Ex-Felon Problem

One of the main barriers that inmates face when they are released from prison is limited cognitive skills, limited education and work experience, and substance abuse or other mental health problems. Substance abuse and other mental health problems limit employability because it limits the job readiness that is required for employment (Holzer, Raphael & Stoll, 2003). Another issue that is faced when inmates are released into society is that any skills that they did have prior to conviction has diminished greatly and they face lower pay due to their diminished or lack of skills, and the attitudes that have been developed during their time in prison deeply affects their attitude during their search for employment. Offenders also face another barrier when searching for employment. Many businesses can be held legally liable for any criminal action that their employees may cause (Holzer, Raphael & Stoll, 2003). These barriers that offenders face upon release is why solid solutions and planning must be implemented when considering the integration of ex-felons into society and preparation for reentry must begin well before the scheduled release date in order to successfully reintegrate an inmate into society and reduce the rate of recidivism.

It is quite contrary to what the founders of the country imagined when they advocated for freedom. Besides, the problem increases further through the criminal records that citizens in the United States have, which affect their opportunities in the society. The increasing number of people with criminal records enhances the rate of unemployment since most employers carry out background checks that discriminate ex-convicts.

Only forty percent of employers in one study reported that they would be willing to hire an applicant with a criminal record and applicants with a criminal record are only half as likely to receive a call back from an employer where they have submitted an application. Other analysis shows that only thirty to forty percent of those previously convicted of a crime are employed and earn an average of only $667 a month, with these numbers surprisingly decreasing as time since release increases. While juveniles adjudicated in juvenile court can expect a decrease in future earnings of nine percent, similar juveniles adjudicated in an adult court will see future reductions in earnings of fourteen percent. A more recent study conducted by Pew confirms such results and shows that incarceration leads to a reduction of eleven percent in subsequent wages, nine weeks of annual employment, and forty percent of yearly earnings. All of this data displays the barriers to employment created by placing juveniles in the adult correctional system. The longstanding classification of seventeen-year-olds in Texas as adults prohibits these young people from becoming hard-working members of society upon

These include not just parole, also probation or drug court. The easiest way of violating one of the community programs above is employment. It is not just a suggestion; it’s a requirement to remain to one’s freedom. Which is uncovered challenging, and in this day and time nearly unrealistic! Not only due to today’s economy; also due to that bad choice(s) or a criminal history can make finding employment difficult. NIJ (National Institute of Justice) found that a criminal record reduces the likelihood of a job or offer by over 50%! (Solomon) With another study showing that 92% of employers use some sort of background check. With any kind of simple arrest or criminal history (even if it didn’t lead to a conviction.) that shows quite a problem. So being on a community corrections program and the conditions of the job employment is very discouraging to more than half of those sentenced to these programs. Recidivism is bound to occur for most

Employment is always an issue when it comes to an ex-offender. Not only is it hard for the everyday person in society to find employment due to a poor economy, but it is much harder for an ex-offender. While in prison, prisoners are usually made to work. Unlike other programs such as counseling, prison work programs can be justified for reasons other than rehabilitation of the individual offender. From the perspective of the policy maker in the criminal justice system, they can help manage the population by occupying the time of the prisoners, aid in the operation of the prison, create revenue (maybe), and provide a

Not many prison facilities provide educational and vocational training, leaving women unprepared to successfully transition to the community following their release.

Many people living in poor neighborhoods might have been to prison, have had little to no education, or even health problems. There are over six million ex-convicts in the United States. Research proposes that the best way for them to stay out of prison again is to reintroduce them into the working world and finding them jobs, but most employers are hesitant in giving them a chance. With an unemployment rate approaching its highest, getting employed is challenging. If someone has been in prison, the chance of them getting a job decreases drastically. In chapter five of David K. Shipler’s The Working Poor: Invisible in America, Shipler emphasizes on attaining a job, maintaining a job, and living while employed to successfully construct his arguments

