http://www.bjs.gov/content/reentry/recidivism.cfm
As we come to a close with this book, I hope everyone has enjoyed it! In the final pages Laura Bates has once again brought up “escaping our own prisons.” To me the last few pages are so powerful when she's counting her steps at her family reunion. Larry Newton told Laura Bates that when he was in isolation for many years, his cell was 5 steps long and 5 steps wide. As she is making her way to the beach she crosses many items that would be considered luxuries to people such as Mr. Newton. “Sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty. The waves lapped rhythmically against the shore, a soothing accompaniment to my walk” Bates says (285). Here we see how lucky we truly are and how great we have it compared to others because the things we encounter can be considered normalities. Now as much as we want equality for all including people who have ended up in Larry’s situation sometimes they are better off where they are. According to the Bureau Justice System “ 51.8% of prisoners released during the year were back in prison either because of a new crime for which they received another prison sentence, or because of a technical violation of their parole.” There are so many demons on the outside world such as tempting situation or peer pressure from old friends and many people do not want to hire felons. Larry did leave a tremendous mark in Mrs. Bates life as well as many others and some may think had he gotten the chance to get out maybe he would've become a professor and changed so many students lives but take the time to think if he relapsed what would happen because so many people do? When he was writing to Laura describing the mistreatment he was getting at the correctional facility he was at, he was describing how tough it was to deal with. What good resources did Larry have waiting for him to start a successful prospering life? There are halfway homes for prisoners who have nowhere to go and they occasionally get set up with jobs but sometimes those homes have no regulation and aren’t as safe and helpful as they claim to be. Should there be more regulation on these? Or what solution can we offer to help those from returning to jail?
http://www.bjs.gov/content/reentry/recidivism.cfm
Jordyn L
5/3/2016 05:26:56 pm
I agree that in some instances the circumstances in which the prisoners are placed in are not fair. At the same time though it is hard for me to feel bad because the prisoners (in most cases) have done something to result with them sitting in a cell. I did a research report on a particular option inmates have in prison that could help them re-adjust to life outside of prison. 5/7/2016 08:41:28 pm
Honestly, I think most halfway homes are fine the way they are. They are not prison, so they are not meant to have the same strict regulations. A halfway home is a way to get prisoners back into the real world, and help them get back into a “normal life.” The main point of a halfway home is to ensure the person is actually trying to get a job and make some sort of contribution to society. It is also meant to be sure these people are not returning to drugs and crime with the temptations of the “outside world.” If an inmate cannot handle a halfway home, they cannot handle being completely free.
Harman Dhaliwal
5/8/2016 09:11:51 pm
Once a prisoner has served their time behind bars, it really is a toss up to determine whether or not they will return to their previous life style. You wish to see success and retribution, but we can’t control how others treat these people. During their time in prison, individuals may show signs of progress and a chance at new beginnings. Nevertheless, the fact that they are left to fend for themselves soon after their release jeopardizes any substantial changes. Halfway homes are meant to house prisoners temporarily. They are setup to act as a place to help folk get back on their feet as they look for a job and a new life. I feel that we can still help ex-convicts by giving them further assistance. Perhaps by way of preparing potential resumes or setting up interviews for these people. If not that, a regular checkup on the ex-prisoners can be beneficial as well. This way, we can ensure that they are avoiding potentially negative influences. It is difficult to come up with many reliable and attainable solutions, but I feel these are some ways to help make the transition to a new life a bit easier for the ex-criminals. Comments are closed.
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May 2016
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