Sex Offenders In Prisons

Many offenders who are released from prison encounter many obstacles which hinder their progress towards community re-entry. On their own, many fail to secure employment, housing, or complete education or training programs. Without guidance or assistance many offenders return to crime to support themselves. Fortunately there are number of organizations that see the need for services to assist offenders on their path back into the community. One such organization that has proven to be successful is the Safer Foundation.

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.

Every civilization in history has had rules, and citizens who break them. To this day governments struggle to figure out the best way to deal with their criminals in ways that help both society and those that commit the crimes. Imprisonment has historically been the popular solution. However, there are many instances in which people are sent to prison that would be better served for community service, rehab, or some other form of punishment. Prison affects more than just the prisoner; the families, friends, employers, and communities of the incarcerated also pay a price. Prison as a punishment has its pros and cons; although it may be necessary for some, it can be harmful for those who would be better suited for alternative means

Summary of Article or Findings: The key problem the authors raise is if there is a stigma directed at registered sex offenders. The research focuses on certain consequences that register sex offenders deal with because of their status. The data gather in the research shows key problems in being a registered sex offender. The evidence that shows the key problem of being a registered sex offender is actual insight from actual registered sex offenders. The key finding of the research is there are main consequences that registered sex offender’s deal with because of being a registered sex offender. The sex offender’s deal with family and intimate relationship issues, loss of employment, denied promotions at work, lack of housing, different types of harassment. The key concept which leads to the conclusion is that there is a stigma directed at registered sex offenders. Since the registered sex offenders have consequences because of their status as a registered sex offender it gives the look that no matter what, they will never fulfill their debt to society. The conclusion the author’s made is that there are problems with registered sex offenders in locations that have need been studied and those that have been studied. The consequences the registered sex offenders receive could cause further problems such as reoffending and that the stigma regarding sex offenders is still active.

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

To wit, there are easily over 700,000 offenders released from state or Federal prisons. A disappointing factor, another nine million cycle throughout local jails and another 10,000 of these offenders are released back into the communities (Caporizzo, 2011). Nevertheless, more than 650,00 of those newly released offenders will be more than likely to re-offended and return back into the confined setting in which, they were once released from less than three weeks to three years of their release.

Today, a countless number of Americans are being imprisoned in mass quantities and are receiving unjust sentences. For the many American who find themselves in the prison system, life is squalor and their experiences are often damaging to their ability to function properly in society. In the United States, our prisons are failing miserably at effectively rehabilitating criminals. Upon release, many find reintegration to be far too hard and in turn many turn back to a life crime as a result. This is trend is called recidivism and is characterized by a prisoner’s likelihood to recommit criminal offenses. The struggles that ex-convicts experience in regards to holding a job, maintaining personal finances, reconciling with

Reinforced learning e.g. vocational training, community employment programmes. As this can stop ex-offenders from re-offending and can have positive benefit on individuals.

Resettlement has been an important element in prison life throughout England and Wales for many years. It is when “prisoners and their families receive assistance and support from the prison and probation services and voluntary agencies to help them prepare for life after prison” (Justice, 2002). The objective is to hopefully lead prisoners towards recidivism, which will hopefully return ex-offenders to normal life, employment and housing. Criminological and social research done by Social Exclusion Unit (SEU) identified the following factors to be what influenced reoffending. These are; education, employment, drug and alcohol misuse, mental and physical health, housing, financial support, debt and family networks. The aim of this essay is to discuss the impact that resettlement has in imprisonment today by looking at the factors within prison life and also looking at the effects that resettlement has on the prisoners.

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.

In 2014, the United States incarcerated 449,000 newly convicted offenders while releasing 636,300 inmates (Carson, 2015). Upon release, offenders were expected to be able to function back in society under parole supervision. This is not the case for many offenders. As they are released from prison, they lack the necessary skills, education, opportunities and support system to successfully reintegrate back into society (Petersilia, 2000; Travis & Visher, 2003). In 2005, research showed that 67.8% of released prisoners were arrested for a new crime within 3 years, and 76.6% were arrested within 5 years (Cooper 2014). The high percentage of recidivism is overpopulating correctional facilities while producing a cycling effect for offenders. To attack the issue of recidivism this paper will address the following question: How does lack of support system and resulting poverty influence prisoner re-entry? What are some programs or policies we can incorporate to reduce recidivism?

In 2015, there were 6,741,400 individuals in the United States who are under some form of supervision in the correctional system (Kaeble & Glaze, 2016). While this number was the lowest since 1994, it illustrates there is still a significant number of people who will be seeking employment upon reentering society. Studies have shown that recidivism is increased by legitimate and satisfying employment, particularly amongst those with higher quality and better paying jobs (Visher, Winterfield, & Coggeshall, 2005). While many offenders were employed prior to incarceration, many have not held steady jobs and may not have the education and job skills to find steady employment. Additionally, longer sentences equate to longer gaps in employment and experience. While many correctional systems provide vocational training, opportunities to learn basic skills, and GED classes; offenders still need assistance navigating the job search process. Furthermore, they often need assistance with housing, childcare, counseling, medical care, and food. Therefore, it is important to provide this population with resources to meet their basic needs, in addition to, locating satisfying employment, education, and skills training. While this population may need assistance with resumes, cover letters, and interviewing, they are also faced with a need for education regarding their rights and how to disclose their criminal background to potential

At the end of 2013, the United States Department of Justice estimated that there were over 1.5 million people in our nation’s prisons (Carson, 2014). There are several different types of inmates that are included in county, state, and federal correctional facilities. For example,

Much research has been done regarding the positive effect employment has on lowering recidivism. However, little research has been done to determine the effect a criminal record, including registration as a sex offender, has on finding gainful employment. Holzer’s 1996 study (as cited by Johnson, 2006) found that two-thirds of employers in major cities would avoid hiring known ex-offenders, indicating that regardless of public policies that may make finding employment difficult, ex-offenders ultimately still have to overcome the social stigma of their criminal histories. Negative community attitudes towards criminal history are even worse for those who are registered sex offenders (Willis, Levenson, & Ward, 2010). With the addition of

Almost half of the 83,000 people in prison ran away from home as a child and cannot read as well as an 11 year old. Almost 30 per cent have been through the care system and similar proportions were homeless before entering prison.