OBSTACLES FOR OFFENDERS REENTRY 1
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Get Help Now!OBSTACLES FOR OFFENDERS REENTRY BACK INTO SOCIETY 15
Obstacles for Offender’s Reentry Into Society
I. The Problem
There is a major concern, among criminal justice professionals, in regard, to the unsuccessful reentry of inmates into civilian life after incarceration which leads to high rates of recidivism. The unsuccessful reentry is due largely to the stigma, inability to obtain gainful employment with a felony criminal record, a lack of marketable skills, and the collateral consequences. It makes an offender think about how they truly define themselves as a person in society
II. Factors Bearing on The Problem
It is important to understand the factors that lead towards offenders that have obstacles when reentering society. Offenders that have been released from prison usually have a hard time adjusting and being a productive citizen.
• There is a lack of a strong family support system; prisoners rely heavily on their families to get support and to come back into society as a need of virtual reintegration. The stronger the relationship with the family when the prisoner is released, it is essential towards the prisoner’s character development with making the prisoner have a new experience of the family against the prison experience.
• Most employers do not hire people with a criminal conviction. because an employer doesn’t want an ex- prisoner’s behavior to affect the business. Ex- prisoners who are able to get higher paying jobs are more apt to change in their lives compared to those prisoners who do not find adequate job opportunities in society.
• There is a lack of vocational rehabilitation opportunities in the prison systems. The prison systems need to offer vocational training official to administer pre-employment services to that works as a guide towards development.
• A lack of basic subsistence assistance contributes to recidivism. Many states have banned those with felony convictions from benefits such as food stamps, TANF, SSI, and residence in public housing, either permanently or temporarily. Rules that bar those with a felony record from public and subsidized housing may limit residence with friends and family as well and increase the likelihood of homelessness.
It is assumed that if the prisoners are transitioning from prison into society, the prison system have to focus on providing services to the prisoner. It is assumed that the reentry process should help prisoners with the survival needs (food, housing, and employment) and skill- based services (treatment, literacy, and job training).
III. Discussion
Prisoners rely heavily on their families to be able to get the support; they need to be able to renter society in regard to every respect that will suit their need of virtual reintegration (Gideon, 2010). Prisoners need the overall encouragement, employment opportunities, shelter and any financial support, so that they feel welcomed back into the society when such interventions are met towards their experience. The stronger the relationship in the family when the prisoner is released its essential towards character development and also making the prisoner have a new experience of the family against the prison experience (Gunnison & Helfgott , 2013).
When prisoners are released, they are at high risk of failing in securing job opportunities and attaining reasonable economic security. The challenges that are faced by prisoners while trying to accept their behavioral aspects needs much consideration by ensuring that they receive public assistance and achieving financial security (Gideon & Sung, 2010). The “reintegration perspective” focuses on social and economic reintegration after release (Travis, 2004). This perspective emphasizes entering the labor market and repairing and renewing ties to family and community (Travis, 2004). In addition, this perspective focuses on helping renew family ties due to ex-prisoner’s lengthy time in prison. For the most part, the family needs to do a pre-release attendance to the prisoner’s respondents to culminate a positive expectation from the society after release (Hattery & Smith., 2010).
Supportive families after the release of the prisoners makes the reintegration process much better and more straightforward in achieving the goal of the reentry process. As society looks into the reintegration perspective, it focuses on how an ex- prisoners can use this perspective to help with social and economic reintegration and to help build social relationships among society. When both male and female inmates are released from prison, they feel complimented when society understands them, changing their emotional aspect. Furthermore, it’s the duty of respective family members to ensure their family members receive family support both in and out of prison. Higher value and attention may be realized in the life of the prisoner even better than when they were incarcerated with adequate support. Thus, the family is an essential factor towards influencing the process of reentry (Hattery & Smith, 2010). Facing a challenging environment makes many prisoners released in prison in the United States deter from the process of becoming more actively involved in the society. The livelihood, social connections, and residence of the prisoner make them get more interconnected with the society through such aspects (Travis, 2004).
