John Anthony Uriegas‑Montez arrived at Crosspoint’s residential reentry center on April 7 after spending much of the past seven years moving in and out of the criminal‑justice system. By September, the 35‑year‑old San Antonio native held a full‑time lift‑truck operator position, health insurance and a logistics certification earned through a Goodwill second‑chance training program. After five months in a two‑person room at the Eastside halfway house, he moved into his own apartment.
What Crosspoint Provides
Crosspoint has run reentry programs in San Antonio since 1972. The nonprofit operates under a Federal Bureau of Prisons contract, housing up to 85 men and 35 women in two‑person rooms with laundry facilities and computer access for job searches. Unlike prison, residents may leave to work, attend training and meet approved community needs.
Director of Operations Elisa Lopez‑Canseco describes the facility as a “decompression chamber” that prepares residents for release. Staff monitor residents with GPS, conduct regular physical checks, and require drug and alcohol testing. Employment is expected; those who can work must find a job, and the unemployed must actively look.
Employers Value the Program
Because residents’ attendance is tracked, employers find them reliable. “They can’t just call in sick,” Lopez‑Canseco said. However, finding work remains challenging due to the stigma of a felony record.
President and CEO Annette Rodriguez notes that many employers and landlords hesitate because of a criminal background. She emphasizes that former inmates are already contributing to the local workforce in restaurants, manufacturing plants and other essential jobs.
Community Partnerships
Crosspoint works with more than 100 community partners, including Goodwill, which provides on‑site training for in‑demand jobs open to people with criminal records. Uriegas‑Montez took a Goodwill assessment, earned a Certified Logistics Associate credential with a 90‑point exam score, and spent hours each day applying to as many as 30 jobs.
By June 3, less than two months after arriving, he secured a full‑time lift‑truck operator role at Tindall Corp.’s San Antonio operation. He also qualified for health, dental and vision benefits after 90 days and plans to pursue a welding certification at St. Philip’s College.
Personal Impact
Uriegas‑Montez says Crosspoint gave him a stable environment to focus on training and employment, preventing additional financial strain on his family. He notes the importance of surrounding himself with peers who share similar goals.
“Life definitely took off pretty fast in these last couple months,” he reflected, adding that the full impact of his rapid progress is still sinking in.
Background
His involvement with the criminal‑justice system began in 2010 at age 19 with a misdemeanor graffiti conviction, followed by additional offenses including assault and felony drug possession. After a two‑year state prison sentence and a parole‑violation arrest in New Braunfels, he entered Crosspoint to rebuild his life.
Original reporting: San Antonio Report — read the source article.
