Marlin Demas for Cook County Second Chance Month

Speaker: Marlin Demas

Marlin Demas: Peace and love to everybody out there. My name Marlon Demons. I'm a Cohart. One. Take back your legacy represent a Cohart. One big one. Uh I grew up on the south side of Chicago. I became just as impacted um I guess in my area in my neighborhood, it it wasn't a matter if we was gonna get arrested or messed with by the police. It was just a matter of when everybody in my neighborhood kind of expected it. So I think I was arrested my first time when I was 1312, 13 and that was just for being in the crowd with people when being have something happened, standing in the place at the wrong time, wrong place, wrong time. Um I think the same, yeah, I was arrested again for possession of marijuana. So I mean it was just, it seemed like it was unavoidable for me, in my opinion.

Marlin Demas: Uh how has being justice impacted, affected my life? Honestly is, it's just made everything a lot more difficult. I would say I had no, no idea of how bad, how hard things will get for you as far as looking for employment, decent employment. Um I had no idea how limited the options would be with a record with having an arrest on my record. So when I actually became of age and started working in the field, I mean, working, that's when it became apparent to me when I didn't even have the op opportunity, I didn't even qualify to do jobs that I was more than qualified to do and get a decent pay rate, not to get a, get ahead, but to be able to maintain, I can't even apply for those jobs because I have a record.

Marlin Demas: Uh what the legacy program do for me and what I accomplished. Well, after completing the legacy program, I feel like it gave me a new sense of mentality and the way of looking at things a new realization that just because one door closes, that doesn't mean 10 doors doesn't open somewhere else. And it also helped me broaden my horizons and not look at things from one aspect. There's a full spectrum, look at everything from every different angle and find out where I can fit in. And this definitely been working for me so far, so good. Since I've left the pro, since I completed the program, I got a job working as a machine operator and infusing gummies, at Baked Buds. If you a gummies, um coca-cola shot uh little pop shots, all type of things circles chocolate bars. So I'm in there, I'm working there now and I'm actually working on opening up my own, starting my own line of edibles along with a clothing line, two clothing lines as well and all with the help of Shawnee and her team so is definitely prepared and prepared and propelled me a lot further in my life, I believe.

Marlin Demas: Well, like I said, I moved on from the program and started working for an infusion company, big books on the machine operated there. I'm next in line to be promoted to the actual training officer on the machines. Um And again, I'm starting several clothing lines. I am also trying to open up my own edible cookie line. So and there's a few other things in the world I really can't talk about right now at this moment specifically. But there's definitely a lot of big things coming down the down the future man in the future. I mean, and um all thanks to the program, all thanks to their leadership and their guidance. So I I don't have the words to express my gratitude for Shawnee and her team man. It's just been big. It's been a big help.

Marlin Demas: Um my words of advice or encouragement to anybody going through a situation like this. Find somebody like Shawnee Miss Shawnee Williams and her team. Let's take back the Legacy program. Find a program like that who really focuses on assisting people that helping people with that situation. Um Cause from co R one to cohort whenever they stop, we uh we're not just looking at it as a program, we completed it, we look at it like it's a fraternity now like we are brothers and sisters of this program. So we build in our community and we helping each other. I find out some new information about being able to help somebody get their record response. I'm on the page, I'm in a group, I'm telling everybody and vice versa. Somebody else found out something new. They telling everybody um in our little community um jobs become available in these dispensaries and stuff like this. We have people that's working there. Of course, they're gonna hire people, they know first people that they come into contact with. So if you're a person that's trying to navigate this journey, get you a community, bro, get, get involved with other people that are doing the same thing cause the strength of numbers and what you might not be good at somebody else might be good at. So you have to network, network, network, network and you'd be surprised. You never know what anybody, any one particular person in your network. If you got a big enough and good enough network, you never know where somebody can help you at. So always network never give up. Never look at things one sided. Keep an open mind tunnel vision to get you straight right back. In the same situation. There's different aspects and different ways to approach every situation. So look at it from a full spectrum and make your next move your best move. That's my advice.