Digital Literacy and Equity

DIGITAL

EYE ON FORTUNE

FAIR CHANCE FOR HOUSING REINTRODUCED

On August 11, 2022, Fortune joined dozens of advocates and elected officials on the steps of City Hall in New York City to celebrate the reintroduction of the Fair Chance for Housing Act (FCHA). If passed, FCHA would prohibit housing discrimination on the basis of arrest or conviction history in New York City. The Act would make criminal background checks or inquiries about arrest or conviction record information at any stage of the housing application process unlawful. Fortune is also part of the Fair Chance for Housing Coalition, and the passage of the Act is one of our David Rothenberg Center for Public Policy’s main priorities through the 2022 to 2023 New York City Council legislative session.

ARTS FESTIVAL WITH SOCRATES SCULPTURE PARK

On June 25, 2022, Fortune’s Creative Arts program hosted a day of workshops, performances and readings at Socrates Sculpture Park. The festival was a powerful celebration of imagination and creativity’s healing and transformative powers. Some of the events included “Theater for the People,” which featured performers from our acting classes, a panel on the revolutionary powers of hip hop and an open-mic for spoken word, poetry and music. More than 30 Fortune artists performed and over 1,000 community members visited throughout the day.

Photo by Bob Krasner

INTRODUCING OUR NEWEST SUPPORTIVE HOUSING RESIDENCE

In March 2022, Fortune announced the purchase of a new building that will be transformed into permanent, supportive housing on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. To be titled Castle IV, the building will have 84 units – 59 of which will be for justice-involved individuals who are currently living in homeless shelters. Case management will be available on-site for all residents, as well as Fortune’s full suite of services for justice-involved residents. After renovations, we expect to open the building to new tenants in approximately two years.

Photo by Victor Blue for the New York Times

To read the NYT article, head to fortunesociety.org/newyorktimes

After retiring as a college professor and moving out of New York City to Massachusetts, Sandra was looking for something to do. Her husband suggested she look into remote volunteer opportunities at Fortune where she could help justice-impacted people find jobs. As a volunteer, she found that conducting virtual mock interviews allowed her to offer direct, one-on-one assistance.

Sandra was a professor in the Speech, Communications and Theater Arts Department at The Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC), where she was no stranger to hiring interviews. While at BMCC, she was on the school’s hiring committee, spending her time helping the college fill its open positions.

When Laron returned home after over 24 years in prison, he made a beeline for Fortune. He marveled at the reception he received.

Laron spent his years in prison preparing for his release. When he went in, he said he had little education. In prison, a group of incarcerated individuals, including Laron, produced Voices from Within, a powerful documentary against gun violence that has been shown to hundreds of youth groups and received 20 million views. In 2020, he received a master’s degree from the New York Theological Seminary.

Sandra likes engaging with those going through the interview process and identifying which skills someone can highlight in an actual interview. She’ll give tips that can help with both virtual and in-person interviews, and she also answers questions they may have about their future interviewer.

Laron now works at Fortune, training as a Case Manager, connecting clients with resources and doing intake assessments. In his off hours, he’s an advocate for ending gun violence, as well as a saxophonist and composer.

For more on our available volunteer and internship opportunities, check out: fortunesociety.org/ volunteer-or-intern-with-us

SANDRA

, Volunteer

LARON, Staff and Former Intern

“I find the work wonderfully rewarding, and the appreciation the interviewees express is very rewarding.”

“I was amazed by how people welcomed me. They care about helping people and finding the resources they need.”

Limestone Correctional Facility Harvest, Al

Art by Cecil M. Ferguson

WISDOM OF THE OLD

serve a sentence and gain freedom by going to school. Few do that with their time. The purpose of incarceration is not punishment but rehabilitation, or so they say. It could be.

I knew a man who did not know how to read and write when he entered prison. When he finished his sentence, the man left with a 4-year degree from a university. It might be the university I took a couple of courses from when I was arrested in 2017.

Education is rehabilitation, as exhibited by the man who earned a Bachelor’s degree by standing erect on his own two feet. He was achieving something by his independent action that was beneficial to himself.

