SUCCESS STORY
Back on Track: Cherisse Jones
January 21, 2009
Cherisse Jones was unemployed, raising two children and caring for an ill grandmother, when a non-violent drug offense threatened to slap her with a felony conviction. “I was spiraling out of control and wasn’t focused on doing the right thing,” she says of that time in her life.
A felony would have damaged Cherisse’s chances for employment, making it hard for her to support her family or create a better future for her children. But thanks to Back on Track, an innovative partnership between the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office and Goodwill, Cherisse earned job skills, employment, and a shot at a clean slate. A year after her conviction, all Cherisse’s charges were dropped.
Back on Track was designed to steer young non-violent drug offenders out of the criminal justice system -- and the cycle of recidivism -- by giving them job skills, career opportunities and the support they need to succeed. Individuals who qualify for the program are required to enter a guilty plea with the promise that their case will be revisited after one year. The District Attorney refers participants to a Goodwill Criminal Justice Specialist. Together they create a plan based on goals agreed upon by Back on Track and the participant. Goals include participation in education and/or training for viable employment among other things. At the end of the year, successful participants will see the charges against them dismissed.
Back on Track combines intensive support and supervision with swift sanctions for bad decisions. “It was definitely strict and you had to do what they required,” Cherisse explains. “It kept me in line and focused. It made me realize what was important and helped me become more of a responsible person.”
During the program, Cherisse completed 110 hours of community service with the San Francisco Brown Bombers, a little league football team. At the same time, she earned a degree as a medical assistant at Everest College. Meanwhile, Cherisse was able to keep her family together by securing stable housing and employment as a full-time front-office assistant.
Today, Cherisse works at the front desk of a hospital -- an opportunity she knows would be closed to her if she had a felony on her record. She’s proud of how far she’s come: “I don’t have the same worries I had before,” she says. “I stay focused and strive hard. If I can make it through, anyone can.”
Back to News List
Top Stories
STORE NEWS: Visit Our Furniture Store
RETAIL NEWS: Ten Goodwill Employees Shadow at Levi's Store
SUCCESS STORY: Bosnian Refugee Found Help at Goodwill
STORE NEWS: Goodwill Voted Best of the Bay
TODAYS NEWS: A Loss in the Goodwill Family
