IT IS FASCINATING, IT IS INTERESTING TO SEE THE DYNAMICS
OF IT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING
HERE. THANK YOU, ANDRE.
A REMINDER, POLLS OPEN SATURDAY AT 7:00 A.M. AND THEY CLOSE AT
8:00 P.M. ROUGHLY 1,400 PEOPLE SERVING
TIME WILL BE RELEASED FROM PRISON THIS MONTH UNDER NEW
REFORM LAWS PASSED IN THE SPRING.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF CHALLENGES THEY WILL FACE AS THEY ADJUST TO
LIFE ON THE OUTSIDE. LPB'S KELLY SPIRES IS HERE WITH
POVERTY AND OPPORTUNITY IN AMERICA AND CHASING THE DREAM.
THAT'S RIGHT. A LAWYER I SPOKE WITH SAYS HER
CLIENTS COMMONLY CONFRONT UNEXPECTED TRAFFIC TICKETS THEY
HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO SORT OUT WHILE IN PRISON.
THAT DID ADD UP TO TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN DEBT.
THERE IS A NONPROFIT IN NEW ORLEANS HELPING PEOPLE GET BACK
ON THEIR FEET. FOR A LIVING, DERRICK PERIQUE
HELPS PEOPLE IMPROVE THEIR SIGHT.
HE OWNS HIS OWN BUSINESS, CUSTOM OPTICAL, AND MAKES ONE-OF-A-KIND
GLASSES. HE ALSO HELPS FELLOW FORMERLY
INCARCERATED PEOPLE IMPROVE THEIR OUTLOOK ON LIFE.
HE'S A PROGRAM COORDINATOR WITH TWO NONPROFITS CALLED THE FIRST
72 PLUS AND RISING FOUNDATIONS. WHEN I WAS RELEASED, THERE
WAS VERY LITTLE SUPPORT BEYOND MY FAMILY.
AS I GREW AND BEING RELEASED, GETTING EMPLOYMENT, STARTING MY
OWN BUSINESS AND GETTING A TRADERS LICENSE AND EVERYTHING,
I NOTICED THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS NEEDED AND THAT I WAS
THE PERFECT PERSON TO DO IT SINCE I HAD TO GO THROUGH THE
STRUGGLE ALONE. PERIQUE LEARNED HOW TO MAKE
GLASSES WHILE IN ANGOLA. HE WON'T EVER BE AN OPTOMETRIST.
HIS RECORD PREVENTS THAT. BUT, ONE DAY, WITH HIS GROWING
BUSINESS, HE CAN HIRE ONE. IN ADDITION TO THAT, THERE'S HIS
OWN JOB SECURITY. THAT INDEPENDENCE, IT'S A
RELIEF. YOU KNOW, THIS GUY CAN'T FIRE ME
BECAUSE OF MY CONVICTIONS. I AM THE GUY TO DO THE FIRING.
AND THE FIRST STEP ON THE ROAD HOME IS OFTEN GETTING A
DRIVER'S LICENSE. DESPITE THE HURDLES, IT'S TOO
RISKY NOT TO, PERIQUE SAYS. THAT MEANS EVERYTHING.
YOUR LIFE IN ON THE LINE. AS WELL AS YOUR EMPLOYMENT.
IF YOU MISS DAYS OF WORK, YOU CAN'T
SHOW UP TO THE JOB BEYOND NOT HAVING A DRIVER'S LICENSE IF
YOU'RE IN JAIL. TERRELL SCOTT IS ONE OF THOSE
TRYING TO GET BACK ON HIS FEET. HE CURRENTLY WORKS MORNINGS AS A
HOPPER ON THE BACK OF A GARBAGE TRUCK, BUT HIS SPECIALTY IS
CARS. I REALLY NEED A DRIVER'S
LICENSE BECAUSE I DO BODY WORK ON CARS.
LIKE, I FIX ON CARS, SO EVEN IN THE CAR SHOPS, YOU HAVE TO DRIVE
THE CARS AROUND, AND YOU NEED A DRIVER'S LICENSE TO DO IT.
KELLY ORIANS IS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE ORGANIZATION AND
ATTORNEY FOR THOSE IT SERVES. A DRIVER'S LICENSE IS ONE OF
THE MOST CRUCIAL TOOLS THAT A FORMERLY-INCARCERATED PERSON
NEEDS TO GET BACK ON THEIR FEET, AND IT'S ONE OF THE HARDEST TO
ATTAIN. SCOTT WAS ONE OF HER FIRST
CLIENTS WITH THE PROGRAM. SHE HAD NINE CLIENTS IN THE
FIRST YEAR WITH 115 TRAFFIC TICKETS BETWEEN THEM.
OF THOSE 115, ALL BUT TWO OF THEM WERE FOR NON-MOVING
VIOLATIONS. SO THESE WEREN'T VIOLATIONS THAT
DID NOT REALLY NECESSARILY IMPACTED PUBLIC SAFETY.
ORIANS FIRST HAS TO NEGOTIATE WITH THE TRAFFIC COURTS IN EACH
PARISH WHERE HER CLIENTS MAY HAVE HAD AN INFRACTION.
HER CLIENTS TYPICALLY GET ON A PAYMENT PLAN.