Editor’s note: Good Time and Earned Time credit programs offer credits that reduce a sentence or period of incarceration. These credits can be earned through participation in or completion of productive activities like taking college courses. Good Time and Earned Time policies vary from state to state, as well as in the federal prison system. Not all sentences are eligible to receive credit.

BY CLAUDE HUDSON, B.S.

Rehabilitation is change. It can be achieved through education. Education improves the mind and promotes its growth, while enhancing a person and making them better. This is what education is for.

Someone incarcerated and being rehabilitated through education can lessen his sentence by gaining credits in courses for each year i. Sound good? It is good.

The idea for someone who is incarcerated should not be to waste their time but to achieve and become more than who they were when they entered the prison. Someone can

He did so not by crawling, begging, slipping, sliding or hiding as a thief. He got his degree, which aided in procuring his release from prison, by being independent, selfreliant, standing for democracy and representing democracy.

People believe that the United States of America is the land of opportunity. The astonishing irony of that is that the U.S.A has more men and women in prison than any other country in the world.

Respectfully submitted, Claude Hudson, B.S. New Castle Correctional Facility Newcastle, IN

See your writing in the next edition of the Fortune News!

IN THE NEXT ISSUE: CAREER SUCCESS

What skills have you learned while incarcerated that can set you up for a career? What are your career goals? How do you think you can reach your goals? What do you need to set you up for a successful career?

Send written or visual art responses by mail to:

Fortune News Editors c/o The Fortune Society 29-76 Northern Boulevard Long Island City, NY 11101 or via email to: development@ fortunesociety.org

“IT’S A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE”: WHY DIGITAL SKILLS ARE SO IMPORTANT

BY TIA MCLAURIN Grow with Google

Today, nearly two-thirds of all new jobs created require either high- or medium-level digital skills, yet one in three American workers have very limited or no digital skills. And, more than half of those released from U.S. prisons don’t land a job in the first year of returning home, with many believing they don’t have the necessary digital skills to compete in an ever-changing job market.

In 2021, Grow with Google partnered with The Fortune Society and four other organizations to co-create a series of digital skills lessons for people who were formerly incarcerated.

Through this pilot program, we trained 10,000 people across the U.S., with more than

80% of participants reporting improvement in their digital skills and career readiness.

But, there’s much more we can do. Approximately 73 people are released from incarceration every hour of every day of the year.

We believe that technology has the power to unlock new opportunities for growth. When those opportunities are available to everyone, communities across the country can achieve their full potential. Grow with Google helps people grow their skills, careers, and businesses. We began this work more than five years ago, and have helped more than 8 million people develop the digital skills they need.

We recently sat down with Claude, a Job Readiness Program Facilitator at The Fortune Society, to talk about the importance of digital skills and programs like Grow with Google to support justice-impacted people.

Here are some highlights from our conversation:

How did you get involved with The Fortune Society?

I’ve been home for almost 20 months after being incarcerated for 33 years. I took part in a lot of the programs at The Fortune Society, like the Job Readiness Workshop and a lengthy internship. They extended my internship twice, and then I was asked to apply for the Job Readiness Facilitator role…and I got the job.

What’s the most important thing that people who are currently incarcerated need to know about technology and digital skills?

It’s imperative for people to get some form of technology training while they are incarcerated, or soon after they are released. When I came out, technology was my biggest challenge. It’s scary, coming back out into society after doing a substantial amount of time and…it’s just scary. It’s almost to the point where I feel, if people don’t have

digital skills, it’s almost equivalent to someone who can’t read. And I stress to the guys in my workshop that it is important, because every job that you apply for, they’re asking, “Do you have basic computer skills?”

Tell us about the program you’re leading.

The Job Readiness Workshop is a three-week program that prepares people to successfully reenter the workforce after incarceration. I teach both hard and soft skills—a lot of people coming out don’t always know the difference.

Why is this work so important to you?

It’s a public safety issue. If you don’t have digital skills, it could be a barrier to employment. And if people can’t get gainful employment, they could go back to their old behaviors and people sometimes get hurt. That’s why I stress to my workshop participants how important these skills are. 

