Having turned 18, Shasta knows it's hard enough finding a good job in life. Try looking for one with a criminal record, she says.

Young offenders given a glimpse of world of work

A resident at Echo Glen Children's Center near Snoqualmie, Shasta is serving time for selling drugs. She's scheduled for release in December. "I've had two years to work out what I'm going to do when I get out," she said yesterday. "Now I only have a few months left — and I'm stressing."

If it has to be minimum wage, McDonald's or Taco Bell, so be it, she says. But her preference would be making deliveries for the United Parcel Service or getting a certificate at a vocational school.

She may have gotten a head start yesterday during a career fair at the state detention facility. Working under the basic theory that stable employment reduces recidivism, the center invited a dozen local companies to pitch jobs to the 205 young people locked up there.

"Our goal in working with youth is to give them another option, aside from criminal activity, to fit back into society and be accepted again," said Monica Sato, an employment specialist who works with the center and organized the career fair. "Part of this is to let the kids know there are jobs out there for them, and one of them might pique their interest. And at the same time, it's a warning that if they continue with their criminal lifestyle, more and more doors may close in terms of their future."

Some of the state's worst
The internees of Echo Glen, who range in age from 11 to 19, are some of the worst juvenile delinquents in the state. The collective list of offenses ranges from murder to rape, from arson to forgery. There are 63 sex offenders. More than 40 percent of the children have documented mental illnesses. But they will leave Echo Glen one day. And the test for the state, which spends millions of dollars a year on rehabilitation, is what happens when they get out.

Generally, a third of the juveniles incarcerated in Washington state are thought to re-offend after they're released.

At the job fair, they got a glimpse of future worlds, from an insurance salesman, a janitorial business owner, a professional photographer, a hair stylist, an Army sergeant, several retailers from Fred Meyer and Wal-Mart and a veterinarian, among others. They introduced the youngsters to marketable skills, certification, a savings plan, the stock market and health benefits.

"You just never know where the hell the seed you scatter is going to end up," said Fred Housel, a professional Seattle photographer who showed slides of his work. "Nobody expects anything from these kids. The least I can do is tell them, `You can do it, surprise me.' "

Conceding Echo Glen was not the most highly sought-after job-recruitment pool, many recruiters said they came in the interests of community service.

Tough handicaps
Other inmates were told their criminal records would disqualify them from employment. The Army recruiter, for example, said those with a history of violent offenses probably would be disqualified from enlisting.  "What I've done has affected every aspect of my life," Jesse, 14, said afterward. "I want to get (my conviction) cleaned off my record."

In addition to the face-to-face time — the kids fired plenty of questions at the recruiters — Echo Glen also offers classes on interviewing techniques, how to tell potential employers about their criminal backgrounds, obtaining references, social skills in the workplace and expectations of employers.

"These kids have a lot of challenges," Sato said. "Some of them don't have a place to live, some of them don't have education or training. Some of them have never had role models who have gone to work every day. Some of them have very poor social skills and problems controlling their emotions, learning disabilities, drug and alcohol problems — on top of their criminal records.

"And then there are the normal questions that you and I ask: `What exactly am I interested in? What do I want to be? Should I go to school? Work for myself?' "

For two years, Shasta has been getting ready. She has been employed as a teacher's aide at Echo Glen, worked on her education and taken job-placement classes.  "I used to think that companies would never hire a criminal," she said. "Now, I think that they are excuses for me. I can get out there and get a job, make something of my life. I can do it."

By Michael Ko, Seattle Times Eastside bureau
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