SCOTT'S ISSUES WERE AVERAGE. THEY DROPPED ALL THE TICKETS
FROM $7,000 DOWN, AND I HAD ONE TICKET OUT OF TOWN AND THEY WERE
EASY. I WAS OUT $500 FOR ONE STOP.
I CALLED THE JUDGE, SHE FAXED THE RECEIPT OVER IN AN HOUR.
SHE WAS NO PROBLEM, HER. BUT, OFTEN, JUST WHEN THINGS
ARE LOOKING UP, THERE'S ANOTHER PROBLEM.
THE OFFICE OF MOTOR VEHICLES LEVIES MORE FEES ON TOP OF THAT
FOR EVERY TICKET HE HAD ALREADY RESOLVED WITH TRAFFIC COURT.
WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH THE OFFICE OF TRAFFIC COURT, THE
OFFICE OF MOTOR VEHICLES MAINTAINS THEY HAVE NO
DISCRETION. THESE ARE STATE STATUTES THAT
MANDATE THAT THESE FINES OR FEES ARE OWED.
IF HER CLIENTS MISS A PAYMENT, IT CAN PUT THEM BACK AT
SQUARE ONE. IF YOU MISS ONE SINGLE
PAYMENT BY EVEN JUST A COUPLE OF DAYS, A WARRANT IS ISSUED FOR
YOUR ARREST. A HUNDRED-PLUS DOLLAR CONTEMPT
CHARGE IS ADDED TO YOUR DEBT AND YOUR DRIVER'S LICENSE IS
IMMEDIATELY SUSPENDED. SO ORIANS AND PERIQUE HAVE A
NEW PLAN TO HELP. WE'RE NOW STARTING A COMMUNAL
LOAN FUND AND THAT WOULD HELP TO GET THOSE PAYMENTS DOWN AND OUT
OF THE WAY, AND THEY'RE NO LONGER AT THREAT OF BEING
ARRESTED AGAIN FOR A TRAFFIC TICKET THAT GREW OUTSTANDING
WHEN THEY WERE IN PRISON. THE FUND IS ALSO WAY TO
INSPIRE COMMUNITY. YOU'RE AROUND GUYS TRYING TO
STRIVE FOR BETTER, DO BETTER, IT GIVES YOU ANOTHER COMFORT.
FINANCIALLY, YES, IT'S IMPORTANT, BUT THE SUPPORT THAT
COMES FROM BEING IN THE GROUP IS VALUED JUST AS EQUAL.
ANOTHER ELEMENT TO THE PROJECT, PERIQUE MANAGES A SMALL
BUSINESS INCUBATOR. THAT WILL HELP CLIENTS GET THE
INCOME TO PAY BACK THE FUND AND FIND THEIR OWN INDEPENDENCE.
WE ALSO OFFER THE SMALL BUSINESS INCUBATOR WITH HELPING
GUYS START THEIR OWN BUSINESSES. FIRST, IT STARTS OUT WITH
SUPPLEMENT INCOME WITH THE HOPES OF IT BLOSSOMING INTO A
FULL-TIME JOB AND BUSINESS. ONCE SCOTT GOT OVER THE
SEEMINGLY INSURMOUNTABLE HURDLE OF GETTING A LICENSE, HE FELT
LIKE HE COULD DO ANYTHING. AND DO IT RIGHT.
HE SUPPLEMENTS HIS HOPPER INCOME WITH A BUSINESS CALLED FLIGHT
NIGHT WINDOW TINTING. LIKE THE START OF SOMETHING.
ME GETTING A DISEASE, I MOVES FORWARD, I REQUEST -- GETTING A
DISEASE, I MOVE FORWARD AND FEEL LIKE I CAN DO MORE.
IT MADE ME WANT TO DO EVERYTHING RIGHT.
BEFORE GETTING INCARCERATED I AIN'T EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT GOING
TO GET A DRIVER'S LICENSE. I DIDN'T WANT TO DO NOTHING, I
WANTED TO DO WHAT I WANTED TO DO.
ORIANS SAYS THERE'S ADDITIONAL WORK THE LEGISLATURE
COULD DO. SHE'D LIKE TO SEE LAWMAKERS
PROHIBIT THOSE EXTRA FEES FROM THE OMV.
WE SHOULD MAKE IT EASIER FOR FORMERLY INCARCERATED PEOPLE IN
PARTICULAR TO GET CREDIT FOR TIME SERVED IF THEY GO TO PRISON
THEY GO TO PRISON FOR SOMETHING CRIMINAL RELATED AND IT'S SO
SERIOUS THAT WE'RE GOING TO TAKE THEIR FREEDOM AWAY AND PUT THEM
IN A STATE PRISON, THAT SHOULD PROBABLY SATISFY ANY ISSUES THEY
HAVE. IT'S NOT JUST THE QUALITY OF
VISION HE WANTS TO IMPROVE, BUT HE ALSO WANTS TO CHANGE HOW
PEOPLE SEE FOLKS LIKE HIM. IF A PERSON SEES ME WITH MY
TATTOOS ON MY HANDS, MY NECK AND DIFFERENT THINGS,
THEY LOOK AT IT NORMALLY LIKE HE MUST BE A GANG MEMBER, A DRUG
DEALER. INSTEAD, IN THE INCUBATOR, I'M
INTO BUSINESS I CAN SHOW, HEY, I CAN WEAR A T-SHIRT AND SOME