Along with The Fortune Society’s program in New York, Grow with Google curriculum is offered in 31 states by 4 other nonprofit organizations for justice-impacted individuals:

California Colorado Oklahoma Louisiana Michigan Ohio

Georgia Kentucky Tennessee North Carolina Pennsylvania New York

Grow with Google continues to expand the digital skills program with The Fortune Society and other partners, who also teach hard skills, such as using computer programs and creating a resume, and soft skills, such as protecting yourself online, workplace etiquette and how to address your justice involvement with prospective employers.

To check out one of the digital skills courses cocreated by The Fortune Society and Grow with Google, visit fortunesociety.org/growwithgoogle

New York New York

California

A SECOND CHANCE ON A DREAM

BY KHALIL PARHAM

Former Fortune Participant and Digital Media Fellow at Second Chance Studios

My career had stretched across many industries, including construction and hospitality, before I became interested in technology and digital media. It started when I was a Desktop Support Technician at Bloomberg L.P. At Bloomberg I had the opportunity to become the very first Senior Fellow of Fortune’s Fellowship Program, a partnership between Fortune and Bloomberg that places formerly incarcerated participants in various internships at Bloomberg L.P. After being selected through a competitive application process, it was there that I recognized my passion for tech and digital media.

From Bloomberg, I had aspirations of becoming an Audio and Visual Technician and began looking for ways to learn more. I applied to the Digital Media Fellowship at Second Chance Studios, a nonprofit digital media company that trains and employs formerly incarcerated individuals. It was a competitive application process, but I was finally selected as one of their very first Digital Media Fellows.

As I started the Fellowship, I really didn’t know what to expect. I wasn’t sure what skills I would be able to learn or if they offered access to the kind of technology that I hoped to use in my new career. This Fellowship was brand new for Second Chance Studios, so I kept an open mind.

Similar to the Bloomberg Fortune Fellowship, the first few weeks were dedicated to learning basic soft skills through relationshipbuilding exercises and mental health exercises. I found the mental health exercises extremely helpful as they outlined effective ways of dealing with personal and work-related stress.

As the fellowship progressed, us Fellows transitioned into learning advanced skills such as project management, documentary filmmaking and podcasting. Almost every day we had a different guest speaker or learning session with professionals from related fields. Companies like Google, Monday.com, Spotify and YouTube were among those presenting. Second Chance Studios taught

me everything I needed to know about Digital Media, and I felt fully capable of achieving success.

Second Chance Studios granted me my first real shot in this industry after selecting me to work on the set of a documentary. On the set, I discovered a new interest in cinematography. I decided to pursue a career in cinematography by shooting music videos. My passion for music and music videos is the perfect combination for my audio and visual aspirations.

Midway through the Fellowship, the fellows and I were assigned a final project to produce any content of our choice. I took this as an opportunity to showcase my talent as a musical artist and decided to shoot a music video for a song that I created. Not only did I create a song,

I directed, produced and edited the video in collaboration with Stu Pot Productions. This was one of the best experiences of my life.

After successfully completing my final project and graduating, I was offered an Associate Producer position at MTV Entertainment. I can honestly say that MTV is the best job I have ever had and participating in the Digital Media Fellowship at Second Chance Studios was the best decision I ever made. Second Chance Studios has helped me grow into the man I am today. They truly care about giving people second chances and helping them grow to their highest potential.

Khalil A. Parham is a Digital Media Producer, artist and aspiring entrepreneur from Queens, NY. He is a recent graduate of the inaugural class of Fellows at Second Chance Studios. He is currently a Production Assistant at Stu Pot Productions and an Associate Producer at MTV Entertainment.

Second Chance Studios is a nonprofit, digital media company that trains and employs formerly incarcerated individuals in the digital media space. Fortune Board Member Coss Marte co-founded Second Chance Studios with the goal of unlocking careers for justice-impacted people.

“Second Chance Studios has helped me grow into the man that I am today. They truly care about giving people second chances and helping them grow to their highest potential.”

WHERE THE WORK HAPPENS: USING SOCIAL MEDIA FOR A GOOD CAUSE

organizations making positive change in the world but rarely have the opportunity to be seen. One of those organizations is The Fortune Society.

