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| Parolee aims to keep himself, on track |
| By JEFF GERRITT • FREE PRESS EDITORIAL WRITER |
| Published: 02/20/2009 |
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Ramon Jackson left Ryan Correctional Facility in Detroit on Sept. 30, wearing the brown Girbaud jeans and button-down shirt his family bought him. With family support, a strong mind and good attitude, Jackson, 30, believed he could make it, after serving 10 years in prison for manslaughter. Advertisement Still, freedom shook him. "It felt awkward, walking out in regular clothes without being shackled," he told me. "I felt a little scared, but confident, too." Since then, he has struggled to maintain that confidence. Jackson stays with his sister, Altonia Powell, 26, a direct care worker, at an apartment in northwest Detroit. He's applied for dozens of jobs but hasn't found steady work. He's knocked on many doors, only to have them slam in his face. In late December, one finally opened at Malcolm X Academy. He walked in and told the principal he wanted to help. It didn't lead to a job, but to something he needed almost as much: a reason to stay right. Jackson speaks weekly at the Detroit middle school, telling students how a flash of anger led to prison and a young man's death. He also speaks to homeless teenagers at Covenant House Michigan. Read more. If link has expired, check the website of the article's original news source. |
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