In American society, people go in and out of prisons which has contributed to increasing inequality in recent decades, primarily by reducing opportunities for employment and lowering wages among former prisoners, but also by decreasing the prevalence of two-parent families (Western 2007).Psychological support of the prisoner upon release benefits in the process of having a polite society that will provide an excellent crime prevention background even when the prisoners are faced with life cycle problems. Effective interventions effectively make prisoners have a further constituent commitment in the society. Thus, an effective plan to integrate the prisoner and the community is to have the family be the initial factor to influence character and behavioral change of the prisoner (Gideon., 2010).
When prisoners are released, there is a higher percentage of prisoners, who come back into the society and receive federal correctional programs such as employment fail to maintain the process. After being released they encounter the challenge of securing jobs and employment opportunities. Society has the tendency to employ persons with no criminal history because an employer doesn’t want an ex- prisoner behavior to affect the business (Gunnison & Helfgott , 2013). Additionally, social factors of which include, lack of family support, poor employment history, and also negative peer influence result prisoners not being accepted back into the society and in not being able to secure employment.
Prisoners who are able to acquire legitimate jobs are less likely to face the challenge of recidivism. Ex- prisoners who are able to get higher paying jobs are more likely to have a change in their lives compared to those prisoners who do not find l good job opportunities in the society (Cole , et.al.2018).
The prisoners after being released from prison through employment will have a great influencing of maintaining employment opportunities. Therefore, it’s possible that the prisoner will avoid re-arrest when the society accepts factors like; stable accommodations and lack of substance battered associated problems. Also, it’s identified that prisoners need to have an influenced life in which they will have their respective needs identified and met with even specific services that they require in their life. Being the most essential factor, employment opportunities, GED accreditations, job training and also job vocational educations will aid in the process of reentry (Gideon & Sung 2010).
Additionally, cases of recidivism have significantly reduced as the offenders get legitimate employment opportunities upon release. Participating in employment services also assists them to be able to receive friends who are able to guide them through the principle of responsibility in abiding the law. In addition, society needs to let ex- prisoners receive life training lessons randomly in aid of boosting the worker’s egocentrism towards facing life-challenging influences (Gideon & Sung 2010). Such opportunities make it possible to have a more timely intervention program that helps the prisoner make change. Legitimate job opportunities play a vital role to seamlessly have a good integration program that re-vitalizes the character development process. It’s hard for the prisoner to have a change in life when they are influenced back to crime through employees who accept to have the same crime related behaviors such as the use of drugs at the workplace and also smuggling of products from worksites (Gideon & Sung 2010).
Within the prison system there needs to be employment-related services readily made available to the prisoners upon the time that they get to work until they are released from prison. (source) Such intervention, makes the prisoners adequately prepare d in their skills ,even when jailed, to improve their ability before being released into the community once again. Vocational assessments are essential towards having a plan that basically revitalizes skill developments. The future employment is constituent in readiness to train the prisoner early and also to have a series of benchmarks that aid in the program of character skill development (Cole, et., 2018).
It’s more beneficial for prisoner’s post-release necessities through the pre-release procedures put in place at the prison before release (Hattery A. & Smith E., 2010). Therefore, it is essential to make employment easy for the prisoner then after release to embark in the process acceptance into the society. Positive influences will be realized when we have a concrete and offenders get back to the process of securing jobs at the employment sites (Gunnison E.& Helfgott J. B, 2013).
