editor’s letter 24 | Second chances

Last fall, a man in his mid-30s named Ish Aderonmu emailed Toronto Life with a proposal: he wanted to tell our readers the story of his life. Aderonmu is a Canadian citizen who spent his teenage years in the United States. In his early 20s, he began selling pot, a bad decision that changed everything for him. When he got caught, he pleaded guilty, was sentenced to six months under house arrest, did his time and figured he had paid his dues. If the story ended there, it wouldn’t be that remarkable.

But then, to Aderonmu’s great surprise, he was picked up by ICE. America didn’t want him anymore. He spent weeks in a detention centre, along with undocumented detainees headed back to Mexico and Central America, until he realized his ticket to freedom was to be deported back to Canada. He was eventually escorted to the Peace Bridge and walked across into Ontario. That was eight years ago.

Thousands of people risk their lives every year for a chance to come to Canada. Hundreds of thousands more wish they could immigrate here. Over the last few years, Toronto Life has published the stories of many people who came here for safety, security and the chance of a better life. Aderonmu’s narrative is more complicated. When he first returned, he didn’t want to be in Toronto. He felt he’d been evicted from his home, uprooted from his community, cut off from everything that was familiar. He spent years feeling lost, searching for meaningful work, trying to build new relationships.

Aderonmu’s story, “They Called Me Prisoner 183645,” is on page 86. It’s a piece about race and class, Canada and America, the flaws in the American criminal justice system, and the need we all have to belong. It’s also a story about second chances.

In the U.S., it’s not easy to get a second chance if you have a criminal record. Most people won’t hire you. But a growing group of innovative companies are advocating a practice called open hiring to address that problem. Open hiring intentionally skips background checks and simply gives the

job to the first person who applies—with minimal vetting. The idea was pioneered by a visionary Buddhist named Bernie Glassman at Greyston Bakery in New York and is now being adopted by other companies. This winter, the Body Shop took up the practice.

Here in Toronto, Aderonmu was granted a very big second chance. This winter, he applied to Ryerson University’s new law school and was accepted. He starts in September. Though Aderonmu never earned his undergraduate degree, he’s exactly the type of unconventional applicant Ryerson is looking for. With an emphasis on ensuring access to justice for everyone, Ryerson is welcoming candidates who are passionate about making the legal system more equitable. Aderonmu’s time in American jails and his experience on the other side of the law have taught him lessons you can’t learn in a textbook.

It will be fascinating to watch the birth of Ryerson’s law school in the months to come. The founding dean is Donna Young, who was a professor of law and public policy at the Albany Law School, where she focused on matters of race and gender. No doubt she’ll shake things up in the legal community. If Ryerson Law’s goal is to expand the rights and protections of Canadians—with the help of justice-seeking students like Ish Aderonmu—then I wish it all the luck in the world.

—Sarah Fulford Email: editor@torontolife.com Twitter: @sarah_ fulford