Prison Bae

Working in the realm of social services, you encounter countless moments that make you feel like a superhero, despite the daily dose of being overworked and underpaid. In my case, as part of the administrative team in HR, I've had the privilege of witnessing firsthand the extraordinary acts of compassion by individuals who go above and beyond to make a positive impact. These unsung heroes find people homes, connect them to vital social security and welfare services, foster a sense of community, and assure them that their safety and well-being matter. And let me tell you, it's a heartwarming experience when you witness someone transition from being in need of support to becoming a provider of support themselves.

Unfortunately, every once in a while, when we allow this to happen, things can take an unexpected turn. And, unfortunately, this is one of those stories.

The social service organization I worked for had a special focus on helping individuals reintegrate into the community after serving time in the prison system. Our dedicated team, whom I'll refer to as social workers for simplicity's sake, played a crucial role in assisting these individuals in finding employment, securing housing, engaging in social activities, pursuing education, and more.

One particular person we assisted, who we’ll call "Jamie," was not only extremely grateful for their own progress, which they attributed to our staff, but also decided to take the next step and apply for a job within our organization. Jamie's caseworker, who we’ll call "Laura," maintained professional contact with them as they continued to thrive. With Laura's glowing recommendation, we took a leap of faith and hired Jamie for their undeniable passion, relevant background, and their ability to connect with the very individuals we served. We were so impressed that we even crafted a unique position for Jamie, akin to an "apprenticeship."

However, things went awry when we made a startling discovery. In the course of a casual conversation, Jamie dropped a bombshell on Laura: they were dating one of our clients. Shocked and concerned about the potential conflict of interest, Laura promptly reported the situation to our management. As it turned out, the client, who we’ll call "Katie," was someone both Jamie and Laura had been assisting while she was still in prison. Katie's post-release behavior had been a bit erratic, making it challenging to keep her engaged in scheduled appointments and follow through with the plan that had been developed prior to her release. Katie would often reach out when she needed something, such as transportation passes. During a discussion with Laura about these challenges, Jamie only mentioned their acquaintance with Katie from the prison system, conveniently leaving out the vital detail of their romantic involvement.

However, the day before this all hit my desk, Jamie told Laura that Katie was actually Jamie’s girlfriend and that they were living together.

When we questioned Jamie, they admitted that they knew Katie for over 20 years, and that Katie was best friends with Jamie’s cousin. In addition, Jamie admitted that the two were romantically linked and had recently moved in together.

Naturally, we had to address the situation head-on and engage Jamie in a discussion. It was disheartening to discover that Jamie had known Katie for over two decades and that Katie was, in fact, Jamie's cousin's best friend. Furthermore, Jamie admitted to their romantic entanglement and recent cohabitation. The real issue here was Jamie's failure to disclose any of this information earlier, which created an unfortunate perception that they were intentionally hiding it from us (and let's be honest, they probably were). This revelation left us deeply disappointed, especially considering how Jamie had assisted Laura in finding housing for Katie upon her release. It became unclear whether their relationship had influenced Jamie's motivation to assist Katie, if they had shown favoritism towards her over other clients, or if there were any other connections Jamie had with clients from the same prison system.

Had Jamie had been forthcoming and transparent about these relationships from the beginning, we could have worked together to devise a plan that would have ensured they didn't work with clients they had personal connections to. Unfortunately, their attempts to conceal these conflicts of interest ultimately sealed their fate, and we were left with no choice but to regretfully terminate their employment.

To make matters worse, when we attempted to deliver the news to Jamie, who was on administrative leave pending the investigation, their sister answered the phone and informed us that Jamie was not in a good state and would return our call. However, that call never came, and we were left to assume that Jamie had abandoned their position.

This entire incident took a toll on the manager, the staff, and truth be told, even me. We were all rooting for Jamie's success in their role, but unfortunately, it did not go as hoped.

Working in social services never ceases to amaze me; it feels like a sitcom on steroids. Sometimes your days are filled with more plot twists than success stories, which is fine if you’re able to find the humor in the most unexpected moments.