Stories of people like Jon Ponder are inspiring, but also illustrate how far we have to go in really offering convicted felons a fresh start. It's great that people like Mr. Ponder have a new life helping felons start over, but we need more success stories in ordinary businesses.
There is still so much prejudice against ex-convicts, and while that's understandable--recidivism is not zero--it's an enormous barrier that helps shove people back into a life of crime.
I don't want to take anything away from the people who do amazing work helping reintegrate felons. I just want to challenge us to do better, as a society, in finding ways to let people who did bad things put that past behind them after they've paid their debt to society.
This is America, the land of second chances ... and third chances ... and eighth chances. We are all the heirs of that grace. We can do better.
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