Substantial Changes in Reintroducing Prisoners into Society

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and assumptions ex-felons are often isolated from others. Ex-felons in America carry the stigma of being convicted for life; they are punished and are treated as second class citizens. One proponent of this position, Tracy Andrus, fittingly compares a conviction to a “metaphorical scarlet letter”. The conviction is viewed almost as brand that prevents ex-convicts from advancing in society; according to the research done by Andrus, sixty percent of the one million people who are released from prison in the United States return to prison within three years. A paper by the American Psychological Association shows that social inclusion among ex-criminals and the rest of society is very important. By not being able to make positive contributions to society ex-criminals continue to live lives filled with poverty and mental illness, “The men can’t provide for their families and are absent from their children, with the result being higher rates of poverty and the likelihood of mental health and behavioral issues” (American Psychological Association). Although programs have been setup to aid in the reentry into society, they do not focus on social interactions which would help ex-convicts remain close with supportive friends and families. In order to live in a sort of harmony, society must continue to advance the social skills of prisoners. After prison many ex-felons are not treated well and many are overlooked in the job market, in addition to a lack of jobs ex-felons are isolated socially. Without social inclusion of ex-criminals, mainstream society will see increased spread of poverty as well as mental illness.

In order for criminals to be prepared for mainstream society, a series of programs aimed at adapting criminals to life in the real world is funded by the government. The reentry process begins while ex-convicts are still imprisoned; however, these programs do not account for the areas of poverty and unemployment that ex-convicts will return to. Many programs are in place to help ex-convicts live normal lives after prison, a number of these programs return offenders to areas of drugs and violence. In “What Works in Corrections: Retooling Offender Reentry” by Daniel Downen, Downen explores the areas of poverty, drugs, and violence that ex-criminals return to. By returning to areas of crime, the rates that ex-criminals return to prison drastically increases. A question researchers interested in decreasing rates of incarceration ask is how society could improve positive social interactions for ex-convicts? Many believe that the use of groups and meetings has the potential to keep ex-convicts motivated to remain out of prison. In Hawthorne’s novel, Hester returns to a town where she is not supported. Hester’s community does not help her become a better person and she is only seen as a sinner in the opening of the novel; therefore she is not included in the community. In addition to programs that promote jobs and housing for ex-convicts, programs must be founded that promote returning ex-convicts to areas where they can be supported.

The United States of America has the highest incarceration rate in the world. In addition to the major problem of ex-convicts going home to poverty, many face mental illness as a result of prison. In prison, inmates face many challenges and experiences that will separate them mentally from society once they are released; however, imprisonment can create mental illness as well. In prison and out of prison, mental rehabilitation facilities are not used to their full potential by those who can benefit from them as a result of fear. According to the American Psychology Association within the prison walls, convicts do not feel safe enough to speak with therapists that offer their services. For these men and women, sharing weaknesses and emotions with therapists puts them at a disadvantage;and after prison, they then struggle from mental illnesses due to all of the pent up emotion. After prison, Hester is alone except for her daughter and her daughter reminds her of her sin every single day. By Pearl acting as a constant reminder of Hester’s sin, it is presumed that Hester feels increasing guilt. While many things can be done to promote positive experiences for ex-convicts, society must find ways to help ex-convicts advance mentally. Mental illness is one ailment that affects humans in such a powerful way; when ex-prisoners have a predisposition for mental illness due to their time in prison, it becomes clear that something must change.

In conclusion, society as a whole must change the way prisoners are reintroduced into society. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter similarly argues that while a crime may have been committed, each human has the right to be involved in society. Through Hester’s characterization from beginning of the novel to the end of novel as well as plot details, Hawthorne implies to his readers that imprisonment and exclusion has a powerful negative effect. The articles, as well as studies produced by various non-fiction sources, clearly suggest that while incarceration is still needed in society, those who have been imprisoned need not suffer after their imprisonment. Although some sources believe that the only problem in America’s reintroduction of criminals is the lack of jobs and housing, the true problem is the increasing poverty in post prison life. With the United States having the highest incarceration rate, this problem of reintroducing criminals into society is massive. With an overall lack of resources and decreasing programs for ex-convicts, poverty and violence continue to grow exponentially when ex-convicts are released. Therefore, more must be done to promote positivity and less fear of ex-criminals.

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