In her book “The New Jim Crow” (2010), Michelle Alexander, a civil rights lawyer and an activist in the civil rights movements, that many people think has long been concluded, argues that the results of prison go well beyond the walls of the facility and can even have a perpetual effect on a person's life. Alexanders exact words on page 142 are “ Once labeled a felon, the badge of inferiority remains with you for the rest of your life, relegating you to a permanent second-class status.” Alexander supports her claim by interviewing people and describing their experiences in prison and their life after prison. She also informs the reader of laws that make it harder for felons to not only get jobs, but also limits their access to housing, and
Without a serious punishment, these people are more likely to repeat their crimes. Heather Kramer and Otis Newton, who write for the Lakeside Publishing Group, believe that disenfranchisement is a necessary measure against convicted felons, as these criminals have failed to comply with the very document that provides them with many freedoms. This article hopes to attract the attention of the general
Removing these obstacles that stop people from discriminating against other individuals who are trying to obtain housing, employment, financial aid and other things people need to live can lead to reduced recidivism rates and overall improvements in public safety and well-being. By considering the potential consequences of perpetuating societal exclusion through the retention of criminal records, this article encourages a critical examination of the role of criminal justice policies in perpetuating cycles of poverty and recidivism. Ashford's article prompts a multifaceted evaluation of the relationship between criminal records policies and the criminal justice system. By exploring the potential benefits and drawbacks of automatically expunging certain records after seven years, this article contributes to a deeper understanding of how criminal justice policies can impact individuals' lives and broader societal outcomes. Bloom, Tina, and G. A. Bradshaw.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, there are currently over 2.2 million individuals serving time in federal and state prison, with 95 percent of those individuals being released and returning to their perspective communities across the nation. Majority of those individuals returning have needs that was either unaddressed while incarcerated or during the reentry process, which will negatively impact their ability to live a crime free productive life while in the community. Once released from prison, inmates are faced with a myriad of challenges such as finding stable housing, maintaining employment, combating substance abuse, and addressing physical and mental health problems. However, with the help of community support, offenders would less likely return back to prison and are
Fellow American citizens already copiously penalize felons in everyday life; they look down on them in society, restrict them from large amounts of jobs, and allow their past blunders to haunt them. Therefore, felons’ debt to society has not only been paid for by their prison sentence, but it has also been paid for by their tedious lifestyle. This leads to enfranchisement advocates pondering why The United States continues to punish felons and restrict them from the highest esteem of American culture, especially when they may have ended up with their doomed fate through a vacuous mistake. To further support their point that disenfranchisement fosters an overly severe punishment for felons, supporters of felon voting rights point out the fact that, “in 13 states a felony conviction can result in disenfranchisement, generally for life, even after an offender has completed his or her sentence” (Mauer 3). Champions of felon voting rights disagree with the continual reprimanding of felons after their sentence, as it exceeds their obligations to
A finding from a study done by the Bureau of Justice Statistics shows that 67.8 percent of ex-convicts were rearrested. Two-thirds of them spent their time in prison waiting for the release, only to go back into that dirty old cell again. Why don’t they try to get a real job, earn their own living and cherish the second chance we grant them. Let’s step down from the moral high ground for a second. Often released prisoners lack the skills and knowledge to keep up with the pace of society.
Felon Rights: Many people take voting for granted; many will argue that voting is a privilege not a right, as this is true among many counties. Here in the United States everyone at the age of eighteen gains their right to vote. Right now roughly 4 Million Americans will not be allowed to Vote in the United States. These people are felons that have served their debt to society.
A viewpoint when it comes to the major controversy of felon rights is often an biased opinion that originates from people as well as parents all alike and it is the argument that they as lawful citizens do not want violent offenders such as rapist, domestic offenders, and killers to be involved in voting whatsoever for the fact that these votes are ultimately determining what 's right or wrong for their country. The aspect that is often ignored and or unrealised in this situation is that violent offenders make up only a portion of those who get charged with felony offenses. According to statistics out of a list of twenty offenses that you can get charged as a felon for, violent crimes lies eighth on the list and even more substantial domestic violence and child abuse falls seventeenth on the list. So is it right to view all offenders the same way and hold limits on all as if they were exactly alike? Peter Dimond, an American economist, criticizes the system of economics that surrounds felons when he claims in the article “Should felons have the right to vote?” that to proceed from this issue “First, we need to recognize that felons aren’t necessarily villains – some may be victims themselves of an unfair judicial system, and even those that aren’t – those that have committed crimes deserving of felon status – should have their voices heard.
The political debate for and against felon disenfranchisement has compelling arguments on both sides. In the US, over 6 million felons are barred from voting due to laws that prevent felons with a sentence to vote (Chung). The number of imprisoned has been growing over the past 40 years, as the increasing number of imprisoned felons is directly correlated with an increasing number of disenfranchised felons. However, a more jarring statistic reveals that most disenfranchised felons in the United States are of a racial or ethnic minority. Based on information from the 2010 US Census Bureau, about 36 percent of disenfranchised felons are African American.
When people get out of prison they are afraid of going back. They don't have a reason to change. Most people don't have a way of even getting a job once there out as stated here, ”I work in a medium security prison in North Carolina that serves young men ages 18 to 25. There is one segment of our population that no program addresses. This is the group that will probably never be able to get a GED, and therefore they do not qualify for many of the programs designed to help with job
There were thousands of ideas that were thought of in the Enlightenment movement. Many dealt with the Roman Catholic Church, questioning many of the statements and laws that the Church made. Some dealt with political issues, such as monarchy and government systems. These two main topics were central for the French Revolution.
The criminal justice system recognizes that when they set up the expunged process. It gives every single adult a second chance to better themselves and their lives. It gives them hope that their life can change even though they have made bad decisions in the past. For many offenders, that is a motivation to get clean and leave that path. Offenders experience the hardship of obtaining a job, receiving education, and many other opportunities with a felony on their records before they turn 18.
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).
Life after incarceration, here today gone tomorrow. 95% of adults sentenced to prison will return to our communities, and reentry will be their first step back into society. Imagine have a thousand questions flooding one’s mind all at once. Where will I live, how will I survive, and contribute to the family, while maintaining to the stipulations of one’s parole/ probation, without risking freedom. The number one goal for those newly released back into society by way of the reentry program is to never return to the inside of a prison cell.
Specific Purpose Statement: To invite my audience to see the different viewpoints involved with life after prison in the U.S. Thesis: Those who were once in incarceration live with the title of being a former convict the rest of their life. I wish to explore their lives after incarceration and I hope to find the differing opinions some of you may have on those that have re-joined our community. Pattern of Organization: Multiple Perspective Pattern Introduction [Attention-Getter] How would you feel knowing you were standing behind a convict in line at a grocery store?
