A person is often judged more from his past doings than what he is at present. The same way former convicts are ostracized by the society due to the crime/crimes they have committed in the past no matter how much of a better person they may have become. Convicts who have committed crimes are given a certain time to serve in the prison depending on how extreme the crime is. Once they complete their time in prison they are released to a world that may never be the same for them again.
Former convicts have to face a lot of challenges after they are released from prison. Many former convicts are left on their own without a family or friends as the latter may feel that they should not be around a person who has brought them disgrace. Many families accept the former convict but they are then discriminated by the society. It is especially hard for the former convicts who have served in prison for long to adjust in the society as their social networks may have changed or may not exist after all those years in the cell.
It gets hard for former prisoners to find a decent job as it is less likely for people to hire someone who has committed a crime in the past even though he may have become a completely different and better person after serving in the prison. Many employers are worried about the consequences that may come if the latter ever causes any trouble. It is even harder to find a job when a former prisoner does not have a good educational qualification and most of the prisoners are usually less educated with the lack of skills. Many former convicts go back to committing crimes in order to make their ends meet. They do not get the opportunity to make a positive change in their lives or do not have anyone to guide them and hence go back to their old ways leading them to prison yet again.
In order to change this system a better set of policies need to be created and implemented. The prisons are run by the money collected as taxes from the tax payers. The government should consider providing vocational training to the prisoners so that they could let them earn for their food and maintenance of the prison. This could save a lot of money and at the same time may help the prisoners to understand the importance of self-sufficiency. It will also help the prisoners to fend for themselves after they are released from prison. One example can be the Tihar Jail located in Delhi where the prisoners are taught various skills and are made to work to get them to contribute to the economy instead of just being a liability.
Prisons should be a place to correct the mindset and behavior of an offender in order to prevent a repeated crime. It should teach a prisoner to repent on his crimes and go on to become a better person. It should also be looked into that the prisoners once released may be followed up every once in a while for a certain period of time to see how they are doing and whether they are coping well with their surroundings. They need to be guided in order to get their lives back to track.
Hence, we all must understand that a person is not born a criminal. It is the surrounding and the situation that makes him one. We need to rethink on giving a second chance to them but that can only be done if the system that handles the prisoners is trustworthy. The once who have committed grievous crimes most definitely deserve strong punishments but, we need to focus on preventing these crimes more than just punishing the offenders. And strong punishments are not the only solution.
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