During a drive on the pavements I use to pound, I ran into a young man I frequently see. I made an abrupt stop because something had changed about his appearance; the young man I knew in earlier times wore his hair in braids for over ten years. Now seeing him with a haircut was clearly a clue that some sort of transformation had taken place. I decided to sit down with him and not only hear his story but also gather information that would be useful to others wanting to make changes in their lives.
Now! on first observation one would think that Walter Adkins was a clean cut kid who blossomed into a clean cut man but that's just scratching the surface. Although he graduated from high school and boast a GPA of 3.14 he fell just short of 10 credits to obtain his Associates Degree. Walter's account of his criminal history is horrifying yet inspirational because of the man he has become today. Born in Brooklyn and raised in Queens, Mr. Adkins admit to being a car thief, drug dealer and pimp at one time in his 32 years of living. Being shot in 1993 in his spine and learning to walk again is a remarkable story in itself, but again thats just scratching the surface.
Mr. Adkins did two terms in prison a 1-3 year bid in 1995 and a 4-9 1/2 year bid in 2000. Mr. Adkins states "The 3 1/2 years I did almost broke me down mentally and spiritually. In part, because I missed the birth of my son." His way of thinking changed while serving time in prison. He worked hard to develop a strong work ethic so that it would be embedded in him upon his release.
Junior, as his family and friends like to call him, was released from prison on work-release in 2003 and worked odd jobs to get to the position he is currently holding today (NYC Bus Operator). He started out working for (C.E.O)center for employment opportunities making $40.00 per day for 4 days per week of which he said "was no money, but it helped me to value money because I had to be wise with spending it because I was determined not to go back to jail".
"It's funny that my bus route covers the same blocks I hustled on" That's the first thing Walter Adkins said when I asked him what channels he went through to obtain his position as a MTA Bus Operator. There were several steps he took to obtain that position however the one that stuck out to me was the process of obtaining certificates of dispositions. I can definitely relate to that because I am also presently at that place in my life, at this very moment. We as ex-felons must obtain these certificates as verification that our cases are completed/closed. This shows potential employers that there are no open cases. This is good to have at all times, especially for City and State employers. All dispositions are free of charge as long as you were represented by a legal aid
Mr. Adkins went on to say that he has obtained letters of recommendation from a variety of past employers, speaking on behalf of his character and excellent work ethic. Because of the stigma society has placed on us (ex-felons) obtaining these letters are very important and they play a significant role in helping us become employable again. It shows that someone believes in us and is willing to state in writing that we are hard workers and attempting to be a part of the working class citizens in spite of what we have experienced in the past.
There were alot of challenges that beset Walter but he overcame them. There were officials that should have been supporting his endeavors but instead they looked down on him because of his past. However, he was able to turn stones into gems. He built his foundation on solid ground not quicksand in hopes that his building wouldn't crumble but stand firm on his beliefs and values. Therefore, Mr. Walter "June" Adkins is a success story to say the least. His story should inspire us all.
Men and woman with criminal backgrounds think that we are not able to get jobs of stature because of our records. We hear rumors about having a felony automatically excludes us from getting good jobs and we believe it, we don't push for them, we don't fight for them, we are already defeated in our own minds which depletes our spirit and doesn't feed our bodies that "get up and go" boost that is such a necessity for obtaining any level of success. I've heard that ex-felons are not entitled to certain city and state jobs but don't let that be a deterrent, Mr. Adkins has clearly proven that to be a myth. Anyway we all know who's in charge! Like Walter Adkins we have to start the building process of success and it doesn't start at the top down but the bottom up. It won't be easy but the rewards are limitless! Live Free!
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