Legal & Emergency Help

Understanding Your Legal Rights

Even with a record, you still have rights when it comes to employment, housing, and discrimination.

1. Employment Rights

  • Ban the Box Laws – Many states prohibit employers from asking about your record on a job application.
  • Know Your Background Check Rights – Employers must inform you if they reject you due to a background check.
  • Sealing or Expunging Your Record – In some cases, you can clear your record.

📌 Check if Your State Has Ban-the-Box Laws

2. Housing Rights

  • The Fair Housing Act does NOT fully protect people with records, but some cities ban discrimination based on past convictions.
  • Public Housing Restrictions vary. Some programs allow former felons, but restrictions apply based on the crime.

3. Getting Legal Help

If you face discrimination, legal aid services can help:

Emergency Help

Reentry is more than just paperwork and job applications. It’s a mental battle, a fight to stay hopeful while dealing with rejection, stress, and the weight of everything that’s changed. For many, addiction, trauma, and mental health struggles are part of that fight.

The reality is, prison doesn’t prepare you for freedom. It teaches survival, not how to navigate relationships, rebuild trust, or handle the stress of starting over with nothing. The pressure can be overwhelming.

Mental Health & Addiction Support

If you’re struggling with anxiety, depression, PTSD, or addiction, you are not alone. Many people coming out of the system feel isolated, misunderstood, or stuck in a loop they don’t know how to escape.

Help exists, even if it feels out of reach.

📞 SAMHSA’s National Helpline (1-800-662-HELP) – Free, confidential addiction and mental health treatment referrals.
📞 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (Dial 988) – 24/7 crisis support for anyone in distress.
📞 Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) – Meetings and peer support for alcohol addiction.
📞 Narcotics Anonymous (NA) – Support for those struggling with drug addiction.

If you don’t know where to start, 211 can connect you to local mental health services, rehab programs, and crisis shelters in your area. Visit 211.org or dial 211 to get help.

Final Thoughts

No one comes out of prison unchanged. The weight of what’s behind you – and the uncertainty of what’s ahead – can feel unbearable.

You don’t have to do this alone.

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