Ex-Offenders: A Positive Case Study

There are many barriers to reentry. The convicted felon is denied the right to vote, they are not granted access to student loans, welfare benefits, public housing, or food stamps (Gideon & Sung, 2011, p. 8). In addition, these released offenders regularly return to communities that are experiencing social decay, are plagued by poverty, and few employment opportunities (Gideon & Sung, 2011, p. 8). They are also denied entry into a number of employment fields due to their status as a felon. Denying them assistance and a social safety net often hinders their reentry abilities and their transformation to a law-abiding citizen (Gideon & Sung, 2011, p. 8). As mentioned prior, the added burden of intensive supervision can also be problematic to successful reentry.

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 well-known that former inmates face significant challenges upon being released. Some of these challenges include

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

Many correctional education programs focus on prisoner’s way of thinking and ability to make decisions. One of the many reasons criminals keep returning to prison is because they are often times released after many years of being incarcerated and have no assistance while returning to society. Correctional education programs are designed to eliminate such way of thinking so prison re-entry rate will drop. Programs such as Preparing Inmates for Re-Entry through Assistance, Training, and Employment Skills (PIRATES) are developed to reduce offenders’ negative career thoughts and teach essential skills in order to return back to society (Musgrove, Derzis, Shippen, & Brigman, 2012). Additionally, such programs are not only beneficial to

Individuals with a criminal record re-offend mostly because of status discrimination which in turn leads to high unemployment rates. Having a criminal record in today’s society is damning when trying to find employment. Opportunities for an education are slim due to this, leaving them only their shot to gain entry into the workforce. A slew of jobs requiring specific things like licenses are barred from the formerly incarcerated. When released back into society prisoners have to once again try to adapt to a society that has been changing in their absence. Put back into the world with only their clothes and little money they might have had. Often at times with little education or employment prospects it seems that they would just end up back in jail. They head somewhere familiar ensuring that they will be accepted and taken in. Back to their neighborhood and back to old friends they haven’t seen in years. Convicts return back to those bad influences. In order to combat this drug treatments, housing, job training, classes and peer groups are established to assist them. Once released, convicts have many tools at their disposal for getting the help they need but it depends on what state they’re in and on the person. Will they seek help though? Will they themselves willingly avoid what got them into trouble in the first place; from returning home only hoping for the best without trying? With the fear of constant failure and

It has been noted that access to living wage employment is one of the key factors in reducing recidivism among ex-offenders. Therefore, it is critical to assist these individuals in finding employment as soon as possible upon their release from prison.

There are many prison inmates who come from broken homes and have mental problems that went undiagnosed and untreated. The problem is that prison’s do not try to teach prisoners how to learn from their mistakes and better themselves. (McGovern, Celeste. 42) What actually happens is that criminals tend to be better criminals, and have the ability to “one up” the police. Our politicians need to stress how important vocational, educational, drug-treatment, and work programs are, in order to improve the attitude and demeanor of these convicted felons. This is the only way to keep ex-con's from becoming repeat offenders. (DeLuca, H.R. 38) Ex-convicts who find a job and a place to stay are less likely to return to crime. In Norway, prisoners can start their new jobs 18 months before they get out of prison. In America, there are 27,000 state licensing rules keeping felons out of jobs such as barber and roofer.

Being released from prison comes with a myriad of problems that stem from blatant disenfranchisement. To more subtle aspects that is put on them by their society rather than government. In the end the result is the same though. These people serve their terms in jail, only to return to society as pariahs. Many things can happen. They can be sucked back into the criminal underworld, and find themselves back on a pipeline to prison. Or in unlikely circumstances with the deck stacked against them they can succeed. Through this paper i intend to touch upon several difficulties that present themselves to ex-convicts, and how they are put in a cycle that often ends badly.

Over 700,000 inmates are released from state and federal prisons and put back on the streets. Over half of them end up back in the system (Cook, Kang, Braga, Ludwig, O’Brien (2015)). They end up back into the system because they can’t fend for themselves, don’t have family left or go back into the drugs and alcohol or what they were doing before. Re-entering into society can be hard, specifically talking about offenders who have been incarcerated for years. Those that are up for release and those who have been released have trouble finding a job or even getting a job. Being in a jail or prison cell is hard enough, let alone trying to re-enter society after many years behind bars. For some inmates, it is easy because they have family still in the area or those willing to come from far away to take them back home. Inmates re-entering into society have a lot of work to do starting with themselves. Male and female inmates have different recidivism rates and females have more access to re-entry programs than males do.

Lurigio and Olson (2014) noted prison-based treatment starts the recovery process, but a continuum of care is a necessity to maximize the effectiveness of treatment. Their research found offenders who participated in prison-based treatment and community aftercare were less likely to re-offend compared to those who only participated in prison-based treatment. Hall et al. (2012) found higher success rates among offenders who participated in prison-based treatment and continued to engage in treatment once released from custody. A lack of education is another factor that plays in the role of recidivism. Dirks-Linhorst et al. (2012) highlighted the importance of community aftercare and the role of education because those who lacked a high-school diploma or GED were more likely to re-offend. Many offenders have poor work histories and Dickson, Leukefeld, Stanton-Tindall, Webster, and Wilson (2014) noted employment is a critical key to the continued success of an offender and their treatment. Dickson (2014) suggest offenders who obtain employment once released from custody will be more successful in the reentry process.

Prisoners who are release from prison and looks to start rehabilitating back into the society never find a job within 2 or more months. This would cause the unemployment rate to rise at a very fast pace. “ I am keenly aware of the need to increase work opportunities for detainees as it provides them with sills they need to integrate into society upon their release” (Minister Shane Rattenbury). We the people see the need for opportunities, but we the people do not give prisoners a chance to transform their life. Shane believe we should have programs to help ex-cons, but companies would not help advertise the message. “ Providing work opportunities that develop skills that can be carried on post- release is proven to support that integration”( Shane Rattenbury). People who receive help or even gets a job, turns their life around and build themselves back up. Some of us believe that if ex-cons was giving at least 2 opportunities he or she would change internally and

According to Visher, Winterfield, and Coggeshall (2005) people imprisoned in correctional institutions encounter a range of economic, social and personal challenges that tend to become barriers to a crime-free lifestyle. Some of these barriers are due to the offenders' past experiences and others are more related to the consequences of their imprisonment and the difficult transition process back into the community (Borzycki, 2005). The offenders may have a history of emotional abuse, physical abuse, social seclusion, marginalization, unemployment and an early age involvement in a criminal lifestyle and poor emotional function. The offenders do not have knowledge and skills in planning and managing their finances as well as not having and any savings when they are released until they are able to access support and services for their particular needs. In addition the offenders have challenges getting suitable

To live comfortably and secure your families future the best jobs in our reach is state and government employment. Some feel that protecting the city, state and even country is one of the greatest ways to repay the greatest country to live in. the question is: is this opportunity give to everyone? Many ex- offenders read up on law to understand the rights that are allotted to them and if any were violated during what should have been due process for them. Many municipal/government jobs requires a certain certification and level of education. As an ex-offender many are educated or have the required certifications. For those that do go on to obtain a higher education the world is pretty much theirs to have. The only thing that can hold someone back is self. In many instances according to the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, an employer's use of an individual's criminal history in making employment decisions may, in some instances, violate the prohibition against employment discrimination. Some jobs after a particular time period after conviction or arrest the offense is not a consideration in

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