So you've seen the convict mugshot turned model...but what do you think of it?

[cookderosa]

interesting.... well, I guess there are probably people who are models with all types of backgrounds (let's face it, if you have the OPTION to be a rocket scientist.....) so that he was discovered from his mug shot vs his 8x10 glossy doesn't really seem to be a huge deal I don't think? I don't know. I think I'm inclined to believe Publius on this one, people don't usually change much.

[sanantone]

I'm more baffled by the people who donated $5,000 or maybe not. I'm assuming they're women, and serial killers tend to have groupies.

[Exfactor]

As a corrections officer, I am INCREDIBLY biased.....but here's my 2 shekels...

This felon has multiple convictions in his history, and for me, this has proven his unwillingness to follow social rules. Everyone keeps saying he's changed. However, I don't think he's had enough time to change (considering that the mugshot everyone is freaking out over was taken less than two weeks ago when he was charged with 6 new felonies). But that doesn't seem to matter. Society is giving this guy a free pass because he's pretty.

He might be singing about how he's going to be a different person when he gets out, but it's a song I've heard many MANY times before. I'm not saying this guy can't change, but it's going to take a LOT more than 2 weeks for him to prove it to me.

How many of our nations former military members are there who are unemployed, but probably JUST as attractive as this guy?

Well, the system isn't necessarily supportive of those with felons anyway, they are stigmatized. What exactly is a felon supposed to do once they leave prison? Seek a job, where even the likes of McDonalds or Burger King won't even hire them. There only choice is to engaged in the behaviors which landed them in prison in the first place. So yes it's a repeated cycle; however, the prison industrial complex is big money and feed off of these sorts of crimes anyway.

[sanantone]

Well, the system isn't necessarily supportive of those with felons anyway, they are stigmatized. What exactly is a felon supposed to do once they leave prison? Seek a job, where even the likes of McDonalds or Burger King won't even hire them. There only choice is to engaged in the behaviors which landed them in prison in the first place. So yes it's a repeated cycle; however, the prison industrial complex is big money and feed off of these sorts of crimes anyway.

You have a point there. Felons who can manage to get a job and a place in a decent neighborhood are less likely to recidivate.

[publius2k4]

Well, the system isn't necessarily supportive of those with felons anyway, they are stigmatized. What exactly is a felon supposed to do once they leave prison? Seek a job, where even the likes of McDonalds or Burger King won't even hire them. There only choice is to engaged in the behaviors which landed them in prison in the first place. So yes it's a repeated cycle; however, the prison industrial complex is big money and feed off of these sorts of crimes anyway.

There are many who HAVE been convicted, and turned their lives around. Here are a few who were convicts long before they became celebrities;

Danny Trejo
Steven Fry
Tim Allen
Robert Downy Jr.

He can turn his life around and he might even be capable of becoming a role model some day; But as of right now, he's an inmate with 6 felonies pending.

[Kaz]

So here I am working my butt off since I've been 16 trying to live right and do the right thing. I'm just now accomplishing some long-desired educational goals and that has not come easy either. It's been a lot of hard work.

A lot, and I believe most, people who "hit it" really big cut in line. It has taken me years to come to grips with that fact but I think it's true. They don't buy in to the notion that they have to complete "step A" before "step B" and then "step C" etc. etc. all the way to step Z before they can graduate to have whatever it is they want. They just leapfrog as much as they can and take it. So be proud of your years of hard work just as I am of mine but don't think that what we did is how you "make it", because I don't think it is.

So here comes this fella with his criminal history and criminal present and based solely on "looks," he's got an agent (not out of jail yet) and a possible modeling career.

I think most people break into the modeling industry "based solely on their looks". :p Seriously though, it's not like his mugshot got him offers for a position drafting public policy or being an engineer at CERN.

On the other hand, does he deserve a second, third, or whatever chance and isn't it better that he has the opportunity to make an honest income, get away from the gang lifestyle, and live off of his own income rather than others' tax dollars (i.e. jail) where he will surely learn to become a better (or worse) criminal?

Exactly. At my job I have a lot of input on hiring and see almost every resume that comes in. My boss throws every resume of someone with ANY criminal background into the bottom of a filing cabinet drawer and kicks it shut, never to be seen again. People who like to beat the drum of "this is the land of opportunity!" and then rattle off a handful of names, and maybe an anecdote or two, referencing people who had their lives turn completely around seem to also be people who suck at math in my experience. A few names people recognize means bupkis. Check this outHelp wanted There are millions of Americans with criminal records and they all go in the bottom of a lot of people's filing cabinets.

As far as how many chances he should get how about this: as opposed to what? :confused: Lifetime imprisonment? :ack: Death penalty? :puke: Seriously, if someone is a lifetime criminal but never does anything "really" bad like murder or rape what are the possible choices? Or did you mean multiple chances at being a model, lol.

Would your opinion change depending upon the type of crimes he's committed. For example if he robbed an ATM vs. involved in sex trafficking, would that color your opinion?

Yes and so would his prospective employers, so I think his prosperity has a natural governor installed that limits how lucrative this new found opportunity can be. He could be stone-cold guilty of stealing cars ten times, for instance, and that wouldn't come close to negatively affecting his possible modeling career compared to even being accused of rape for instance. With the former I could even see a given company making a joke out it, using him in ads for sports cars ("So fast he just HAD to take it!" wink wink...) With the latter? No serious, major brand would touch him with a ten foot pole.

[mrs.b]

As far as Jeremy Meeks (Mugshot Man), I guess it's better than his current path, assuming he doesn't do both. He's made a living so far taking the easy road, taking advantage of people's weaknesses. That's all he's doing now by taking advantage of people's weakness to see a pretty face and ignore everything else. At least this path is legal.

What I do find disheartening, though, is that this guy's mugshot got far more press than the death of Officer Scott Hewell who died from injuries sustained while responding to a shots fired call in the exact same town that arrested Meeks. It speaks volumes to me about society's priorities.