By: Charnise Gillis
Finding jobs for people with felonies can be one of the biggest challenges that a person may face after being released from prison. Most inmates leave prison or jail with no savings, no stable housing, no health or unemployment benefits, and very limited job possibilities
Many have mental health problems or serious medical conditions, including HIV, hepatitis, and tuberculosis.
I believe citizens should be encountered on what they are doing now, not their past. We are only humans and are suppose to make mistakes in order to learn from them. Who is society to give a person a bad label for the rest of their life? Everyone has performed some type of sin and should never look at any other sin more horrible then theirs. We wouldn’t be the beautiful person that we are without performing mistakes.
Do you think the government is doing enough to help ex- offenders stay off the streets?
More than 50% of all convicts will return to prison within the next five years after their release.
Although society wishes not to live in the same community as felons, they do not have enough organizations to help correct the lifestyle of a criminal. Instead citizens label them as a “rebel” and can care less to give them a second chance to become a law abiding citizen. As a result, many felons are forced to repeat criminal activity in order to survive in society.
Although society wishes not to live in the same community as felons, they do not have enough organizations to help correct the lifestyle of a criminal. Instead citizens label them as a “rebel” and can care less to give them a second chance to become a law abiding citizen. As a result, many felons are forced to repeat criminal activity in order to survive in society.
Do you think the government is doing enough to help ex- offenders stay off the streets?
Charnise, Thanks for your post. It is very interesting that the recidivism rate is half of all convicts. That is a lot of repeat offends going back to jail. Wow! I’m also interested to know where that, “more than 50%”stat comes from- about all convicts returning to prison “within 5 year after their release.” However, I do agree that once a person is labeled as a convict that it becomes a stigma that is hard for a person to change. Also, he or she will be consider not only a rebel, but as someone that goes against dominant cultural. In addition, our cultural relativism is an understanding that we have as a society about criminals that they are bad people, and it is part our society’s judgment. That does not mean it’s true about a convict. For example, one might think that past criminal behavior is a good indication of future immoral behavior. As a result, it is up to the individual to shake the sigma of criminal. In my opinion, neither the government nor any other person can change someone else. Only, oneself has the ability to change him or herself by changing their own misconduct with socially acceptable non-criminal behavior.
ReplyDeleteI absolutley agree Ed Celia. Just imagine if no one in society was granted a second chance in anything in life of how it would be. For example, what if alot of students failed school or a particular subject and was not able to repeat it? We would be labeled as failures. People who go threw the most struggles in life are sometimes the people who learn to appreciate things in life more. They overcome their struggles and are more likely to become the best at watever they believe in.
ReplyDeleteI love this post. Of course we are in charge of our own conduct. But when you look at the statistics it makes you wonder. When an ex-convict goes out to look for work after being released from prison, that label that they're given becomes more than just a stigma; it's more like a disability. So many ex-cons go years trying to turn their lives around and live honest lives, but societies view of minority ex-cons especially is crippling. Working minimum wage jobs to support a family can drive anyone, criminal or not, to resort to criminal behavior. Often times, they come to the conclusion that they had it better in jail; no rent, three meals a day, and no responsibilities. One might wonder if society subjects people of a lower class to poverty; making thieves and other criminals and then punishes them for doing what they have been taught to do. If it were just a little easier for an ex-con to get a descent paying legal job that allowed them to provide for their family, I'm sure that the re-conviction rate would drop, but not cease because lets face it, there will always be a few bad apples in the bunch.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great blog? I do believe that society does put a stigma on ex cons it's a shame that we cant say that wow this ex cons life has change because the government has helped out to improve them so you did make a good point
ReplyDeleteThis post is kind of depressing, but I really enjoyed it. It's really sad that we live in a world where a person's past is what defines their future. As weird as it may sound, many people that go to prison DO try to change and turn their life around once they get out. They just aren't given the oppourtunity to make it stick and end up falling back on their old habits to try and survive. It's a shame.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very alarming blog post! I know someone personally who was convicted of a felony, served his time in a "correctional facility" and is now stuck living back at home with his mother,struggling to find a job, instead of being able to re-enter society as a functioning, productive member as he was. On the other hand, I know there are quite a few convicted felons who work at my job as dishwashers and cooks- but those jobs are so hard on your body for only being paid minimum wage! I can see where criminals get the mind-set that they'd be better off in prison. But its a sad statement about our system that they allow this never-ending cycle to continue.
ReplyDeleteI feel as if the prison systems are more for punishment rather than the bettering of one's self & honestly that's sad. All people make mistakes. The one thing that I can't stand about prisons is that you are just a number. No matter if you steal 1 cookie or murder 3 people, you are still looked at and judged all in the same way. That is so sad and ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteMost people in jail have mental problems and should be receiving some type of treatment but it doesnt work that way. Most prisoners are caged up and can't read write nor understand society outside of incarceration.
ReplyDeleteI think that when they are finally released that there should be some kind of program that will help them get a job as well as some kind of living arrangement if they don't already have somewhere to stay. Inmates today are released in the world with nothing to start off with which may lead them to start doing crime again and get sent back to prison.
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