my post-release but do not have a location restriction outside of the obvious for being a RSO. I can go out of county for work, but cannot leave the state.

My skills are tech-focused, such as MS Office suite certs, high (but by no means expert) understanding of Active Directory, Windows CMD Line, intro/intermediate C#, JavaScript programming, and I have CompTIA A+ and Sec+, though both are expired at this time.
I'm slowly bringing myself up to speed on A.I., or attempting to in my spare time at least. I am also steadily working on improving my knowledge of Unity and Unreal Engine, if that matters.

My work experience is 3 years help desk, Windows-only during those years, with around a year and some total of fast food service. I am open to most types of work, with a preference to entry level I.T. work, but I would prefer to avoid the general labor I am currently doing and the construction/worksite flagging I will be doing soon.

Other things of note: Internet access isn't an issue outside of the occasional hiccup due to our new ISP for the area. To clarify for NC, I am not allowed onto public school property, within upwards of 300-500 feet of playgrounds/play areas (such as those found in a mall), places that are advertised as child-friendly, locations often populated by friend groups below the age of 18, etc. etc.

Any and all help, advice or leads would be greatly appreciated.

I was released from prison in April. I have been doing okay but I still do not have a job. I am on parole for 1 year and did 1 year in prison. I have to register for 10 years.

I have been shotgun applying to places for the last 3 months. I have seriously put in hundreds upon hundreds of applications to anything and everything. I occasionally get a response and go to an interview just for them to never get back to me after they know my background. If I could just get a job I'd be doing amazing.

Does anyone know places that hire Sex Offenders in the DFW area? My PO gave me a list and I applied to every single one and got no responses back except one, and I'm waiting to hear back from them since I had an interview Tuesday. It's getting a little frustrating.. I know I did bad things, but I'm trying to be better and be productive, yet they won't give me a chance.

Please help me.

Can anybody advise how is San Antonio more specifically Bexar county is when it comes to level 2 S/O New York is pretty strict with no alcohol and all the usual restrictions. I am just trying to find out if anything will be added if i move there.

Has anyone here had success running their own IT or tech business? The tech job market has been quite bad for a while, and being registered makes it extremely difficult to find any work. I've given up on applying and am trying my hand at running my own business. I'm doing small computer repair and config jobs for local businesses to make small amounts of money in the meantime but finding clients is difficult for me.

I live in a big city, have a degree in computer science, barely any professional experience (6 mo internship), and a corporation under a family member's name. I am quite skilled with computers and have strong skills with Linux, bash, system/network admin, docker, n8n, python, etc. along with my own Linux server homelab which has taught me a lot of practical hands-on skills. Does anyone have advice for the best way to pursue clients and make money given my situation and skill set?

I recently graduated from CDL school and got my license in July the process was smooth and easy however trying to find a job has been a headache I’ve been unemployed since January getting laid off due to our cleaning contract ending since January I went trying to apply for jobs left and right calling multiple landscaping and warehousing jobs with either no call back or saying they didn’t need help I figured getting a CDL was a life line from reading many threads and videos here I’m currently 8 months unemployed with 2 kids of my own and a fiancé I’m trying to provide for living at my parents till something comes up can someone point me in some direction Werner told me no and Rohel told me it’s a case by case basis

Hello, 2 months ago I was released from federal prison after 14 years. I'm currently in a halfway house, rely on public transportation, and am soon to be certified as a forklift operator. My work history is slim. I've applied to 70+ jobs and the only response has been an interview from Chipotle off Kirby drive. Anyone know of decent work available within an hour of Commerce Street/59 by bus that's hiring?

I know the travel matrix hasn't been updated in a while, and I'm not sure whether it only had info for American residents.

Anyone know of a legitimate resource that shows where Canadians on the registry are and aren't allowed to travel? Any personal firsthand experiences (ie getting through customs, booking hotels, etc.) are especially appreciated. I'm particularly looking at travel to Caribbean resorts.

Me F (20) have a brother M (24) who is now a registered sex offender. He lives at home with my dad and younger sister who is 5 as well as dad’s new wife. My brother went through all of his court and all and he’s now registered for 20 years and is halfway through his first year of 3 of probation. He lost all of his friends in the process and I see him very lonely. I try to be there for him but it just feels like nothing I say or anyone says gets through to him. I can’t imagine how he feels and I do empathize with him but I just don’t know how to help him or make him feel better. I feel he’s depressed and isolated from the world and our family feels the same. He plays video games and has a job. That is pretty much all he does. He’s told me before he feels his life is over and he doesn’t see a point in his life where this doesn’t affect him. As for the younger sister our family goes and does children stuff all the time which of course he can’t do and I feel that makes the situation worse for him. Thankfully our family has been very supportive to him during this time and he knows that. I just don’t know what to do to help him and I’m very worried about him.

Good afternoon. My elderly parents live in Mississippi, and I visit them a few times a year. As they continue to age, the need to visit more frequently is certainly a possibility.

I am off probation in my state and am not under any type of supervision.