As a resident of Long Island City, I would frequently walk past their service center on Northern Boulevard. One day, curiosity struck me, and I went into the building to learn more. Afterward, I began reading up on how the organization seeks to reintegrate individuals who have been incarcerated into society and help prevent recidivism successfully. Then, using social media, I reached out to Fortune to see ways I could become involved and was invited to tour the premises.

missions. Recently, I joined One Hundred Black Men, an organization committed to education and awareness in Black communities, during an Anti-Gun Violence Health Walk. To date, a video I created at the walk has almost 20,000 views, connecting my social media audience with an important cause. I wish to continue working with organizations like One Hundred Black Men and Fortune to amplify their work even further.

BY RILEY CHRISTIAN, ESQ. Attorney, Christian Law, P.C.

After I opened up my life to masses of people on television*, I realized I had an opportunity to reach so many people with one click of a button.

As an attorney in New York City with a newly formed law firm, I found myself able to speak and have so many people listen. The question was, what was I going to do with it? What was I going to say to this newfound audience?

One of the things that I knew I wanted to do was bring attention to areas I am passionate about, even if those areas are not the traditional ones that a person would typically see online or in the news. I wanted to shine a light on people and

Walking through the halls and being introduced to staff and participants, I knew I wanted to get involved and help spread their mission. So, I knew I had to help spread the word. During the LIC service center tour, I got a first-hand look at what takes place at The Fortune Society. It’s where formerly incarcerated individuals or those impacted by the justice system gain access to education, counseling, job opportunities and some good old-fashioned fun. Whether at the annual Block Party, bringing together Fortune staff and the West Harlem community, or during the lunch hour when staff and community members have the chance to share their artistic ability with a song, poetry or spoken word.

I have started getting involved with organizations in New York City as a way to help them spread their

It’s organizations like The Fortune Society where the real work happens. A place where people in need receive genuine help and support. Fortune is a place worth spreading the word to hundreds of thousands of people – with just the click of a button. So, whenever I get the chance, I’ll continue to use my platform to shine a light on impactful organizations just like The Fortune Society. 

Follow Riley:

@rileydchristian

*Editor’s Note: Riley appeared as a contestant on ABC’s The Bachelor and Bachelor in Paradise.

@Rileydchristian

SUDDEN FAME: HOW SOCIAL MEDIA SHAPED A RETURN HOME

Virginia Governor Northam granted me a conditional pardon, I was released 19 years into a 32year sentence.

Going home with 1 ½ hours’ notice was overwhelming. I was grateful for the suddenness because I had seen many people suffer through their last days and weeks. I didn’t sleep for three days after getting out.

Second Chancer Foundation, to provide reentry services in the Central Virginia area. I didn’t do it alone, though. I owe my success during and after incarceration to an incredible group of people who loved and supported me through my lowest times. Unfortunately, I know that not everyone has that support, so I am passionate about providing it for others.

BY JESSE CROSSON

Digital creator and formerly incarcerated

In prison, it felt like I didn’t have a voice. That changed in 2019 when a local reporter reporting on the 1995 abolition of parole in Virginia and its effect on the prison system reached out. I was incarcerated at the time and was surprised and grateful to hear how interested people were in what goes on behind prison walls.

I continued with an effort to speak about conditions and realities by writing essays for the Marshall Project and sending them home to be posted on my Facebook page. I also recorded a podcast over the prison phone system with that reporter, who eventually became a friend and now my fiancé.

In August 2021, after managing to make such an impression that

I had always said I would climb a mountain and get back on a motorcycle when I got out. So two weeks out, I set off to climb a local mountain, and my girlfriend insisted that I record part of the journey, saying people would want to see it. I thought she was crazy, but I recorded and posted a video. By the end of the day, the video had 10,000 views. Within a week, I had 10,000 followers on TikTok and was off and running in an unexpected direction.

I found a public fascinated by prison conditions and totally ignorant of the realities of being incarcerated. There was a lot of misinformation. For example, in the comments of videos about release and parole, people from Virginia tried to argue that we did have parole.

I’ve had great interactions with other formerly incarcerated people, family members of those incarcerated and even victims of crime who reached out to process their experiences. It has been the most amazing, powerful experience of my life and has opened a series of doors I never expected.

