Liberty And The Pursuit Of Happiness

The tension between rehabilitation and punishment has been increasing dramatically. This is because there have been sharp rises in the prison population and repeat offender rates. When one area is over emphasized in relation to the other, there is the possibility that imbalances will occur. Over the course of time, these issues can create challenges that will impact the criminal justice system and society at large. (Gadek, 2010) (Clear, 2011) (Gatotch, 2011)

The first problem that can be solved with giving felons their rights back is giving them a way back out of trouble ,and away to be a modeled citizen. For example, in this article Vikki Hankins a convicted felonies tells of her quest to get her rights back. She has tried multiple times with no positive outcome. Her dream is to become a lawyer but because of her record she can’t take the bar exam (Penaloza 1). This here leads to some individuals going back to life they know better such as crime. Since they can no longer progress at a scholarly level into a professional level people tend to settle for less or even reform to crime(Penaloza 1).

One of the purposes of prison is to rehabilitate offenders to go back into society. Meaning after serving prison time an offender should have learned their lesson and be able to become a productive member of society. it is

“Ex-felons suffer for a lifetime for decisions that they made in the spur of the moment” (Tracy Andrus). Imagine being judged for a mistake that was made in the past, for an entire lifetime! Perfection is absolutely not any form of reality; everyone makes mistakes. Many people, for whatever reason or situation may have occurred, have chosen to act upon something they regret later, but they do not need to suffer for the rest of their lives. Humanity has made various mistakes in the past and many people would proclaim that humans have learned and continues to learn from the mistakes made and adapt. However, no one person must be defined by one choice they regret making. A person needs to be able to have equal opportunities in life so that they

The U.S. criminal justice system was designed to reform individuals with criminal behaviors so that they, upon release, can be sent back into the population as well-working members of society. "We let ex-convicts marry, reproduce, buy beer, own property and drive. They don 't

Thesis: Many people argue that ex-convicts should be labeled as criminals after time behind bars. Once a felon had paid his or her debt to society employment for ex-convicts shouldn’t be as difficult, voting rights should be regained, and with certain agreements accomplished to restore some freedom rights back, some ex-convicts should be allowed a second chance in society.

The words “… that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” are the building blocks that gave rise to one of the greatest countries, the United States of America. Without the help of influential leaders, such as Thomas Paine and his thought provoking writing Common Sense, this country’s independence would have ceased to exist. In April of 1775 the war began which would be fought for 8 more years to end British rule over the 13 colonies. The fight for independence was not easy, but Paine wrote words of encouragement for all Americans to consider.

With these new skills it will help offenders figure out exactly why they choose to repeat the offense. Sending offenders to prison without proper mental help will allow the person to make further connections with offenders in their same position and is likely to cause the person to leave prison with a high chance of re-offending after they are released. These nonviolent criminals are less harm to the society, but more self-conflicted. Most of these offenders are unsure how to lead a productive life without the proper recovery tools that can be offered in a rehabilitation

Too many of these individuals do not reintegrate successfully into society; within three years of release, four out of 10 prisoners will have committed new crimes or violated the terms of their release and be re-incarcerated (The Pew Center on the States

The prisoners who are wrongly accused are shunned because no one knows the true story they only see a criminal record. Society made it a norm to segregate the ex-prisoners and label them criminals for life no matter their background they are not given a chance to restart their lives. Reentering society isn’t the main issue, being accepted back into society is the problem due to the social norms and labeling its challenging for inmates to start a new life. (Academy of Management Learning & Education. p587-620.

Though many may live successful lives after reintegrating back into the community many others find themselves back into prisons and increase the rates of recidivism.

It really keeps their self esteem elevated and helps to keep their hope constant. Criminal records today are used to prevent ex cons from welfare benefits, rental housing, loans and voting rights. How can we really start over if all is lost even after they are given a second chance. You cant tie an anchor around a persons waist, toss them in the deep end and expect them to swim. It is an inhumane tease. Why don’t we just keep all offenders incarcerated forever because it makes no sense to release them back into a society that will help them succeed? If we are going to make a system of criminal justice fairer then we must be less reliant on a facility to rehabilitate human beings and learn more compassion. We need to refrain from viewing the people we convict as evil and less than human. This combination of feelings drives us to toxic practices where we leave out humane rehabilitation

As an American we are free people who are entitled to our rights. As stated in the Declaration of Independence, “...that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” this explains the God given rights we hold. These rights can’t be taken away by the government nor any other

Once a prisoner is discharged, they will find it difficult to transition back into society, and they find themselves back at where they started. For example, having a criminal record will make it harder to find a job, since businesses are less likely to hire people who have one, so a majority of former prisoners will likely turn back to crime in order to make a living. This is one of the main reasons why the U.S. has one of the largest rearrest rates in the world, as 67.8% of offenders are rearrested after being released from prison within three years (NIJ). Sometimes, prison can even do the opposite of rehabilitation. It is clear that prison is not an effective solution and that something needs to be

American philosophy is littered with differences in opinion, on matters of knowledge, our purposes as humans, and the ways we perceive the world around us. As I examine the works of thinkers like the enlightenment-driven Jefferson, the transcendentalists Emerson and Thoreau, and racially thinking philosophers like DuBois and Douglas, it becomes clear that an important basis of some of our greatest thought in America is the notion that all humans are created equal.