First let’s start off with saying that I don’t think that an ex-felon should not pay society for their crime. They should be held accountable for their crime. And there should be an ample amount of protection imposed on them for the protection of society. How ever I do not agree with the way that society and Government has took advantage of the laws intended to protect society from criminals. The Government has used laws such as back ground checks to disqualifies ex-cons from gaining employment. This is wrong and should be amended by our Government. It should only apply to related conditions. Such as the following. Let’s say Joe Ex-Con wants to be a bank teller and he was a bank robber before. This would be a perfect use of disqualifying him as a candidate for the position. Now let’s say that Joe Ex-Con applies to a construction company for a job as a roofer. This would be an injustice to disqualify him for the job on the grounds that he was an ex-bank robber. This allows discrimination to be used. It is totally wrong. And it is a perversion of the laws noble attempt to protect society. Further more it actually creates crime. It creates crime by causing the Ex- Felon to be at a life threatening disadvantage. Have you ever tried to buy something to eat without money? This is exactly what will result from the ex-con not being able to gain employment.

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He in short is forced to supply his self with food, shelter and every day needs. His only solutions are the following. He can seek county help. This amounts to possible $100.00 dollars a month after a waiting period that can exceed 45 days. There are the missions that an ex-felon can stay at. This is not so true. An ex-felon with a family would not be allowed to do this. Most coming out of the justice system are returning to their families. They are expected to provide and shelter their families. But these laws allow the employer to be prejudice against a truly remorseful ex-felon. The final result from this is that the criminal see’s very few options as a way to support their self and family. They generally speaking resort to crime again to supply their needs. Its comical we as Americans want to put crime at a low. And we complain that Criminals are returning as repeat offenders more and more. We further make the claim that more Prisons and man power is needed to contain the criminal element. This drives up taxes and causes America to have a major crime expense deficit. The solution is to provide education and training to the incarcerated person. It needs to be actual jobs and education that would result in an incarcerated person making a fair living when returned to society. It can not be stuff such as how to be a ditch digger 101 class. This I have personally seen in the prison systems of America.

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It looks good to the American tax payer. But it does really nothing to help the problem. Why not train an incarcerated person in the field of Maintenance, agriculture, Computer related fields. The prisons could provide this at a very small fee. It would by far be better to invest in keeping an offender out of prison then keeping them in prison. The average cost to incarcerate a person in America is $23,868 per year. If they spent a third of that to retrain and educate that would be a great improvement on the system and its cost. This would need one key element put into effect. That element would be job placement of qualified and trained ex-felons returning to society. This could be accomplished through already existing services. Such as your local unemployment office. The real question here is do the really want the prison and crime rate to decrease? Or is that the real behind the scenes reality is this. They are creating jobs for law enforcement and all the things that go along with incarcerating a person in the penal system. I am a believer that a criminal deserves fair punishment for their involvement in crime. But I am also a supporter of the fact that when a person has served their sentence it is paid in full. This is not how it really is in the world of today. It is very much the opposite. Could you imagine coming out of prison after three years in there for writing a bad check? Could you further imagine coming home to a son that has missed you and was only nine when you left? But now that son is twelve.

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Could you imagine returning also to a wife who needs you to be a man and provide for you family due to her having an illness that has left here disabled. Would you imagine all of these things and then pretend that you are at a special job interview. And it is the job that you a very qualified for. And the interview is going great. The boss really seems to be impressed by your experience. The person doing the hiring even tells you you’re more qualified then anyone he has interviewed. You passed the drug test you pass the three days of oral and written tests. Matter of fact you ace all of them. All looks good. Then that day you have been waiting for has arrived. You have been in the interview process with this company for three weeks. You spent that little extra you had put away for that shirt and tie. This you had hoped would give you that extra edge to get the job. And it worked you got the job. But there is one thing the boss is requesting of you. A criminal back ground check. Oh no! You explain to the boss that years ago you made a mistake. This is well and good. But the boss says. Joe “I’m sorry the laws don’t allow me to hire a known ex-felon”. The reason is the employer could be sued for negligence. So the boss shakes your hand and tells you how sorry he is. And he even looks sad for not being able to hire you. You walk out of the office. There’s your family waiting in the car for you. Your sons all smiles the wife is smiling and excited. They all expect you to tell them you got the job. Hi honey your wife says and about that time she gives you a big old kiss and hug. Did you get the job she asks you? You pause for a second. Your wife and son are waiting for you to answer. You know the answer they want to hear. You also know that if you tell them the truth they will be sad and disappointed. You have disappointed them for three years while you were away in prison. You love them so much. You don’t wan to tell them the bad news. Honey did you get the job? Oh yes I got it. I start Monday. You have lied and now the fun begins. You didn’t want to lie.

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You didn’t want to hurt them. You wonder what you’re going to do now. A week latter and payday is supposed to be the next day. Your family needs that money for rent and food. Your wife has been telling you how proud she is of you for getting that job. Your son asks if he can have a Five dollar a week allowance. You answered with yes. Now its time too produce the money. Payday has arrived. You tried to borrow the money. Nobody would loan it to you. Finally you bring your car down the street where the store that you were going to work is. You look into the window of the store. You know the lay out and you need money now. You put on the ski mask and wrap the towel around a small stick. It looks like a gun. You rush into the store. And then you yell give me the money! The same guy that was going to hire you is standing in front of you. He gathers all the money up and hands it to you. You yell at him get down on the floor! He follows your orders. You get away with the $2900. This should pay the bills for a couple of months. This will give you time to find a real job. You hate this way of life. But you just didn’t know what to do. This same story happened t me many times over. I experienced this exact same reality minus the robbery parts. But it did make me steal and cheat. I was in trouble twenty years of my life. I was in and out of the penal system. And this is the true problems I faced. Some might say Oh you shouldn’t have been a criminal. Their right! How ever those same people ate every night and slept in a bed in a safe home. They had loving parents and their needs where met. I how ever had a parent who trough me out at ten and I lived the streets of Reno, Nevada. It was hard to find a job and a place to live at ten and in the early 80s it was scary. I don’t expect sympathy or compassion from telling you this. I only wish to inform the reader of the real facts. You will be surprised what you will do when hungry or freezing outside in the snow. I made choices to survive. As a little kid my options where limited. Again I don’t ask for sympathy.

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I made my bed. I will lay in it. But now as an adult I ask you every one of you who read this. Consider the facts presented here. Think if you had the same situation what would you have done? We need to reform the penal system and the way that it is run. It will be a far greater thing to have a person who is a productive member of society. The current system doesn’t allow for this. It only makes criminals better at being criminals. And it also is the down fall of society. I ask you this. Before some of you read this and say Oh he shouldn’t have done that crime. Consider this is the only difference between me and you are that I got caught? And how many times have you lied or stole that piece of candy that nobody knew about? I don’t use this example to justify my actions. It just a challenge to be honest.