From convict to computer coder

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — This is a story about discipline, determination and opportunity turning a life of crime into a bright, honest future. It’s the story of a man who went from convict to coder.

A person’s life can take twists and turns and fall into a hole but sometimes you can dig your way out with a computer keyboard.

For a lot of years, prison was the world of Blaine Reid. Drugs had dragged him down—put him in prison not once, but twice.

“Every time I do drugs, it leads me down a path that leads to losing everything. So, I vowed never to do drugs. And, from that moment, everything landed in place.”

A prison work assignment offered Blaine a chance to teach himself a bit of software programming.

“And I remember the moment. Teaching myself that. Thinking I really enjoy this, I would love to learn coding.”

Soon after that, he was able to join a prison program that teaches software coding. A non-profit called Persevere runs the courses in cooperation with the Arizona Department of Corrections.

Once convicts get out of prison they often go back to crime because they don't have the skills for a good job, or can’t find an employer willing to hire them.

But Blaine Reid had programming skills strong enough that Checkr, a company that runs background checkshired him. He says Chekr believes in fair chance hiring—giving people who’ve had trouble with the law a chance to find good honest work.

“I make six figures. I have stock options that will start to trigger after two years. I'm getting my first raise, Checkr does them every year towards the beginning. So I just had my first performance review. So I got to see what my first raise is, and there's definitely room for position growth. And those usually lead to substantial increases in compensation.”

He says there's a certain discipline in the precision of coding. It’s helped him break away from bad habits and bad people and set a course for success.