To begin with, prisoners getting an education would benefit them by being able to become a law-abiding citizen when they are released and have to depend on themselves in order to survive in today 's economy. Not just any company will be willing to hire someone with a criminal record that says "Drug Charges" or "Registered Sex-Offender". It does not appeal to the eye of any manager who wants their company to succeed because having someone who was previously in prison does not look good on them. "Finding a job is hard enough these days, but finding one when you have a criminal record can be all but impossible" (Barrett). This shows that even if you are someone with a clean background, it is still a challenge to find an occupation now-a-days. Moreover, being an ex-convict with minimal to no education has to be twice as harder to find a stable job that will provide you enough money to eat three meals a day, afford a home, or keep up with other personal needs. For instance, having served almost a three year sentence for "possession of marijuana with intent to deliver", James Daniels knows how frustrating the struggle is for bosses to oversee his past record of felonies. ""I made dumb mistakes when I was younger that led to my conviction," Daniels said" (Barrett).

According to Asiedu (2015), “career counseling for ex-offenders should focus on helping the individual achieve stability and grounding as they adjust to a new way of living.” In other words, as a counselor facilitating the client’s life transition and stability is greatly stressed. For instance, ex-offenders face employment barriers such as having their criminal records available for the public, which leads to employment and workplace restrictions along with being denied any student financial assistance they may need in order to get a college degree. Also lack of employment history due to being incarcerated for such an extended period. Lack of housing can be an issue as well, due to the fact that landlords won’t rent ex-con or anyone with out a job lets say. Lastly, having insufficient literacy, in other words a lot of these ex-offenders are not much educated and the lack of education they have received wont help them much in terms of job searching or finding the resources they need to move on in

As ex-offenders are being released into communities every year, career interventions are needed to address the special needs of this population. Research has shown a relationship between an individual’s status in the workforce and the likelihood of recidivism. As employment satisfaction is also related to mental and physical health, having a job is essential in order to keep communities safe and to prevent recidivism.

There are many US States that are implementing new early release programs for inmates. Due to the overbearing costs and overcrowding, inmates are being pushed out of prison institutions at an astonishing rate. Today, many of these individuals are finding it difficult to find employment in our poor economy. An economy that has posed difficulties for those who have a formal education and have never found themselves serving time behind bars. Ex-felons find themselves competing with so many variables, when it comes to seeking employment (Tahmincioglu 2010).

Besides these skills and health problems, most ex offenders are minorities, nearly half are African American, an nearly a fifth are Latino and Asian. To the extent that minorities continue to suffer labor market discrimination, this will further impede the ability of ex offenders to gain employment or earn higher wages. Most return to low income and predominantly minority communities that have relatively few unskilled jobs, and to peer groups who presumably provide relatively a few contacts to the world of legitimate work.(H.J.Holzer 2003)

Ex-offenders face numerous challenges once released from a period of incarceration. In addition to financial, social, family, and community reintegration, they face enormous barriers to employment. Ex-felons are prohibited from certain occupations including contact with children, medical and health services, security, and government jobs, by laws and legal restrictions including limitations for professional licensing. Potential employers legally discriminate against hiring ex-felons, regardless of the nature of their convictions. The first reason why more ex-felon lenient laws should be passed towards job employment is because it will significantly lower unemployment rates. Especially regarding men, these rates would decrease immensely. According to a recent New York Times/CBS News/Kaiser Family Foundation poll, Men with criminal records account for about 34 percent of all nonworking men ages 25 to 54. This poll represents one in every three males in that particular age group. It can be seen that these men contribute to a large portion of unemployment rates in America.

Everyone deserves a second chance. You should never judge a book by its cover. These are some of the things that should be considered when an employer considers hiring an ex-offender reentering society after release from the prison system. Once a criminal, always a criminal is not always the case. Some ex-offenders have proven to be loyal and trustworthy employees. As well as tax-paying individual who open their own businesses. There are positives and negatives to hiring someone with a criminal background. There are many concerns by employers to hire an ex-offender, such as negligent hiring. An ex offender is a person who has been convicted of criminal offense. Over 600,000 people are being released from prisons

Offenders may have difficulty in finding a job because most of the time employers do not want any ex-criminal in their company. Offenders could not socialize with their friends because these offenders considered being gang members or criminal members. A family reunion is another challenge after release from prison due to strained relationships and the effect of parent’s incarceration on children. Felony convictions face housing problems after release from prison because of owners’ unwillingness to rent to ex-felons. Some can lose their civil rights after the conviction which will affect