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Argumentative Essay On Drug-Related Felonies

409 Words2 Pages

I believe those with drug-related felonies should not be prohibited from receiving student loans, food stamps, and other forms of benefits and assistance after they’ve completed their sentence; however, preconditioned requirements and policies should be established before the reinstatement of privileges. For example, if an individual is arrested for driving under the influence, he or should have to attend a drug/alcohol assessment and treatment class before their license a reinstated, in accordance with federal, state, or local laws (Reuters, 2017). If a parent was arrested for child abuse or neglect, one or both parents would have to attend parent education programs that will strengthen and enhance their parenting skills. Before the child …show more content…

A criminal’s past can obstruct his or her future; however, people who have been incarcerated have paid their debt to society and should be provided a fair chance to access resources that would help them reestablish their lives, support their families, and become productive in society (Legal Action Center, 2008). As drug-related felons previously demonstrated difficulties in adhering to their civil commitment of abiding by federal, state, and local laws, there is still a need to help provide individuals with resources and benefits once they have been released from local jails, as well as, state and federal prisons. People may experience a difficult time transitioning from incarceration to the community. Long sentences of jail time could cause a disconnection between the felony drug offender and society, causing the offender to readjust outside of the prison environment and adapting to cultural changes (Legal Action Center, 2008). Receiving student loans, food stamps, and other forms of benefits and assistance after they’ve completed their sentence would help drug-related felons to reestablish their lives, support their families, and be productive in society. I believe reinstating privileges to drug-related felons would help them feel hopeful instead of

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According to Alexander, the punishment that a convict suffers within prison is nothing compared to the punishments that await the convict on the outside. The first obstacle that convicts face directly following their release is whether or not they will find a place to sleep. Once labeled a felon, an ex-convict faces various forms of discrimination in housing, employment, and other necessary resources. Under Jim Crow, housing discrimination was legal on the basis of race while under mass incarceration, housing discrimination is legal against labeled felons on the basis of their prior criminal convictions (Alexander, pg 142-145). In his “get tough on crime” policies, President Clinton passed the Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act, which permitted public housing agencies to evict drug offenders, convicts, as well as deny housing to any person that was believed to be involved with illegal drugs.

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To address this issue, politicians and activists have called for increased funding for drug abuse treatment programs both inside and outside the criminal justice system. Nonetheless, there has been an increase in support for prison alternatives that prioritize rehabilitation and

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After leaving prison, a felon is already viewed as not as important as a citizen who has never committed a crime. It can be very difficult to participate and take part in community activities such as getting a job. Felons feel unimportant and unwanted. It is unjust for felons to be treated this way. Several people who have been incarcerated have been interviewed on this topic.

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Felon Disenfranchisement has emerged as popular and topic in recent political agendas. Felon Disenfranchisement is defined as, “The removing of a felon’s civil liberties while incarcerated and/or past their prison sentence” (National Conference of State Legislatures, 2016). Generally, disenfranchisement is seen as a retributive form of punishment. Arguably, the rights that are removed from felons during disenfranchisement are seen as essential to the American Identity. Supporters argue that people that break the law should not partake in the process of it and argue that the potential loss of these basic American civil liberties can provide deterrence.

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Shelter is one of the most basic human needs and rights, particularly in a country as developed as America. What is expected of someone who cannot find a job, stable housing, or receive financial help for essentials to live such as something as simple as food? It is no wonder that people often recidivate after being released from prison with access to legitimate opportunities being so low and social stratification being so high. On top of this, Alexander notes that most felony convictions come with intensive fees and fines. These are difficult to pay when one has trouble finding a job and cannot receive food stamps, thus trapping a person in the systems of corrections due to their debts.

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Allowing felons to vote, steers us away from continuing to punish them for a crime that they’ve already paid forgives them an opportunity to prove that they can change, and aids

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Consider this: what if you were judged for something you were most ashamed of? What if one night, you were at a party with some friends and you woke up the next morning in a hotel room with a stranger lying next to you? However, every time you filled out a job application, you were asked, “Have you ever had sex with a stranger?” without any other follow-up questions to justify your actions. In this circumstance, you could not explain that you were in an instable state of mind because you were drunk or that you never wanted to attend the party in the first place, and it was your friends who hauled you into such predicament.

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The current system that incarcerates people over and over is unsustainable and does not lower the crime rate nor encourage prisoner reformation. When non-violent, first time offenders are incarcerated alongside violent repeat offenders, their chance of recidivating can be drastically altered by their experience in prison. Alternative sentencing for non-violent drug offenders could alleviate this problem, but many current laws hinder many possible solutions. Recently lawmakers have made attempts to lower the recidivism rates in America, for example the Second Chance Act helps aid prisoners returning into society after incarceration. The act allows states to appropriate money to communities to help provide services such as education, drug treatment programs, mental health programs, job corps services, and others to aid in offenders returning to society after incarceration (Conyers, 2013).

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