Damien Patton, founder and former CEO of Banjo, said a lesson he learned from his own experiences is that "escaping hate is always possible," but it is made much easier when opportunities for rehabilitation are available.
“The most important lesson I have learned is that escaping hate is always possible," Patton wrote in a recent op-ed on The Hill. “At 17, I took a stand, pleading guilty to juvenile delinquency and cooperating with law enforcement to testify against my captors.”
“We can reverse the rise of extremism and hate, but only if we offer a path to redemption," he wrote. “Yet without a structured legal pathway for redemption, young people may be burdened by criminal records that hinder their chances for education, employment, and a fresh start.”
The Center for Economic and Policy Research reports that having a criminal record decreases the chances of receiving a job callback or offer by roughly 50%. The resulting underemployment and unemployment among individuals with criminal histories have a significant economic impact, potentially costing the U.S. economy up to $87 billion annually.
According to the American Bar Association, the United States maintains several legal mechanisms such as expungement and record sealing available to young offenders, offering them a pathway to redemption. Expungement allows individuals to have their juvenile records erased or sealed, making them invisible to most employers, landlords, and educational institutions.
This process supports rehabilitation by removing the barriers associated with having a criminal record, especially for non-violent offenses. However, eligibility for expungement varies by state, with some states having more restrictive criteria, particularly for serious offenses like violent crimes or hate crimes.
Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of ADL, has advocated for replacing ‘cancel culture’ with ‘counsel culture,’ emphasizing that everyone has an inherent degree of dignity and the capacity for redemption.
Damien Patton is the founder and former CEO of Banjo and a leader in the AI and technology sectors. Once a member of a white supremacist gang in his youth, he has since become a vocal advocate for the Anti-Defamation League, championing efforts to combat hate on social media and promoting greater inclusion and accessibility within the tech industry.