From Incarceration to Entrepreneurship: My Journey Against the Odds

To say this journey of mine has been uneventful is an understatement. Before I got incarcerated, most of the jobs I had were in various kitchens. I went from working at McDonald's to Casey’s Bar and Grill as a prep manager, and then as a kitchen coordinator with the Red Cross. I wanted to attend culinary school, but the situation at home did not allow me the opportunity. Looking after my siblings and ailing mother took priority. At the age of 22, after the birth of my firstborn, I had grown frustrated with the options I had to make a living. Unwisely, I made the decision to make extra cash running around in the streets. That lasted only one year before I got incarcerated for murder, and as you know, the rest was history.

Years later, after I won my appeal on a life sentence, I saw it as an opportunity to attend culinary school, and I applied to George Brown College. To my surprise, I received a letter from the college indicating that they had to deny me because my SIN was somehow inactive. Confused, I went to the Service Canada office, and they told me my SIN had been deactivated. To reactivate it, I needed to find my birth certificate among other documents. After I got incarcerated, my home was ransacked by marauders, so I had not one piece of documentation. I asked guys who had done more time than me in prison, and not one of them had heard about someone’s SIN being deactivated while in prison. At this point, it was clear to me that the powers that be had other plans for me, and it wasn’t in my favor. This forced me to become an entrepreneur. While I figured it all out, I was actually able to get social assistance without proper ID—yeah, go figure. I could be on welfare, but they denied me education. Look, this is no knock on folks who are on welfare, but that’s a false sense of security for an ambitious person like myself. It’s a disservice.

Once I got some YouTube education, I started 5 Principles Cuisines and 1206 Studio. I used my cinematography skills to promote 5PC, and with 1206, I produced a lot of film content, namely music videos. By 2018, eight years after I got out, I felt good about the direction I had been working. The money wasn’t consistent, but with the help of my empress, we made it work for us. But then, by 2020, it all came to a halt. Most of the clients I had for 5PC came from events I did, and with no events happening because of the lockdown, I had to find a job. By then, I had figured out my ID situation, but I had to settle for cash jobs since most jobs conducted a criminal background check. Sometimes I would hopefully apply to jobs that required a background check, and quite a few times, I had been offered jobs only to not pass the background checks. Here’s a thread of potential employers asking about this.

Since the pandemic, as the world is getting back to normalcy, my focus is really to continue to be an entrepreneur because most of these cash jobs are unreliable. My story is really my MasterCard, and I need to use that to open up opportunities for me. As a self-published author/writer, vegan chef, and cinematographer, I will sink or swim with these skills of mine in this unforgiving world. To everyone who supports any of my endeavors, just know that your support is literally a lifeline for me and my family. You’re greatly appreciated.

To any young person reading this, stay the fuck away from criminal activity. It’s not worth it, especially if you know you don’t have the support system within your family to withstand such mistakes that will forever punish you, even when you have changed. Here is additional information supporting everything I have experienced.

“In Canada, individuals with criminal records often face significant challenges in securing employment. Studies indicate that employer bias is a substantial barrier, as many employers prefer to hire candidates without criminal records. This bias persists despite qualifications and training, often limiting opportunities for those with a history of incarceration.

Approximately 50% of individuals with criminal records remain unemployed post-release. This rate is even higher for non-Caucasian individuals, with African American offenders experiencing a 59% unemployment rate compared to 38% for Caucasian offenders. Women and older individuals also face greater difficulties in finding employment after release, with women taking longer on average to secure a job.

Additionally, individuals with criminal records who do find employment are often relegated to low-wage, unstable positions, such as in waste management, construction, and food service industries. These jobs frequently lack benefits and job security, making it challenging for formerly incarcerated individuals to achieve financial stability [oai_citation:1,New data on formerly incarcerated people’s employment reveal labor market injustices | Prison Policy Initiative](https://www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2022/02/08/employment/) [oai_citation:2,Economic Outcomes of Canadian Federal Offenders](https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/2021-r002/index-en.aspx).

Overall, the data highlights the persistent and systemic barriers faced by individuals with criminal records in the Canadian job market.”