For many people, not much thought is given to a convict after the guilty verdict is reached in the courtroom. Justice was served—a person who broke the law is now removed from the community and the rest of us can move on, right? That’s likely shortsighted.
It’s easy to mentally write off a convicted felon.
But according to a study from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the average felony sentence was just over three years.
That means most of these convicts typically have a lot of time for life after prison.
If we want to help these people change for the better and become valuable contributors to society again, the chances of success are not very high.
Another study by the Department of Justice found that a surprising 76 percent of the many prisoners who were examined were arrested again within five years after they were released.
What is a felony, exactly?
You might already know that all crimes are not considered equally serious.
For example, you don’t go to jail for crossing the street without using a crosswalk.
A felony is a very serious criminal offense.
A lot of serious crimes involve violence, such as stealing with weapons, killing, and sexual attacks. However, a large number of other crimes are related to property or drugs.
A felony conviction is a serious crime and can have long-lasting effects on a person’s life.
Employment
One of the main reasons why people who have been in prison before go back is because they can’t find a job. Employers are understandably nervous about hiring people with criminal records, and this can make life very tough for someone who wants to start anew after being in jail.
If a person who has been convicted of a crime cannot find a job, especially one that pays well, they may be more inclined to engage in illegal activities to earn money.
This then creates a cycle that keeps repeating.
Advocates have been working to remove questions about criminal history from job applications and postpone background checks until later in the hiring process.
The goal is to stop employers from automatically excluding individuals with criminal records without giving them a fair opportunity to be considered alongside other job seekers.
Housing issues
Another difficult task felons face in their life after prison is finding a place to live.
Many landlords refuse to rent to former convicts.
Felons are often stuck trying to find temporary housing with friends and family members—some of whom may be part of the bad influences that helped land them in prison in the first place.
Many states have nonprofit “halfway homes,” or reentry programs, that work to give former inmates a stable environment as they get resettled.
While the idea of a supervised living situation might not sound ideal for someone leaving prison, it is often better than the alternative.
Education
30 percent of convicted felons did not have a high school diploma or GED, which dwarfs the 14 percent of all U.S. adults with no diploma or GED.
There has been no breakthrough made yet for prisoner education.
That said, some states are making moves to provide educational funding for incarcerated individuals.
Help former convicts get back on track
A convicted felon has made poor decisions in life—so why should we care what happens to them?
The time they spend incarcerated is typically only a small portion of their lives.
The barriers described above all contribute to the high likelihood of felons falling back into a cycle of criminal behavior and incarceration, which has negative side effects that seep into our communities.
Life after prison doesn’t have to be a life sentenced to failure.
If learning more about these barriers to reentry former convicts face has you thinking you want to get involved, that’s great!
Better yet, there are entire career paths that focus on helping the convicted get back on track.
Human services professionals often work closely with nonprofits and government agencies to help former offenders get established.
Probation and parole officers are also on the front lines of reforming the lives of individuals within the criminal justice system.