Well thanks to the great system for giving me a criminal record for 5 years for offending someone on the internet (who annoyed me first) it has spread from my career to my accommodation

I graduated with a masters degree in engineering and after working for 2 years my court case happened and I have never worked a day since. There are no engineering jobs in the area I live in so I am claiming benefits. I just completed my CS but my plan to move away from the area to begin a new start is being held back by my criminal record

I basically have 2 options
Remain with my parents and probably end up commiting another offence due to the way I am treated
Take one of the roughest 1 bedroom scheme social housing flats I have been offered and probably get into bother or in with the wrong crowd there

I guess I will just have to keep trying until someone accepts me

Hi Alex,
No doubt you've seen the trouble others on this forum have with gaining employment with a criminal record - regardless of the offence - so you're not alone. It's tough but not impossible.
No-one here can say what the best thing for you to do is because you're the best person to decide. From the two options you stated try to keep in mind that they're only temporary while you get through this difficult bit, things will get easier as long as you keep doing what's best for you and you make some progress, no-one can argue with that. Good luck.

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Fighting or Accepting - its difficult to know which is right and when.

Hi Alexh07
I appreciate your scenario and the anguish you feel about trying to resume a quality of life.
However ; and please do not think I am being offensive or critical in any form, but you have to fully consider and accept what has happened and move forward in a positive manner. remember you cannot change the past but you can change so the past is not affecting your future.
I read the words you have wrote and feel their anger as you being punished for something you did not start; the issue is you responded. Does the footballer who responds to a bad tackle get a yellow card? Yes because societies rules say you should not retaliate.
Harsh questions to you:
You mention reoffending which I hope is just letting off stream and not an actual consideration! Why do you think reoffending will make your or your families life better as I am sure your family are hurting also.
You say by moving into a bad area will mean you get involved in bad habits and anti social behavior. Again i ask why will it? Are you saying your are easily led?

Positive bits for you:
You mention you have completed a masters in engineering which is no small feat. I would suggest you have shown a great sense of inner strength and character to gain such a qualification. Use that strength and experience now. Remember the support given to you by friends and family when the studies did not seem to go well due to all the new things you had to learn. Life does not give you an exam retake at the end and the subjects you have to learn are hard and some you will fail at but do not give up. Learn to believe in yourself and do not spend time on making excuses as you are seen better if you have an explanation and so have learnt from an error to move forward in a positive manner.

Look at your life balance, if I can explain an image to you. A spoked car wheel has many segments each doing  a supportive role to the whole wheel to make it round and so work correctly. If one of the segments becomes flat the wheel is no longer round and so cannot work properly.
This is your life, it is not working correctly as parts of it are not supporting the other.
For example draw a wheel with eight segments with a name: Knowledge, Creativity, Excellence in work and play, Inner peace, Spirituality, healthy Living, self management, Love, friendship and Intimacy.
<look at image attached as I cannot seem to post it into my reply>
Do not take the names literally as Spirituality is not religion if you are not a religious person you probably believe in something else.
Look at your life and everything in it, be honest and say what state it is at and put a percentage point against each label. Is all the segments at 100% and so the wheel is round?
Reading your words the answer is no, but some segments will be e.g family life/support.
In the end focus on making each segment at or near to 100%. Set targets to achieve and aims to achieve those targets. In other words a personal development plan.
Ask your family or a friend to monitor it with you. That would be a source of encouragement as well as you will feel a sense of responsibility towards them.

I am sorry if I have written to much or it is hard to visualize but come back to me if you want more.
Finally there are no excuses for you to reoffend only explanations of why you allowed yourself to. Never give up hope. 







Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope is for tomorrow else what is left if you remove a mans hope.

I recommend you taking one of the roughest 1 bedroom scheme social housing flats. For the first time, then move to your own house. I did the same thing 2 years ago. And now I live in my own house. The only problem is: I have paranoia after all the events. Decided to install the best security system for my home by Securing Home. I feel better at this moment. And my family members are also satisfied with this system.   

Nowadays it's not a problem at all, to get your own house, wherever you need. There are a lot of specific agencies, that can help you in building your house, with all the necessary levels of building. Getting outline planning permission article has opened my eyes on some things about outline planning permissions, and can tell you what you can leave until a reserved matters stage. It's pretty helpful article and website, which is made by professionals.