IOU Spells New Hope for Ex-Cons

When 19-year-old Michael J. Ackerley dropped out of high school two-years ago, he did not expect the search for a job to be so tough. The addition of a felony conviction to his record in December for stealing a Mercedes Benz convertible seemed to be the final obstacle.

But instead of sentencing the Cambridge resident to a jail stay, the Middlesex County judge sent Ackerley to Individual Opportunities Unlimited (IOU), and he now works for Widener Library's maintenance department cleaning shelves in the stacks.

A Cambridge-based, non-profit training and counseling service for unemployed ex-convicts. IOU offers its clients--all on probation or recently released after sentences for minor offenses--an eight-week employment training program which includes sessions on interview preparation and role playing through stressful situations they might encounter on the job.

Successes

Founded in 1979, the agency placed 34 ex-convicts in jobs last year, and 17 have been found employment this year. IOU officials and clients agree that the service's emphasis on individual attention separates it from other groups assisting ex-convicts.

The agency "tries to find out the specific needs of the individual and their particular career objective," says IOU Training Specialist Mark A. Pelletier. A former employee of the federal government's CETA office in Boston, he calls the program "the most unique and effective of its kind."

The individual attention continues as clients start their job hunt and after they are hired. Ackerley says the agency "keeps me on the ball" with daily telephone calls and frequent follow-up visits.

IOU Director Edward DePalma says the greatest problem facing the ex-convicts is rejection caused by general prejudice toward criminal records, both in applying for and after they land jobs. To counter this prejudice, part of the IOU program involves scenarios clients might find in interviews and job sites that allow them to practice their responses.

In addition, IOU sponsors a "job club" which meets weekly in the basement of Memorial Hall, allowing clients to relate similar experiences. The group gives the agency a "family-like" atmosphere. Ackerley says.

Judges and probation officials contacted this week said they are pleased with the program's recent success. Somerville Judge Henry A. Tempone says IOU helps the clients overcome a defeatist attitude that comes with being "legally handicapped."

State Probation Officer Daryl Smith sees the program as a sign of sincerity by the ex-convicts because they are given the choice to enroll.

Currently, DePalma runs IOU solely through donations from both individuals and corporations, and has raised $11,000. But he hopes eventually to win a grant from the state or federal government to expand the program.

But client Larry J. Parker is satisfied with IOU. "They pick you up pat you on the back; you find it in yourself to go out and get on your feet."EDWARD DE PALMA