As part of a team which was assigned to construct a program which helps offenders find jobs which pay living wages, I know that I would be faced with some objections. In order to pay restitution, offenders must have the capability to pay; whether from assets or from making a living wage. Often, offenders have neither of these and are unable to pay restitution to their victims.
One group of people who may object to the placement of burglars and robbers in living wage jobs would be the victims. A victim’s psychology may lead the victim to believe that the offender, no matter the offense, should have a lifelong sentence for their crime. With the offender reintegrating into society, a victim might experience disdain for the criminal justice system or for sentencing guidelines. The victim may also experience anxiety or other negative effects if the offender is placed in a job in the community, even if
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The criminal is afforded a stable income with the opportunity to work and also pay off his debt. 2. The criminal may, through wage garnishment, be earning less than minimum wage and may seek other employment opportunities in an effort to skirt around wage garnishments. The latter is only temporary though, as wage garnishments would have to be issued to the employer, then deducted from payroll. . Furthermore, a company who hires convicted criminals may be include to offer less compensation for the offender’s work due to their status as a convicted criminal, thus creating a situation where the offender is at a greater disadvantage economically. An offender may also object to job placement programs as they may not be willing to do the work that is available or may not plan to work at all after being released. A program which forces the criminal to work, and garnishes their wages, may be highly unappealing to an