- In DC alone, 20,000 returning citizens
are coming out each year.
Every person that is involved with Clean Decisions
has been incarcerated and has made mistakes.
- It's a hard knock life.
We go through more than a little bit.
- He was coming home like myself when they have
no opportunities like that.
- I think Clean Decisions provides that safe space,
that safe opportunity to transition into society.
- 30.
- Despite people thinking that we're bad people,
we do good work.
- And maybe if people noticed the good work,
they will realize that we're good people, too.
- To reality, we are our brother's keeper.
That's what we're here for, to serve each other.
- I think Clean Decisions is about improving people
that you can succeed, that you're not a lost cause.
It's a rebirth.
(inspirational music)
(trashcan rattling)
- Sometimes, it's a little rough, easy to get into trouble.
People, you know, just be scared to mention
that they were in.
It's really hard when you're coming back,
and you're applying for jobs
and you have something on your record.
They don't even want to give you a callback.
You know, they are just looking to question us,
like "oh, you were convicted for this."
And they'll just turn away.
After time, and time, and time again of hearing no's,
you just start to think a yes will never come.
We just need to get our foot in the door,
and somebody to take a chance.
(trashcan rattling)
I wouldn't say I didn't have faith in myself,
but Clean Decisions gave me some support,
you know, showed me that someone else was paying attention.
And that was really helpful to me.
Clean Decisions definitely gave me an opportunity
to put something good on my resume.
A person might not think it was such a big of a risk
to take a chance on me after this, so
that's what I'm most appreciative of.
- We know what it is to come out of prison or jail,
yo gotta catch up in some sense.
You got to get housing. You got to get stable.
All those types of things is rough
for somebody coming out.
Clean Decisions is a company that I started
for returning citizens, just like myself.
We do that by, number one, giving you a job,
number two, giving you a navigator or a mentor.
A person that has been in the system
and has been outside of the system for about three years.
But the last but most important thing,
we give you a culture, a supportive community,
unconditional love, unconditional support.
In reality, failure is going to come
wherever you go in life.
How do you get that together, stand back up and do it again?
That's what we're about.
(laughing)
- Alright, how you feeling? Alright, Alright.
Okay, I'm going to take a walk around with me.
- This company is family.
For me, community is what we thrive for.
Everybody wants to belong to something.
Everybody wants to be apart of something.
But most importantly, everybody wants their name
to be mentioned in something that's successful.
Good morning, gentlemen.
All right, good morning, Good morning, How are you?
Hey, Garret, old man rebel.
You know you got to start from inside to out.
- [Garret] Okay
- Backboard.
Backboard.
(door clacking)
(papers shuffling)
- I like structure, so starting with the agenda.
You want to get started?
- Quick check-in. Fifteen minutes tops.
How we doing, this morning, personally and overall?
- It's my son's first birthday. I'm excited about that.
I also worry that I'm getting old,
and that time is running out.
(group laughing)
- As far as my morning goes, I'm a 8.
Overall, I'm pretty good,
just mad that there's a few health issues
that I need to take care of.
Our primary goal for this year is to focus on growing
Clean Decisions's landscaping business.
I want to be able to overtake Bona Terra
a corporation who always falls in number one
RiverSmart contractor in DC area.
- So, you don't have to do those things,
you could just put an arrow to that line
saying chain linked fence, and that's totally fine.
- 18 feet
- So, you want to measure the house,
and then we could get the square footage.
- Okay. - See how big the rain garden has to be.
The audit report will tell you how many downspouts
we have on the property.
- When you have somebody that you can ask questions to,
that knows the field, and are able to sit down,
take their time out of their day
and explain you the work.
You can't get that a lot of places.
(inspiring music)
- I've been her about 3, 3 and half months now.
and when you know that you've got something to do,
and it's productive. Keeps you out of the way.
Keeps you going. Makes you want to get up and do something.
Makes you feel good about yourself.
It's some things that happen in life
that people don't understand,
but these guys know where you come from
and what you're going through, so you can relate to them.
And when you got people you can relate to,
you're comfortable with them.
They keep you motivated to want to do more and do better.
Not just settle, not just be okay, this is enough.
Nah, keep going, take it up a notch.
Do a little more. Do a little more.
And it helps with the person
and helps with your discipline and patience.
And it helps you add those people up.
