Stereotyping People Who Have Been in Prison

For some prisoners, their sentences do not end. Even after being released, they are followed around by the specter of suspicion, fear, and prejudice. Stigma against former offenders, even non-violent ones, can stymie even the most ambitious, optimistic, and hard-working reformed criminal. The criminal justice system in the United States has become so punitive that rehabilitation is no longer even a viable goal. With little chance for reformation or hope, many nonviolent reformed offenders have trouble reintegrating into the community, finding work or a place to live. When prisoner reintegration is unsuccessful, everyone suffers. Unable to find employment because employers are biased against former felons, some former inmates have no choice but to turn to the grey and black market economies to make a living. It is unfair to stereotype people who have been in prison as violent offenders since there are many reasons that individuals can find themselves incarcerated. Not only is stereotyping former prisoners unfair, it can lead to an increase in recidivism and a reduction in public safety.
Most prisoners are nonviolent offenders. In fact, only 3.2% of inmates in federal prisons were convicted of violent crimes; the vast majority of federal inmates are nonviolent offenders with almost half (46%) convicted of a drug-related offence (Federal Bureau of Prisons). Even in state prisons, as many as 39% are offenders who “should not be in prison,” (Eisen and Chettiar). Even violent offenders have the potential to reform. When nonviolent offenders are released, they are typically presumed to be bad people. Employers are unwilling to hire people who have served a prison term, assuming the worst. Family members or friends may be reluctant to help out, also fearing that the former inmate might have become violent simply by being in prison. With suspicion and fear clouding all their social interactions, former inmates often have nowhere to go. Many turn to criminal activities and end up re-offending because the world has foresaken them.
Former inmates have enough trouble re-integrating into the community, finding work or reuniting with family. When a person is incarcerated, many of their most loyal friends and family members give up. An aura of mistrust and fear follows around the person. Stigma against former inmates serves as a self-fulfilling prophecy in some cases, leading the person to live up to everyone else’s low expectations. Even when the person remains a fully law-abiding citizen, the stereotypes against them cause great harm to the individual and the community. Mistrusting a person simply because they have been incarcerated breeds an atmosphere of fear and suspicion in the community. It would be more productive to find ways of facilitating prisoner re-integration by reducing stigma and stereotyping.
The United States is “the world’s number one jailer,” according to Eisen and Chettiar (1). Rates of incarceration are staggeringly high not because Americans are committing more violent crimes, or because cops have become better at doing their jobs. Rather, rates of incarceration are high because prison is being used as the reflexive punishment option for too many nonviolent crimes. Creative or alternative sentencing for nonviolent offenders would reduce the number of incarcerated individuals, save taxpayers a load of money, and also strengthen communities by preventing too many people from unnecessarily being labeled forever as being felons. It costs $31,000 per year to house a person in prison for a year, money that could be better spent elsewhere. Until the mass incarceration epidemic resides in America, communities need to stop stigmatizing nonviolent offenders once they are released. A person who was convicted of a nonviolent offence, such as a drug charge or petty theft, should not be labeled forever as an evil person.
It is important to switch the focus of the American criminal justice system away from punitive measures and toward rehabilitative ones. Rehabilitative measures would preclude stereotyping former felons, and creating public awareness and outreach campaigns to help former inmates to successful reintegrate. In fact, fewer persons should be locked up for nonviolent offences in the first place. As fewer people are labeled as felons, more people will be given second chances to become viable and productive members of their community. Programs that address the root causes of crime should implemented instead of assuming that mass incarceration makes the nation a safer place. Prison should be a last resort, used only for the most violent criminals. Research shows that incarceration actually has a detrimental effect, with long sentences being particularly harmful. “Imprisonment can actually lead people to commit more crimes after release,” (Eisen and Chettiar 1). One of the reasons why incarceration could even lead to higher rates of crime is that stereotyping non-violent offenders once they are released can drive them further into the criminal underworld.
It is unfair to stereotype people who have been in prison as violent offenders since there are many reasons that individuals can find themselves incarcerated. According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the majority of federal inmates are in for nonviolent crimes anyway. Therefore, stereotyping all former inmates as violent offenders is simply wrong. The United States criminal justice system has led to an epidemic of mass incarceration of nonviolent offenders. Until the situation changes, it is critical that all Americans treat former offenders with dignity, respect, and compassion. All people make mistakes. Some people make mistakes that land them in prison. When former inmates are treated like violent offenders even if they committed not a single violent act, the entire country suffers from a climate of fear, misinformation, and mistrust, which could lead to more people committing more crimes.









Works Cited

Eisen, Lauren Brooke and Inimai Chettiar. “39% of Prisoners Should Not Be in Prison.” Time. Dec 08, 2016. Accessed: http://time.com/4596081/incarceration-report/
Federal Bureau of Prisons. “Offenses.” Accessed: https://www.bop.gov/about/statistics/statistics_inmate_offenses.jsp