Editorial in favor of prisoner rehabilitation

 Approximately 9,100 individuals are released from state and federal prisons on any given day, with over 600,000 released every year. Of those 600,000, two thirds are likely to be reincarcerated. Over 50,000 of those released have nowhere to go and end up homeless. Forty percent of the people that have been released from prison have some sort of mental health issues as well upon incarceration and can have even more issues upon release. We as a society make it easy for prisoners to go back to jail as little support is offered to those who get released. Prisoners need the support and empathy of the community through fair employment opportunities, fair housing opportunities, education and mental health coverage.

By providing jobs for the released prisoners we would be providing more equity among the community, lowering the crime rate and ensuring safety. If education can be earned inside the prison walls, jobs would be easier to find and there would be less people returning to the prison system. Education pays off because it makes reintegration into society easier for the prisoners that are released. In fact, the RAND corporation discovered that with every dollar the government spent on education, four to five dollars were saved by taxpayers on reincarceration costs. Therefore, by advocating for this specific group of people we are benefitting society as a result in multiple ways.

In general, we as a society need to be more supportive of those getting out of the prison system. Businesses need to discriminate less against those that have been in the system. In fact, for businesses that hire felons and other people facing barriers to employment, the government will often offer financial incentives through the Work Opportunity Tax Credit. Landlords need to be more accepting of felons as tenants because as of now it is so hard for them to find someplace to live, especially if they are unable to find a job. Property values will go up if there are not as many people on the streets. Education for felons pays itself back and saves taxpayers money in the long run. By providing mental health, we are ensuring that the recidivism rates stay low and that the felons are better able to handle stressful situations. Therefore, these programs benefit the whole of society, not just a specific population.