After everybody is shutting doors in your face,
and you give up and so for a minute, I gave up.
But then, I got this opportunity.
It got me right back up on my feet.
Got me wanting to get up and go do again.
Got me wanting to be something again.
And I appreciate it.
'cause they didn't have to do it.
They didn't have to. Not at all.
They did not have to.
And I'm grateful for the opportunity, I love it.
-Can't live without coffee.
- We heading to a pancake Saturday,
and having a good old time.
As long as Uncle Bill blesses us with his presence,
we'll be alright.
Yo, yo, ladies and gentlemen, let's get this party started.
It's Saturday. Welcome to Pancake Breakfast.
My name is Will. I'm your host.
We love to do these community events to get people together,
especially, the kids.
We're trying to set a stance that we mingle
with the community.
Thank you all for being here.
For returning citizens, that wall of comfortability,
you know, we're comfortable amongst each other,
but in this type of setting, we're not.
And when people are open to just conversation,
I think the world is a better place in time.
- How was it sleeping in a real bed after, how many years, 24 years?
- 25.
Oh man, sleep in a real bed after 25 years,
it was like awesome. When you get into a blessed bed
with a foam mattress, man!
I slept like a baby.
I slept like a baby every time I got into bed.
I mean it's not about the food at all, man,
it's about showing support and being around people
that understand, I mean, that walked the life
that I went through.
I mean, it's going to help me in my transition,
and make my walk into society much easier.
I mean, it helped me grow.
We were raised in an environment,
where to emotionally express yourself or seek help,
is a sign of weakness.
The biggest thing is the support system.
- Well Uncle Bill's stepping in here.
Let's give him a round of applause.
(crowd applauding)
- I made my mind up. I did not want to be involved
in the streets or any kind of activity
that can potentially put me back in.
The feeling of being important, for one, is super dope.
Feeling like you matter
That trust is very important to build.
To have that trust is probably the most important thing,
at all, period.
Do I feel like I belong here?
(Will laughs)
Is the sky blue?
(laughs)
Of course, I feel like I belong here.
Where else would I be?
[Starting motor]
(motor starting)
- Clean Decisions is trying to create
transitional housing in DC,
and to start that journey from the bottom up,
and to educate returning citizens with what it takes.
(Soulful hip hop music)
They can ultimately pick a trade from their house.
So, we will create huge opportunities from jobs to careers.
That's a hundred percent needed
to stay out here, to stay out in society.
What keeps them motivated, I think, is the future
that now has presented itself.
You're in a position where you can succeed.
- It's all good, man. We're just trying to work.
- I understand the trials and tribulations,
in which you go through, everyday life.
I've been there. I've done that.
And for me to get to this position, I had to work hard.
Just because you messed up, that doesn't mean you give up.
And I'm a firm believer of that,
because I messed up many a times in my life,
but I never gave up. I always had a vision
that I was going to be successful doing something.
But I didn't know where.
My heart is near and dear to DC residents.
I try to put forth the extra effort
and get them to see the clear picture, the bigger picture,
that there's something on the other side of the fence.
Sometimes, we be our biggest enemy,
'cause we have so much doubt in ourself.
I was in programs, and I really didn't trust the process.
I had some people that believed in me
more than I believed in myself.
And that gave me the courage to do better
want to do better, want to strive better.
We want you to come inside of our apprenticeship,
learn the trade, learn the skills,
and grow within the organization.
Once, you're an asset to the company.
You will grow within the company,
'cause they figure that you're a part of the team.
You're only going to get out of life what you put into it.
The thing is "is you ready for what we have to offer?
Is you ready to take the next step?
Is you really ready to get what you need to go?"
Y'all looking good.
- Thank you, sir
- So we've served about 45 to 55 individuals each year.
I would say 14 out of the members
that are employed right now have been now for 2 years
and going on 3.
Usually, they go back in within the first.
- Rejection hurts right.
(group laughs)
- We going on to our fifth year.
And most of the people who work for us have been
with us from the beginning, or the second year.
- There you go. - I got you.
- Somebody's getting released today.
They have that fear that they don't want to say
"I don't know what to do"
I want to spread the word of Clean Decisions
to get to that individual.
Just say "Hey, you are worth something, and you are better
than what society has considered you."
- Hey, thanks for watching, we know
the news can be a bummer sometimes,
but at Freethink, we're trying to tell inspiring stories
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