Fixing Racial Discrimination/ Reintegration

Reintegration

There is a chance that the worst case scenario may occur to any American who strays outside the law - the worst case scenario of course being incarceration.  While this isn't exactly a likely scenario, the possibility still stands that every citizen of this nature may be forced to serve time.  However, the struggle for an inmate is just beginning once their term has concluded.  

Everyone is familiar with a scene from "the Shawshank Redemption" in which a long-incarcerated prisoner decides to end his life rather than face a world he is unfamiliar with.  While this scene may have been sensationalized a bit to make a point in the film is exists withing, the real life situation may be very similar.  

Collecting information on ex-cons is extremely difficult, as those who were once inmates are usually reluctant to share information or respond to institutionalized contact.  Outside relationships tend to be strained by time spent in prison, and many inmates leave prison with little to no family or personal connections with which to rebuild their lives upon.  This means a large amount of former inmates end up couch surfing and a general inability to form any amount of stability in their lives.  

In addition to a lack of support, many inmates face adversity through the underlying issues which may have pushed them to commit the crimes they committed.  Many inmates must deal with a return to substances such as drugs and/or alcohol being readily available.  Inmates with psychiatric ailments must also find a way to work through their struggles.  It is estimated by the nonprofit Human Rights Watch that 56 percent of inmates are mentally ill.

A final, and some may say the greatest challenge for inmates in their reintegration to society is finding stable employment.  Many employers are reluctant to take a chance on an ex-con participating reliably in the workplace based on whatever offense they may have committed.  Studies have shown that there is little difference between a range of offenses and severities of these offenses to prospective employers.

In conclusion, the situation of being incarcerated carries with it a lifetime of difficulties for those involved.  The trouble doesn't end when the inmate breaks free of their walls of captivity.  The challenges for these individuals are only beginning.

http://harvardmagazine.com/2013/03/the-prison-problem













Fixing Racial Discrimination

The American Prison System can be criticized for many different reasons. Although

many may seem pressing, none has a greater need for change than the large amount of

stratification among white inmates and inmates of color. While many have noted that this

discrepancy exists, what is important is the way in which society is working toward a solution to

this problem.

American prisons are said to be terrifying places.  They do little to rehabilitate inmates and act more as places which create career criminals.
 
Mass incarceration has resulted in 1.3 african american and hispanic males being sentenced to long-term prison terms.  This disparity is a troubling statistic which reflects a problem with the institutions involved due to population percentages.

The solutions to such disparities are believed to be systemic.  The way in which criminals are brought to trial and processed must be repaired, not the communities themselves.  Popular solutions include but are not limited to outlawing racial profiling practices by police forces, increasing civilian oversight of police practices and making communities more involved in approving police actions,  decreasing punishment for non-violent drug offenses and rethinking and restructuring mandatory sentencing systems.

In addition to these solutions ensuring fair and equal sentencing among socioeconomic and cultural groups as well as the passing of justice reforms to minimize existing gaps between racial equality in the United States justice system.

All of these reforms and more may be the path toward ensuring equality and creating a more balanced and just system for citizens of all socioeconomic and racial groups in the United States.  These reforms are a path toward progress and may be able to usher in an age of equality in American courts.

http://www.talkleft.com/story/2013/7/17/201753/652/crimepolicy/Eliminating-Racial-Disparity-in-the-Criminal-Justice-System