"It was a terrible life": Dad of eight was jailed 23 TIMES... only one thing made him stop burgling and doing drugs
25.02.2024 - 05:15
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
A dad-of-eight who has been jailed 23 times says he feels “proud” of himself for turning his life around. Ex-burglar Micky has spent most of his life in and out of jail for crimes to fund his hard drug addiction.
The dad, from Old Trafford, was first locked up at the age of 15 for stealing cars and became hooked on drugs just two years later.
Join our WhatsApp Top Stories and Breaking News group by clicking this link
Whenever Micky was released from jail, he attempted to get his life on track by trying to find a job – but claims he was rejected from every employer once they found out he was a former offender.
“It was a terrible life,” he told the Manchester Evening News. “I was young and getting in trouble. Every time I went to get employment, I couldn’t get a job.
“I had the odd jobs on building sites through agencies, but it just made me feel like I was worthless.”
Each prison release left Micky struggling to find his way, eventually seeing him become homeless and living on streets all over Greater Manchester.
With no job or money to get by, the dad found himself stuck in an endless cycle of turning to crime in order to live.
“I was homeless for a long time,” he added. “That was one of the main reasons I kept going back to drugs when I got out of prison. I was rolled back onto the streets with nowhere to go and ended up going back to places surrounded by drugs.
“I didn’t want to go, but there was no choice. It was either that or the streets.
“My conviction was a huge barrier to me getting on in life after prison. I was rejected by about 10 employers because of it and received no advice or guidance from prison when I was released."
Research shows only 17 per cent of ex-offenders are in work within 12