Stockton man who served 7 years using new California law to clear his record, regain 'some of my dignity back'

In the fall of 2014, Jay Jordan had just finished helping launch former San Joaquin County Congressman Jerry McNerney to reelection victory as a field director for McNerney's campaign.

But with the campaign over, Jordan couldn't find a job in Stockton. And after finally finding part-time work in Los Angeles, he couldn't find a place to live, he said.

"I was making 17 bucks an hour and living in my car," Jordan said. "I was starving. I would take one Top Ramen and split it in half … I would smoke a quarter of a cigarette and put it out."

Jordan, 37, struggled for years to find work and shelter due to a criminal conviction from when he was a teenager, he said. Now the CEO of Alliance for Safety and Justice — a nonprofit focused on criminal justice reform — Jordan still cannot sign most rental agreements or volunteer at his child's school due to his record, he said.

But some barriers to employment and other opportunities for people with criminal records could be lifted under a new California law that Jordan's organization and other justice reform groups pushed for. The law allows those who have been to prison to ask the courts to permanently seal their records, if they have gone four years without being convicted of a felony.

Jordan was among the first people in California to file a petition under Senate Bill 731 at the San Joaquin County courthouse in Stockton this month.

"For me, it’s more about being able to regain some of my dignity back," he said.

Jordan grew up off Estate Drive in north Stockton to a father who was a pastor and a mother who was an engineer, he said. In 2004, at age 18, he was arrested and charged with robbery and vehicle theft, he said.

Before the arrest, Jordan had recently received his GED certificate, scored highly on an auto mechanic exam and had planned to go to Phoenix for further mechanic training, he said.

"I remember, you know, having a feeling of excitement, but also (of), 'this is new to me, I'm going to leave my hometown'," he said. Jordan was in the car with friends from "the wrong crowd" and "got caught up in a robbery," he said. Only Jordan was caught. He spent seven years in prison, he said.

When Jordan got out at age 26, he found starting a new life difficult without the same experience others his age had had, he said.

"I looked around, and all my friends in college were getting married, in careers," he said. "I wasn’t even just starting over … I was just – starting."

Career plans he had made in prison — including barbering, selling insurance and selling real estate — fell through when he learned he was not allowed to get the necessary licenses. "(You) are stuck in the lower end of the economy … you can only get low-wage jobs," he said.

"It’s confusing ... I went to prison, I served my time, I’m a different person, and everyone thinks I'm the same."

Over the years, Jordan worked at a Trader Joe's warehouse and lived off the proceeds of three vending machines he had bought, while also doing community organizing in Stockton and later in LA.

He found full-time employment at an LA nonprofit in 2015, and managed to find an apartment after a few months of homelessness, he said. Now, he lives in New York with his wife and two children.

For those leaving prison today, SB 731 may open up more opportunities than Jordan had.

If you want to petition to have your convictions in San Joaquin County cleared, you can start by filling out these forms and sending them to the San Joaquin County Public Defender's Office to see if you meet the requirements.

School districts and other organizations that work with vulnerable populations can still view criminal background checks for job applicants, with the exception of some drug conviction records over five years old. People required to register as sex offenders cannot get their records sealed.

Record reporter Aaron Leathley covers public safety. She can be reached at aleathley@recordnet.com or on Twitter @LeathleyAaron. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.

This article originally appeared on The Record: After prison, a Stockton man is using new SB 731 to seal his record