Life After Prison
Whenever I go to apply for anything, whether it is a passport or an academic program, the hard part is never my history. I don’t even think about having a background check run on me. When I get older, I will apply for jobs and to get loans for housing, and even then I won’t need to think about what my background history shows.
Yet, for many ex-convicts, something as simple as applying for a passport might pose a problem. Things such as getting a job or a loan become essentially impossible, leaving many in a worse situation than when they entered prison. So, why does our current prison system leave convicts in a worse situation than when they entered?
Why is Re-Entering Society So Hard?
It might seem like a simple question, but how does a system that is meant to “reform” people make it worse for them? 76.6% of convicts end up being re-arrested after 3 years of being released. On top of that, many become homeless and struggle to find jobs.
There are many causes for this, but some of the big ones are; difficulties finding housing and employment, psychological struggles, and collateral consequences of imprisonment.
Difficulty Finding Housing
One of the first major issues ex-convicts encounter upon re-entering society is finding a place to live. For most of us, finding a house can be difficult, but not because of our past, and more because of the current market.
As of right now, many landlords use the criminal background as a heavy factor when considering who their tenants are going to be. This means that many ex-convicts are eliminated early on in the process, making it difficult to find housing.
In 2015, the Department of Urban Housing and Development passed a law preventing landlords from automatically eliminating ex-convicts in searches for tenants. Despite this, many landlords still use this as a major factor, making it very difficult for ex-convicts to find housing.
On top of that, on average convicts were making 40% less than the median income before their arrest, meaning affording to house poses another challenge. Without the money to afford a house, along with the lack of or reduced income, ex-convicts often end up without any housing.
You might be wondering, why can’t they just go to a homeless shelter then? Well, many public housing options (such as homeless shelters) have specific eligibility requirements, including background checks. For the most part, this results in ex-convicts without housing living on the streets, or couch surf with family and friends.
Employment Challenges
Next is the challenge of getting a job to support themselves after they exit prison. As anyone who has applied for a job before knows, part of the box on your application is filling out a box about your criminal history. To us, we might not even think about it, but for ex-convicts, this can be the factor that loses them the job.
For employers, hiring an ex-convict could be risky if they commit another crime, even though it is a relatively minor risk. Because of this, many employers opt for employees who don’t have a criminal background.
If ex-convicts can’t get jobs, they can’t afford basic necessities such as; food, housing, soap, and more. This not only prevents them from getting jobs in the future but also makes them more likely to return to crime as a way to make enough income to support themselves.
Psychological Struggles
Another major, but less talked about issue for ex-convicts is the psychological impact being in prison has on them. Prison is a very high-stress environment, with strict routines and schedules. Because of this, when leaving ex-convicts are more likely to develop anxiety and depression.
After being in an environment maintained by fear and violence, it is completely normal for ex-convicts to have high levels of anxiety when they leave. Years of being on edge all the time make it hard to return to life as it was, and makes it difficult to trust people.
On top of that, after losing a strict routine that they may have depended on for months or years, many ex-convicts develop a dependency on schedule. Once they leave prison, this strict routine is removed, resulting in anxiety or isolation.
Depression is also a major issue for ex-convicts, as they experience social isolation from family and friends both while in prison and once out of prison. Ex-convicts may also isolate themselves in fear of not remembering how to live life like before.
Mental health issues are one of the biggest struggles for ex-convicts as they return to society, impacting their daily life.
Collateral Consequences
Finally, no matter what crime they committed, many ex-convicts face restrictions once they leave prison. This includes but is not limited to; inability to vote, inability to access food stamps, and loss of firearm possession rights.
Some of these consequences are less important, such as the ability to own firearms. Despite this, forcing ex-convicts to follow strict rules after being released, even if they aren’t related to the crime they committed, can have a significant impact on their life. Ex-convicts may feel isolated because they lose the independence they have, such as being able to vote. This worsens the already difficult struggle with mental health for many.
Other consequences, such as the inability to access food stamps, could have extremely damaging effects on ex-convicts. Lack of access to housing or food makes life very difficult for ex-convicts and also increases the chance they will turn back to crime as a way to pay for necessities.
There are over 47,000 potential collateral consequences ex-convicts might face, significantly impacting their quality of life and ability to re-enter society.
Current Resources to Help Ex-Convicts
Currently, many states host re-entry programs, such as the Foundry. These programs give ex-convicts resources, such as access to housing or setting them up with employment, that allows the transition back into society to be easier. Unfortunately though, oftentimes these resources aren’t available and ex-convicts still struggle even with the help of these programs.
Conclusion
For many ex-convicts, simple things such as affording food or applying for a job become extremely difficult. They face housing, employment, psychological, and collateral struggles from being imprisoned. Many end up back in prison after just 3 years. Our current criminal justice system does not provide ex-convicts with the resources they need to re-enter society, failing them as a whole. We need to change our current system if we hope to grow as a society.
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