How a Prison Sentence Can Effect Reintegration into Society for Inmates

Natalie Millien

UNV-104

09/23/2018

Jacob Aroz

How a Prison Sentence can effect Reintegration into Society for Inmates

People constantly look for a place they belong, and is it not everyone’s dream to belong to a certain group of people and find like-minded individuals and feel accepted? It is a struggle for inmates everywhere to find acceptance after serving a prison sentence. Studies show how a prison sentence effects inmates as they work towards integration back in the community. Relapsing into drug misuse can lead to reconviction reoffending and a return to prison shortly after release. Homelessness increases on release making it very likely to relapse into drug use. Over all homelessness increased for participants from 18% (61/339) prior to their incarceration to 21% (49/229) in post release. According to National Statistics cite 80% of inmates used drugs prior to their arrest, 19% are illiterate and only 40% functionally illiterate. Inmates have literacy levels below national averages. Individuals with a Level 1 literacy can sign their name (low level literacy. To locate the time of a meeting on the (high level 1 literacy) (Haigler, Harlow, O’Connor, Campbell, 1994). After serving time for a prison sentence and the inmates are released many of them will need aftercare for drug and alcohol addiction, the resources to find suitable housing, and the training and education to obtain employment.

The Public Health provided objectives for drug misusers that were imprisoned and given the opportunity they could intervene beneficially, they recognized a serious problem of an increase in the misuse of drugs within prisons, particularly hard drugs. Probation servicer teams and their efforts to obtain Governor Contracts did not specify pre-release planning with their extensive work loads for drug users, and to prioritize would be inappropriate (Mitchell & McMarthy, 2001). During 1997 The Prisoners’ Resource Service that linked the remand prisoners to community drugs services was withdrawn from both HMP Pentoville and HMP Holloway (Mitchell & McMarthy, 2001). Release can be difficult and sometimes lonely, and an ex-drug user will be ambivalent towards doing drugs again.

After release from prison 69% over two-thirds of inmates expected to live with family, 35% expected to live with a mother or a stepmother. Findings emphasize to the extent of many important facets for an inmate’s reintegration, the returning prisoners plan for assistance and rely on their family members for help (Naser & LaVigne, 2006). While most ex-inmates face multiple problems socially, to maintain a dominant theme on their own accounts was to think positive of imprisonment along with defensive pessimism to cope with obstacles like substance addictions or homelessness and the distrusting thoughts of  “helping” professionals. Without a suitable environment to live in this could cause an individual more stress and no stability therefore the increase to committing a crime or to relapse on drugs and alcohol goes up.

It is a difficult and dauting prospect finding a job after incarceration, even with the prison providing vocational and educational programs. To provide inmates with the opportunity to obtain skills and that will aid them with the ability to re-adjust into society after release (Donahue, 1999). Providing education and vocational training is a key component for inmates to become better qualified to find a job (Donahue 1999). With 70% of Federal prisoners having a form of an early release they are dependent to residing at a halfway house, also known as community correction center (CCC), this is part of the re-entry into society program. An inmate that had a decent job before going to prison has been off the job market for an amount of time, job skills and conditions have undergone significant changes. Many inmates have never even had a job and lack the skills and experience to find one. Prison record have a stigma and is a factor that colors a prisoners’ job search. Observation of that performance, “Innovation is about Performance, is the government working on the continuous task of improving.