93 positions have been provided for released prisoners. In this job fair, volunteers tied the "yellow ribbon of love" for them
On October 14, 1971, the New York Post published a story: there was a silent man on a long-distance bus who had just come out of prison. Before his release, he wrote a letter to his wife, saying that if she still loved him and wanted him to go back, he would tie a yellow ribbon on the old oak tree at the entrance of the town; If there were no yellow ribbons, he would go with the car and never disturb her... As the car approached the town entrance, he saw dozens or even hundreds of yellow ribbons hanging from the old oak tree from afar. This story was turned into a song and spread all over the world, and the yellow ribbon also had the meaning of "accepting again and giving opportunities".
On the afternoon of June 13th, the launch ceremony of the 13th "Yellow Ribbon of Love" Social Assistance and Education Activity Month in Shanghai was held at the Municipal Political Consultative Conference Hall. Since 2011, the event has been successfully held for twelve consecutive sessions, and the yellow ribbon symbolizing "tolerance, acceptance, and love" has also been fluttering.
The so-called social assistance and education refers to non punitive social education management activities in which various departments, units, and individuals in society provide assistance, education, persuasion, and rescue to specific objects. Specific targets are generally individuals who have been released from prison, released from reeducation through labor, or subjected to juvenile detention. The Yellow Ribbon of Love conducts a monthly series of social assistance activities annually, aiming to further expand the influence and social awareness of social assistance, and highlight the breadth and depth of participation of people from all walks of life in social assistance.
At the launch ceremony, a situational drama called "Starting from the Heart and Starting Again" left a deep impression. The protagonist Zhang Juan was sentenced to six years in prison in 2014 for the crime of drug trafficking and illegal possession of drugs. After being imprisoned, Zhang Juan had the idea of giving up on everything, feeling increasingly depressed and having extreme thoughts. In addition to educating and persuading, prison police also contacted comrades from the Judicial Bureau, the Anti Drug Office, and the Volunteer Association to participate in Zhang Juan's educational reform. After serious repentance, Zhang Juan was finally released from prison and began a new life. Although she has learned skills such as caregiving and cleaning in prison, and obtained a vocational skills training certificate, which could have been her employment direction, it is not so easy for her to find a suitable job.
Scene drama stills
Looking for jobs everywhere, encountering obstacles everywhere, many ex convicts have experienced it. "Every time we talked well, but in the end, we refused. Which company would want a convicted criminal? I really don't know what to do, I can't find a job, and I feel confused every day. I'm really useless, I can't do anything well!" Zhang Juan fell into despair again.
Judicial officials, the Anti Drug Administration, social workers, and volunteer educators are all doing their best to help Zhang Juan find ways. The volunteer educators also encourage her to participate in the special recruitment organized by the association, where the Love Enterprise has set up many positions for released prisoners.
According to statistics, in the past five years, the "Love Yellow Ribbon" event has held 85 special job fairs, providing employment opportunities for 311 special personnel, their families, and children with employment needs. Before this launch ceremony, there was also a special recruitment session. The 15 recruitment units on site cover multiple fields such as catering, printing, nursing, and traditional Chinese medicine, providing 93 positions including front desk, food delivery, pastry chef, driver, and logistics. Some of these companies have already participated in multiple recruitment attempts.
"We have recruited around 10 young people who have made mistakes one after another. In my opinion, they are all just a blank sheet of paper. If they make a mistake, just wipe it off with an eraser and correct it properly. Although they have made mistakes, as long as they are willing to correct them properly and understand why they are wrong, they should be accepted. If the small tree grows crooked, we should go and help them correct it," said Li Liang, the restaurant manager of Shanghai Yunying Catering Management Co., Ltd.
Mr. Cao, the person in charge of a certain cultural company in Shanghai, has a different feeling. He has also gone through a detour before. "I will help others because I know how difficult the road back home is. I walked for 8 years and 6 months, and then it took 11 years to achieve my current career. The Jing'an District Judicial Bureau and the Help and Education Association were my yellow ribbons. When I got lost on the edge of darkness, they held my hand towards the light. Without their help, I wouldn't be where I am today." Before the event began, his company had already signed a release from prison. "We are integrating resources and providing more positions to this platform to help released prisoners integrate into social life."
At present, the Shanghai Association for Helping and Teaching has around 20000 social assistance volunteers and more than 700 member units. More and more units are willing to accept released prisoners, and more and more citizens are joining the volunteer team.
