JLUSA leader Saad Soliman speaks about how the recession may impact formerly incarcerated BIPOC
by JLUSA
August 5, 2022
“Discrimination, biases, and a lack of educational support for incarcerated people mean that they often have to work low-wage jobs to survive.
“‘Because of this, we often have to settle for whatever we can get,’ said 44-year-old Saad M. Soliman, who was incarcerated several times since he was 11. But these can cause more harm, adversely affecting their mental and physical health, as they experience discrimination and over-cautiousness at work.
“‘You have a probation officer breathing down your neck, you have financial pressures coming from every angle—court costs, fines, restitution, living costs, etc.,’ he added. ‘There’s no time to waste, so you take the first job offered.’ …
“JustLeadershipUSA (JLUSA) is another nonprofit (whom Soliman worked with), led by formerly incarcerated individuals themselves, helping people reintegrate into and navigate life after incarceration.
“While organizations like these are becoming a priceless resource for formerly incarcerated people of color, there’s a lot more work yet to be done.”