Past Offenders Are Neglected And Vulnerable

This spurs questions in regards the effectiveness of the process in reacclimating and preparing criminals to become functioning members of society after their sentence, as well as the intense limitations that having a felony on record has on their success in the regular business world, as the competitive marketplace considers reforming felons generally undesirable for the workplace, pushing reforming criminals towards the world of illegal activities they know

(Albright and Furjen). This offers a more balanced look at ex-cons, giving them a chance in

Rehabilitation for at risk teens has been an ongoing issue that runs deep in certain communities. When kids at young ages are exposed to stress and have to cope early on with dysfunction they are denied the opportunity to mature and conditioned to commit thinking errors that perpetuate a young offender into an adult offender. To find ways to break this cycle John Hubner accounts his time on the Giddings State School Capital Offenders Program and how a group of counselors are able to combine many strategies in rehabilitating young offenders who have committed serious crimes. Young people convicted of serious crimes are often transferred to adult prisons that institutionalize young people to prison life only increasing the likely hood of

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.

Besides, assisting the ex-offenders in becoming competitive is equally important to make them productive to their employers if given equal opportunities. The program in Kentucky aims at making the employer understand their situation while getting back to the society. Thus, it assists them psychologically and through other means to prepare to face new challenges. Besides, some of the counties and cities that note the devastating effect of not employing the ex-convicts remove the criminal records from a job application. The reform commonly has the name ‘ban the box’ that aim at reducing discrimination of qualified ex-convicts while applying for jobs (Entin, 2015). The use of ban the box is beneficial especially in the early stages of the hiring process when employers do not know their potential employees

The article "The Impact of Career and Technical Education Programs on Adult Offenders: Learning Behind Bars" by Howard Gordon and Bracie Weldon (2003) studies of how prisoners receiving educations in prison reduces the recidivism rate. Gordon and Weldon studied the inmates who were participating in the educational programs at the Huttonsville Correctional Center in West Virginia and claimed that inmates who participated in the educational programs were less likely to recidivate once released back into the population as compared to inmates who did not participate in these programs (Gordon & Weldon, 2003). This study provides valuable information as to the effectiveness of educational programs in prison and how they affect prisoner's lives

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

Youth are often confronted with socio-economical and political challenges including poverty, ethic and minority status and are often cited as at risk for committing long-term community problems like rise in crime due to substance abuse, school drop-out and several forms of academic failures, delinquencies, criminal offenses and unemployment (e.g. Grisso, Vincent & Seagrave, 2005; Champion & Mays, 1991; Fellmeth, 2002). According to Grisso and his colleagues (2005), the argument that in order to help young offenders that were placed under rehabilitation centers reconnect to community and avoid recidivism is to provide them education and employment opportunities upon release. It is in this area where mentoring programs to

Ex-offenders face challenges at every level when reentering back into society. These handicaps come in many forms that involve the community in the transitioning process. It is critical to involve the neighborhood in establishing a natural guidance in the criminal justice process (Young and Taxman, 2002). Informal agents and the community should establish an inherent connection with the offender through Re-Entry Partnership Initiative (Young and Taxman, 2002). The Re-Entry Partnership Initiative was designed to assist those facing significant barriers due to former confinement or other circumstances as they re-enter the community and the workforce. This sense of accountability and ownership is a powerful advantage. The neighborhood involvement sends a

Finding a job in today's labor force is difficult for those who have been incarcerated in their past. This issue must be addressed in the near future because it affects a significant portion of society. Those affected by this disfunction in the job market are at a great disadvantage. They have a much lower likelihood of finding a job because employers see a criminal background, but do not notice any of their redeeming actions. This is a big problem for ex-felons because they are unable to be employed after their release from correctional facilities. Their inability to find a job deprives them of a constant income in which they need to support themselves. This not only affects the ex-felon but his or her family as well leading to an increase

“Capabilities didn’t matter; neither did skills, past experiences, or aptitude. The sum of everything else was blotted out by a criminal conviction.” (Burton) This is the testimony of hundreds of former criminals,

Not only this but, “offenders who commit new offenses after court contact are at risk for a variety of poor developmental and life course outcomes, including school failure, out of home placements, occupational marginality, and long-term involvement in criminal activity” (Schwalbe 2004). As seen here, this is a downward spiral. Active reform has never before been at such a demand. As recidivism and juvenile delinquency continues to increase, not only will national crime rates and juvenile prison populations inflate, but the diminishing of an educated, safe, and economically stable society will also be affected regrettably. If juveniles whom continue to commit repeat criminal offenses lack school initiative, family support, and job exposure, than relatively as recidivism and juvenile criminal activity increases, our nation’s standard of living will consequently lower.

Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy announced a series of initiatives which aim to reintegrate ex-offenders into society. The Second Chance Society initiative combines legislative changes to sentencing and parole procedures with a program to help ex-offenders obtain employment upon release and programs to divert individuals away from the criminal justice system prior to receiving a prison sentence. The employment program is modeled off of Washington’s I-Best program, which combines employment training with intensive basic education for adults. The initiative will also include a school-based diversion program, which seeks to reduce suspensions, expulsions and arrests in the K-12 system, and a housing program for frequent users of substance abuse,

Additionally, Ameen & Lee (2010) are focused on what a juvenile is going to do after his or her detention is completed. These two researchers wanted to make it known that juveniles in detention, especially for a significant amount of time, need access to vocational training. Vocational training can aid in eliminating the down time a juvenile has. In turn, the detained juvenile is thought to have fewer violations, fewer punishments, as well as a greater chance for employment. Delinquent youth that are detained have had a disruption in the normal transition from a juvenile leading into the late teen years, and then onto adulthood. If these disruptions are not remedied, then the youth has a decreased chance of a normal life (Ameen & Lee, 2010).

Finally, literature on the juvenile justice system often focuses on program implementation and effectiveness at addressing rehabilitation, as well as diversion techniques within the system (Greenwood, 2008). This review audits these problems in detail and establishes them within the bigger struggle in the juvenile justice system to rehabilitate youth offenders.