There is a growing trend of former prisoners reoffending after serving their sentences in contemporary society. This essay will explore the underlying causes and propose possible solutions.
To start with, ex-prisoners may commit crimes after penalties as they find it challenging rejoining society. In fact, the unemployment rate of those that used to be in jail was roughly 27%, even higher than that in the Great Depression. Additionally, reports stated that former inmates are often treated unfairly with discrimination by the community and their family. The pressure from the unstable income with the feeling of isolation has led to severe depression and has made ex-prisoners feel disconnected to the community. In 2021, the Urban Institute of America stated that 60% of ex-prisoners were unable to stabilize their life after a year being out of prison. Consequently, they deliberately commit a crime again to be in prison, in which they do not have to worry about being unemployed and judged by others.
In order to prevent prisoners from reoffending and returning to prisons, they should be granted legal protection and be involved in activities that help reshape public perception of them. Particularly, lawmakers should implement appropriate legislation to ensure that organisations and companies treat prisoners equally so that they can find a job to stable their life. Moreover, to shift societal attitudes, the governments should support ex-prisoners through reintegration programmes. Those who desire to reintegrate should also actively participate in volunteer activities and community activities in the residential area. With enough dedication, the community would gradually embrace them and encourage them to rebuild their lives after. Subsequently, they would feel a sense of belonging and never commit crime again so that they will not have to be apart from the community anymore.
In conclusion, ex-prisoners often reoffend due to social rejection and lack of support. Therefore, providing equal job opportunities and reintegration programs can help them rebuild their lives and reduce repeat offenses.