When a prisoner is released they rely heavily on living with their parents and siblings due to their criminal history. Many states have banned those with felony convictions from benefits such as food stamps, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and residence in public housing, either permanently or temporarily (Travis, 2004). Rules that bar those with a felony record from public and subsidized housing may limit residence with friends and family as well, and increase the likelihood of homelessness (Travis, 2004). Ex- prisoners upon release tend to be closer to the mother than the father. Having contact with the mother provides a sense of responsibility as mums always support their children despite any negative aspects of their lives compared to fathers with a higher margin (Gunnison E. & Helfgott J. B, 2013). Ex – prisoners typically don’t have any money, need emotional support, and good advice can only be found in the family better than the society. Moreover, when the family makes frequent visits to the prison, it’s more likely the prisoner to be more attached to them even when they have been released. (Source)
Most families become worried about their family member being sent back into prison, and after their sentence, they strive for the success of their member. Making the family become more comfortable is always essential for the criminals to pay back the time they spent away from the family when they were in prison. Upon being jailed it’s easier for the family to face health problems especially if a family member is stressed up and get information that the family members are incarcerated. The emotional stresses make them contract sickness like stroke when they are provided with messages about their child’s arrest (Cole., et. 2018),
Most children always need to have their parents in their life and also to stay at home to avoid being subjected back to prison. It’s evident that most family members become more worried to have their counterparts fall into the same problem that submitted them to be jailed (Cole, 2018). Therefore, especially when the prisoner has released the family and siblings will always keep track of the offenders dealing and daily movements. Upon exiting the houses, the family will still have unanswered questions pertaining to their family members who cannot get proper housing; especially makes the prisoner become more concerned. Being with the family and living with them is an initiative that makes the prisoner abstain from bad companies that will influence them back into crime related issues. Probation plays an integral role of abstaining from drugs, and the likelihood of getting back into prison (Cole., et. 2018).
Due to the ex- prisoner’s status, they may be put on a higher priority than most by their parole officer or their probation officer. Having a poor credit status in the past can be influenced when the family is involved in the process. A natural step can be made in which the family member is given priority to have the house and lease it back to the prisoner as a family initiative. Therefore, it’s more likely when the prisoner gets housing back in the poor and unsuitable environment they will reflect back to living in prison. Thus, the housing situation makes them live in environments that need to be upgrade back and have the members receive a better good life later. Transitioning with the help of the family becomes more beneficial in understanding the prisoner and also to keep track of the behaviors that may develop even after the release of the prisoner. It’s important for the family to adjust on the adapting to family members despite the negative characters of the family member (Gideon., 2010).
In some cases, ex- prisoners may commit another crime within months of release. Thus, imprisonment always breaks the ties between the family and the community. Therefore, parole supervision is initiated towards prisoners so that they can be supervised out from the normal duty to stay at the prison but rather be released in the society (Reamer, 2017). Parole supervision may constitute the prisoner to be taken back to jail due to the constant parole supervision. When conditions have been administered to the prisoner before being released back into the society, prisoners always vow to stay by the rules and conditions given at the prison.
Parole investigations make prisoner imprison themselves back due to a feeling that they are subjected to harsh conditions. Despite the fact that prisoners accept to undergo parole supervision and requirements, it’s evident that some fail to abide by the rules set and end up facing imprisoned (Reamer, 2017). Being discharged on parole and overseeing judgments to detainee’s dependent on the offense done influences detainees to choose to depend without anyone else mind knowledge to live. In this manner amusingly, the parolee needs to comply with the terms and standards set while being discharged out of jail. Before the parolee reenters into the general public, they have to demonstrate their honesty by maintaining the conditions set to indicate they will follow the law even after discharge.
Depending on the violation made by the prisoner before the arrest, the conditions set by the parole board or any officer associated with their release. Thus, the prisoner is required to comply with all laws enacted by the state and federal governments. Upon being released on parole, the prisoner is needed to stay by the state of his/her incarceration (Craig, et., 2013). Furthermore, this is part of the requirement, having steady employment and also maintaining their educational track needs them too to make any reports to the parole officer on the progress. Abstaining from any drug substances, changing of address, and possession of firearms should always be a report made to the parole officer (Craig, et., 2013).
As part of violating the parole conditions, the parolee should be subjected to reincarnation due to their consequence. Thus, the ex- prisoner will face new charge proceedings in regard to offenses done after the parole was issued. Therefore, parole officers have a great responsibility to ensure that the parolee stays by the conditions and also when the parolee commits any crime he/she decides on what will happen to the parolee upon arrest. Any evidence presented upon him or her needs to be heard and also charges be based on the offense or crime committed (Reamer, 2017).
References
Craig L. Dixon L. Gannon T. (2013). What Works in Offender Rehabilitation: An Evidence Based Approach to Assessment and Treatment. Hoboken, Wiley.