If it weren’t for this group, I would never have known about the complexities of traveling as an RSO, particularly the importance of understanding the registration laws in any state I plan to visit. I was never educated about these issues as part of my conviction or probation, so I am very grateful for the information I have learned here.

As I understand Mississippi law, a “temporary residence” is defined as:

>

I have never stayed in Mississippi for 14 days in a calendar year. However, I don’t know exactly how many days I have been there this year, nor do I fully understand how Mississippi calculates “aggregate” days.

I certainly don’t want to unintentionally exceed whatever visitation threshold applies. When I visit my parents, I generally stay only one or two nights, but I am always concerned that I may inadvertently be doing something wrong. Hearing all the recent discussion about Flock cameras has only increased that anxiety.

A couple of questions:

1. Would it be reasonable to contact the sheriff’s office in the county where my parents live and ask about the requirements, or could that potentially create problems for me?
2. Would it be worthwhile to have a phone consultation with a Mississippi attorney who is knowledgeable about sex-offender registration laws? If so, I would need to find an attorney who handles this area of law.

I’m primarily looking for advice on how others have handled this situation. I want to make sure I am complying with Mississippi law without unnecessarily creating a problem for myself.

Hi guys, I'm the gf of a SO and you guys have been very helpful. He doesn't have internet access so I'm always posting. We've applied to nearly 60 jobs. (please don't tell me that's not enough, I have to do so much for him and it's exhausting). His PO hasn't given much guidance (and rarely there when he comes in- he comes in on off days to ask questions) but she got frustrated with him today because he doesn't have a job, and then was like, "well I can get you a rec for this thrift store in town." Acting like he knew this all along.. This is the first actually helpful thing she's done in 7 months. We also are trying to get him into this program, Anti-Recidivism Coalition, that can help. Thank you to the person who told me about it! We're still seeing if it'll work out because his PO has to check with her supervisor if they'll let him use a tablet at probation for the zoom meetings. He has to do most of the group meetings online.

So anyway, it's been a lot of hurdles but things seem to be going in a positive direction. He is very stressed about potentially working in his county. It's small and everyone knows everyone. He's scared of people attacking him or worse. I'm trying to be encouraging. I feel like a thrift store is a relatively safe environment but I understand his fear. Thanks for listening

Hi, I go by Sam, and after getting the go-ahead from the good mods of this board, I run a TDCJ Parole-approved (TX Department of Criminal Justice) housing facility in Houston, TX.

We operate a new single family home with completely up-to-date amenities (new beds, kitchen, A/C, TV, parking, bus stops, etc) and we are fully licensed by both the City of Houston and TDCJ Parole Division, Region III.

Weekly rental rates are $180 per, and we only require a two weeks' deposit ($360) plus a $50 intake fee ($410 total). Once deposit is paid, we will issue a Letter of Acceptance (LOA) to your Parole Officer (PO) to authorize your release from parole or current residence.

We are a strictly alcohol/drug-free facility. GPS monitored parolees are accepted here.

DM me for details on location, house rules, site visits, etc

Hi, all - first off, let me share my appreciation for this community, its mission, and the mods who keep it a safe and supportive environment for all who are on this journey. It has been an incredible resource and support to me along the way, and I know the same goes for many others.

I am an RSO who works as a freelance software developer. In thinking of ways I can give back to the community, I have been considering creating a new and improved version of the travel matrix that many of us have relied on for tracking which countries have been friendly (and not so friendly) to RSOs. I read recently that it hasn't been updated in quite some time due to the original maintainer being re-incarcerated.

At any rate, I'm not envisioning "picking up" the existing system, but rather building a new one from scratch. I'd pull in whatever data was available from the existing matrix, all with the caveat that it may not be up to date, and the system would accept new submissions. I envision it being open source, that way if I should ever not be able to maintain it myself, someone else with some technical knowledge would be able to pick up the mantle without having to start over.

So my question is - would there be appetite for this from the community? Those of you who have used/relied on the existing travel matrix, what did you find valuable from it? What functionality did you wish it had that it didn't?

I welcome your thoughts!

Hello everyone, ​I have thoroughly reviewed the community rules and trust that this post is in full compliance. ​To provide a brief background without oversharing, I have worked hard to stabilize my life recently. I have maintained my current job for five years, making around $20 an hour—the most money I think I've ever made in my life—and I also just completed five years of probation this past February. With a proactive routine that includes the gym, everything in my personal and professional life is on an upward trajectory, with one major exception: my landlord may be selling the property I currently rent. ​Consequently, I am urgently beginning a housing search. Because of my employment, I need to remain in the local area. Additionally, I have a large dog, and abandoning him is simply not an option, so finding a pet-friendly place is an absolute necessity. ​My primary obstacle so far has been affordability, as most of the places I've seen are completely out of my price range, coupled with blanket policies and automated rejections that make it difficult to even secure a face-to-face conversation. I am hoping this community might be able to share some resources, connections, or lesser-known strategies to help me navigate this transition and avoid homelessness. ​Any advice or direction you can provide would be deeply appreciated. Thank you for your time.