Dwayne
In March of 2024, Dwayne Bruce learned about One On One through the Exoneration Project, an organization that provides free legal services for individuals who were wrongfully convicted. After serving 27 years in prison, Dwayne felt stuck. He was struggling to find jobs. Then, he met Miranda.
“I love Miranda’s spirit,” Dwayne said, of his employment coach at One On One. “I can’t even think about giving up. She will be right there saying we have to keep going.”
Initially, Dwayne received free courses through One On One to earn his forklift certification. But, due to his background not yet being cleared, he was struggling to qualify for interviews. Miranda worked with him through this difficult patch, and helped him shift and refocus his resume to apply for security guard positions.
“Even when you get no response from all the applications you submit, you still have to submit another one. You still have to keep moving forward,” said Dwayne.
One On One is honored to receive funding to support formerly incarcerated individuals through the Job Training and Economic Development Program (JTED) project with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity grant.
Dwayne now works as a security guard, manning the night shift. He knows there are better opportunities out there, so while he is gainfully employed, he is also attending school to receive his Commercial Driver’s License. Miranda helped him find fully-funded training programs, so that he doesn’t have to pay out-of-pocket for this opportunity.
After spending most of his life in prison, Dwayne did not feel comfortable or equipped to apply for jobs. One On One helped him through that discomfort and helped him to believe in himself.
“Since I’ve been home there’s always something stopping me,” Dwayne shared. “I haven’t gotten any opportunities. But Miranda kept saying we can’t stop there. One On One kept pushing me forward.”
Dwayne appreciated that his coach kept in touch with him even after he got that first job. One On One is unique in that our employment coaches complete retention checks for up to one year after clients are employed - making sure that their new job is going well.
In four short weeks, Dwayne will be qualified to be a professional commercial driver. He has his own apartment, a driver’s license, and is able to visit his sons and grandchildren frequently. When he went to prison, his youngest son was only two months old.
“I’m getting better at talking about my time in prison,” he said. “I want my kids to see me doing well. I’m 55 years old, but I’m working and getting out there to do something. A lot of people are shocked that I haven't changed. I have to share my story. If I don’t, that means they broke me. They didn’t break me.”
