My name is Cheryl Armstrong. I spent 26 years of my life incarcerated in Colorado. I went to prison in 1995 and came out in 2021. Not only did I have to deal with coming back out to a world I didn’t recognize, I also was coming out as an adult. I was 16 when I went to prison so I had never lived on my own. Never been on the internet, never had a cell phone, never used a debit card. These are simple things that most people don’t even think about, but to me they were intimidating challenges. On top of all that, I moved to Phoenix, a huge city I had never been to. I felt completely overwhelmed and lost.
Luckily, I did have my mom and my stepdad. I came to live with them as I began my new journey. Even though I earned a Master’s degree while I was in prison, I felt insecure about getting a job. I feared the judgement and rejection that would come to me as I disclosed my past. The career path I chose to take actually came from a suggestion from my parole officer. She suggested that I get certified to become a peer support specialist. I didn’t even know what that was! When I learned more about it, I knew that was the direction I wanted to go. I was encouraged knowing there was a job path I could pursue where being a felon was an asset.
I got my peer support certification and started two different jobs in the behavioral health field. I disliked them both. One of them was doing homeless outreach and the other was working at a crisis center, dealing with individuals who were petitioned, many of which were in a drug induced psychosis when they entered the facility. I felt a high degree of anxiety there. With the homeless outreach job, I quickly discovered as I walked the streets of Phoenix that I had come out into a world that had a drug epidemic that was out of control. The streets were filled with fentanyl and people will just stand out in the open smoking the pills. The cops just drive by. I was appalled at what I was seeing. I was told that even weed is sometimes laced with fentanyl now. I find it terrifying that someone can have no clue that the joint they are about to smoke is going to kill them because of that. I am not an addict, but I have had my share of substance abuse in my younger years. I am fearful for people who struggle with addiction.
I found a job that was a perfect fit for me and left the other jobs. I went to work at a re-entry/rehab with people who were coming out of prison. Here I was able to use my life experience to help those who were coming out of prison and had nothing. It was rewarding to be a part of their journey as they sorted through all the emotions that come with re-entering society. Honestly, though, they helped me as much as I helped them. I worked at a place where I wasn’t judged for my past and my relatability enabled me to connect with the members in a way that really had an impact on them. It was rewarding to be doing something that helped others. The environment here was filled with hope and positivity and it was a vibe that was contagious to all who entered that building.
I say all of that to say this to you: find a job that means something to you. Find a job where you feel comfortable and have a purpose that is making a difference. It may not be anything close to the path I took. Maybe you feel like you must get ANY job at first just so you have money coming in. There’s nothing wrong with that. That shows responsibility and determination to be successful. However, I know how important it is to do something that means something to you because it can become a huge factor in your ultimate success or failure. I have been out for nearly three years now and I have met hundreds of people coming out of prison. I have seen great recovery and success stories and I have also seen tragic relapses and failures-some ending in a trip back to prison, some in homelessness, and some in death. I know that finding joy in what you do makes a HUGE difference in the quality of your life.
You don’t have to settle! Please remember that. Yes, there may be barriers. I have faced a handful…one just last week. Because of my charges (violent crime), I am not eligible to obtain a fingerprint clearance card in the state of Arizona. I lost the job I was still in training for over it. Luckily, the company moved me into a different position, but I am now making a lot less money because of it. It’s discouraging to go through things like this, but I always tell myself, “FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION.”
It’s all about your mindset. When you hit a roadblock, choose to look for the good things. I promise you they are there. With my new job, I still get to work from home for a great company. I have insurance and am putting money away for my retirement. That’s important to me after spending more of my life in prison than out. More than all of that, though, I remind myself that I am FREE, and that I would rather have these problems any day than prison problems. When you go through a setback, don’t give up on yourself. Sometimes something that seems like a setback is a door closing so a better opportunity can present itself to you. And most importantly, remember that you are not alone. Reach out to your support network when you are struggling. If you don’t have one, build one! There are always community resources available if you reach out for them.
By Cheryl Armstrong
