Employers more open to hiring people with criminal backgrounds
Three documents that would have seemed improbable 15 years ago now hang, carefully arranged, above Andre Joachim Jr.'s desk: a master's degree in counseling, certification from the National Board for Certified Counselors, and an Illinois license as a professional counselor.
Fifteen years ago, Joachim was just about to enter prison for the fourth time.
"If you would have told me 15 years ago I would have graduated with my master's degree, I would have laughed," Joachim said. "I thought I'd be dead by 30."
Yet after his fourth incarceration, Joachim began to reconsider life. He attended classes at Joliet Junior College, an ankle monitor hidden beneath his pant leg. He earned associate, bachelor's and master's degrees.
The last hurdle was getting licensed by the state - something that until recently was banned for people with backgrounds like Joachim's. But a 2016 law changed that, allowing people with forcible felony convictions to become licensed health care workers.
"It was an amazing experience," Joachim said. "I felt
