In 1985, Darrell Langdon of Chicago was sentenced to probation for possessing half a gram of cocaine. It was his last run-in with the law. He got his life in order and has been sober since 1988.
A happy ending? Well, despite 25 years as a law-abiding citizen, there are still people who want to punish Langdon for his crime.

Langdon learned about the vindictive nature of American criminal justice in 2010, when he applied for a job as a boiler room engineer in the Chicago public schools. Under Illinois law, sex offenders and those convicted of violent crime are barred from working in public schools.

While that sounds reasonable, the law also bars people convicted of non-violent offenses, in particular drug offenses.

Thus, Langdon, who had turned his life around after being convicted of a relatively minor offense, was told his prior conviction made him ineligible for the job.

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