This comprehensive volume summarizes the contemporary evidence base for offender assessment and rehabilitation, evaluating commonly used assessment frameworks and intervention strategies in a complete guide to best practice when working with a variety of offenders. In addition, it presents an up-to-date review of ‘what works ‘in offer assessment and rehabilitation, along with discussion of contemporary attitudes and translating theory into practice. Furthermore, includes assessment and treatment for different offender types across a range of settings.
Cole G. Smith C. E. DeJong C. (2018). The American System of Criminal Justice. Cengage Learning.
This examines the criminal justice across several disciplines, presenting elements from criminology, sociology, law, history, psychology, and political science. Broad coverage of the facts, uncompromising scholarship, an engaging writing style, and compelling delivery of current events make the American System of Criminal Justice, now in its 14th Edition, one of the best books available for an in-depth look at the American criminal justice system.
Reamer F. G. (2017) On the Parole Board: Reflections on Crime, Punishment, Redemption and Justice. New York: Columbia University Press.
Frederic G. Reamer, the author has judged the fates of thousands of inmates within his twenty-four years on the Rhode Island Parole Board. Mr. Reamer decides which inmates are ready to reenter society and which are not. It is a complicated choice that balances injury to victims and their families against an offender’s capacity for transformation.
Gunnison E. Helfgott J. B. (2013). Offender Reentry: Beyond Crime and Punishment. Boulder, Colorado: Lynne Rienner Publishers.
Within this book the authors focus on the comprehensive exploration of the core issues surrounding offender reentry. Elaine Gunnison is a professor of Criminal Justice at Seattle University as well as Jacqueline Helfgott. These authors highlight the constant tension between policies meant to ensure smooth reintegration and the social forces—especially the stigma of a criminal record—that can prevent it from happening. In addition, these authors focus on the factors that enhance reentry success as they address challenges related to race, class, and gender.
Gideon L. Sung H. (2010) Rethinking Corrections: Rehabilitation, Reentry and Rehabilitation. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.
These authors write about the challenges that convicted offenders face over the course of the rehabilitation, reentry, and reintegration process. Using an integrated, theoretical approach, each chapter is devoted to a corrections topic and incorporates original evidence-based concepts, research, and policy from experts in the field, and examines how correctional practices are being managed.
Hattery A. Smith E. (2010). Prisoner Reentry and Social Capital: the Long Road to Reintegration. Lanham, Md: Lexington Books.
Earl Smith is professor of sociology and the Rubin Distinguished Professor of American Ethnic Studies at Wake Forest University. Angela J. Hattery is professor of sociology at Wake Forest University. Prisoner Re-entry and Social Capital takes as its starting point interviews with twenty-five men and women during the summer of 2008 about their experiences with re-entering the ‘free world’ after a period of incarceration. By analyzing the experiences of these men and women, Smith and Hattery look in depth at the factors that inhibit successful re-entry and illustrate some successes and failures.
Travis J. Reentry and reintegration: New perspectives on the challenges of mass incarceration. In: Patillo M, Weiman DF, Western B, editors. Imprisoning America: The social effects of mass incarceration. 2004. pp. 247–268.
In this article, they review the existing problems that are faced with mass incarceration. The article provides an overview of the prison boom and its attendant consequences. In addition, the article reviews the literature on the effects of incarceration and prisoner reentry on the communities from which prisoners are removed and to which they return after release, followed by a review of the literature on how neighborhood context affects the process of prisoner reentry.
Western B. Punishment and Inequality in America. New York: Russell Sage; 2007.
Bruce Western is a professor of Sociology at Princeton University. The author focuses on the recent explosion of imprisonment and the heavy costs on American society and exacerbating inequality. In addition, this book focuses on the profiles about the growth in incarceration came about and the toll it is taking on the social and economic fabric of many American communities.
The post There is a major concern, among criminal justice professionals, in regard, to the unsuccessful reentry of inmates into civilian life after incarceration which leads to high rates of recidivism. The unsuccessful reentry is due largely to the stigma, inability to obtain gainful employment with a felony criminal record, a lack of marketable skills, and the collateral consequences. It makes an offender think about how they truly define themselves as a person in society appeared first on Versed Writers.
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