Former Inmates: Just Find a Job Already

Upon release from prison, ex-inmates are either left to their own devices to create a new life or live under the supervision of parole. Parole regulations can be a barrier in itself to prisoners avoiding re-incarceration, especially as parole officers become increasingly overloaded and less sympathetic or available to aid parolees in avoiding violations (Petersilia 82). In addition, all ex-inmates have several needs that are often difficult for an average citizen to attain: "Jobs, housing, and financial stability are necessary for convicts to refrain from crime and to establish the informal networks critical for long-term survival" (Petersilia 20). Add in the discriminatory legislation, social stigma, and added mental and physical baggage from imprisonment and ex-inmates face an uphill climb to avoid re-incarceration in re-establishing their life. This has been one of those most neglected areas of reform, and our country knows it; Americans are frustrated with a prison system that releases its inmates without proper preparation (Petersilia 233)

Social problems and barriers are often difficult to identify or quantify, but remain important concerns in re-entry. Three-quarters of prisoners have a history of substance abuse, while less than one-third of released inmates receive treatment while in prison (Petersilia 3). The stress of re-entry into society combined with the freedom of release often incites substance abuse problems that were never actually addressed while in prison. Related to this, many substance abuses can be linked to self-medication for mental health problems. One in six prisoners suffers from mental illness, and less than one-third of those prisoners who are released have had mental health treatment while in prison (Petersilia 3). Upon release into normal society, many ex-inmates cannot afford to re-fill their prescriptions or stop taking them due to the completely different setting (Petersilia 37). Health care is often difficult to procure upon re-entry into civilian life, and chronic diseases or conditions may worsen upon parole or release (Petersilia 51).These health problems alone are detrimental, but they also affect the likelihood of finding and keeping a job.

The problem of employment is monumental, and affects all other aspects of newly released inmates' lives. One-third of all prisoners were unemployed at the time of their latest arrest, and combining this factor with only 29% of prisons participating in a vocational training program while in prison leaves much to be desired as our correctional system expects prisoners to find a job quickly and support themselves gainfully (Petersilia 4). "Since 1980, the United States has passed dozens of laws restricting the kinds of jobs for which ex-prisoners can be hired...