I’ve been on national television, been featured on dozens of podcasts and even started a non-profit,

Jesse Crosson was released from incarceration in 2021. While incarcerated, he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Existential Psychology. He is passionate about empowering others to make the best of their time after incarceration. You can find out more about Jesse and his work at jessecrosson.com.

Jesse:

Second Chancer Foundation provides skills and opportunities needed to succeed to both citizens returning from periods of incarceration and the children of incarcerated parents.

Second-chancer.org

HOW TO SIGN UP FOR A GMAIL ACCOUNT AND SEND AN EMAIL

An email account is a great way to communicate with friends and family or when looking for a job opportunity after release. Creating an email account with Google is free and allows access to Google Drive where you can create and save documents, keep a calendar of important dates and appointments and access a personal YouTube account for video watching.

To setup a Gmail account, follow these steps:

1 Go to the Google Account creation page by typing this address into a browser search bar (you can use any browser including Google Chrome, Firefox, etc.): accounts.google.com/signup

2 Type in your first and last name. This helps identify you when emailing.

3 Type in the email address you want. This will look like example@gmail.com.

Try a username that resembles your name. This is the best kind of email address when applying for jobs. It can look like:

▪ Firstnamelastname@gmail.com

▪ Lastnamefirstname@gmail.com

▪ Firstname.lastname@gmail.com

Try including numbers if your name happens to be taken:

▪ Firstnamelastname10@gmail.com

4 Come up with a password. Make sure it is secure by using a mix of numbers, letters and symbols, and it is something that you can remember. You’ll have to type the same password twice to confirm it is correct. Click Next.

5 A new screen will appear with the option to add your phone number and a recovery email. These can be used to help you log into your account if you forget your password. They can be your own or that of a family member or close friend. If you use a friend or family member’s, make sure to verify with them first.

6 Add your birthday and identify your gender using the dropdown menu. Click Next.

7 The next page will display Google’s privacy policy and terms of service. If you click the drop down “More Options,” you can customize your Google experience by confirming your personalization settings and the data stored with your account. These can be changed at any time in your Google Account.

BY ADRIENNE WHALEY Director of System Operations and Training

BRYAN MELENDEZ

Systems Operations and Training Associate

The Fortune Society

Google will let you know if the username is already taken and may offer suggestions on other unused usernames that are similar.

These settings will save your web activity and help show personalized ads. They are automatically turned on, but you can choose to turn off all options for saving information.

8 After accepting the terms of services, you now have your own email account.

9 The first page that opens is the main screen of your Google Account. Here, you can update your:

▪ Personal info: info about yourself and your preferences across Google services

▪ Data and privacy: key privacy options to help you choose the data saved in your account and the ads you see

▪ Security: settings and recommendations to help you keep your account secure

▪ People & sharing: people you interact with and the info you make visible on Google services

▪ Payments & subscriptions: your payment info, transactions, recurring payments and reservations

0 In the upper right-hand corner, there is an icon that looks like a set of nine dots. When you click this icon, a dropdown menu should appear.

1 In the dropdown menu, click on Gmail, which looks like the letter ‘M’ colored blue, red, yellow and green.

2 This will bring you to your Gmail page where you can send, read and delete emails.

3 On the left-hand side of the screen, there is a button to compose an email. There is also a menu to view the email in your inbox. When you have an unread email, a number will appear.

4 If you would like to write and send an email, click on “Compose”.

5 This will create a pop-up on the right side of your screen. Here is where you can create the email you would like to send.

6 In the “Recipients” section, you type the email of the person(s) you want to receive your email.

7 In the “Subject” section, you create a subject line to appear first in the recipient’s inbox. This should let them know what you will say in your email, examples like “Alex Smith resume” or “Information about upcoming birthday party.”

8 In the large white space is where you can write your email. Start off with something like “Dear Mr. Jones,” or “Hi Betty” as a greeting. Type the message you would like to send, then sign off at the end with your name. Appropriate sign-offs can be something like “Thank you,” or “Best,”.

9 Click the blue “Send” to deliver your email after you have completed your message.

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