When asked to take a photo, Edward pauses and goes to grab READI Chicago crew chief Rob Pettigrew, insisting they be in the photo together. Rob, Edward explains, is one of the closest people here to him—a vital part of Edward’s support system.

“My relationship with Edward is great,” Rob said. “We rely on him a lot—I call him my interim crew chief because he helps us out so much with everything.”

When Edward got out of prison two years ago, after serving 12 and a half years, he didn’t think he would be able to be around this many people again. Having gone away at just 20 years old, the world was now a different place, and most of Edward’s family and friends were no longer around. He felt isolated and was growing increasingly discouraged as job after job denied him a chance because of his criminal record.

“It was frustrating,” Edward said. “I was trying so hard to find work, but it was difficult. People look at my background and automatically assume I’m a bad person without knowing anything about me.”

When a stranger called him one day out of the blue and offered him a job, Edward was understandably skeptical. He even called his parole officer to see if the opportunity was real. Reality, a READI Chicago outreach worker, told Edward that he himself had recently been released from prison and vouched for the program.

READI, or Rapid Employment and Development Initiative, provided Edward with just that—rapid employment. Edward first spoke to Reality and agreed to give the program a chance on a Friday, and the following Monday he went through orientation and began working.

“I don’t know what I would have done if Reality had never called me,” Edward said. “This really saved me—it’s good for me, it gives me good habits. I’m more prepared now to go out and get a job.”

Edward said the cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) he participates in through READI Chicago has also been a huge help. It is helping him learn and practice thinking before he reacts, which he said has been helpful many times in his personal life outside of READI Chicago.

“Edward will always call me if he’s having a problem or a situation he needs help with,” Rob said. “That to me says CBT is working and shows how hard he’s working to change himself.”

For example, Edward has some aggravating neighbors. They are often rude, and they leave trash everywhere, which Edward finds irritating and disrespectful. Before READI Chicago, he said he probably would have confronted the neighbors himself. Thinking through the situation, though, Edward acknowledged that this may not be productive and could potentially just escalate the situation further.

“I did something I never would have done before,” Edward said. “I went to the property manager instead of doing something myself, and they fixed the situation. That’s not something I even would have thought of before READI Chicago.”

Edward now lives with his girlfriend of two years, and while he is still working on rebuilding his life, building up his support system outside of work, and dealing with the “permanent punishments” facing Edward and the 4.1 million adults in Illinois like him who have been justice-involved, he knows he has countless people he can rely on at READI Chicago.

“I got people in READI Chicago now,” Edward said. “They keep me focused. If I’m having negative thoughts, we talk about it. Just open conversation, period, helps. It really goes a long way.”

Read about how Edward is coping with the pandemic from The Trace.