Crime and punishment have been a part of society. As felons are caught and convicted , their moral credentials are reduced so greatly that it is often difficult for them to get a second chance for employment in society. After all, if they have committed a crime once, what is there to stop them from doing the same again? Hence, should all criminals be given a second chance?
According to Prison Policy Initiative , more than 50,000 people released from federal prisons in 2010, a staggering 33% found no employment at all over four years post-release, and at any given time, no more than 40% of the cohort was employed.
A criminal can commit one or more of a variety of crimes, depending on the severity of the crime. The degree of punishment emitted to the convict is a measure of the law’s discernment on the eligibility of a criminal with regards to getting a second chance. Most punishments are either settled on monetary terms, like fines, or through jail terms. However, some cases of crime are such that a criminal is not given a second chance. These, like murder, warrant the sentence of lifetime imprisonment or even the death penalty. The effects of these two punishments are permanent and the convict is in no way given a second chance, unless the sentences are withdrawn.
According to CBS News , nearly 80 million Americans, or about one-third of the total U.S. adult population, are living with some kind of criminal record. For more than 19 million Americans, that conviction has led to a felony on their permanent record.
What comes after the law is the rest of society. When a criminal has finished serving their punishment, he or she is then left to attempt to integrate back into society. Anyone whom has been given a second chance by the law deserves a second chance from society.
Since COVID- 19 has happen it has made it more difficult for felons to get a second chance moire than ever. According to USA Today, Almost 1 in 3 adults in the United States has a criminal record, and finding a job when you have a past arrest or conviction has never been easy. But it's become even more difficult in the midst of the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 health crisis that has left millions of Americans unemployed and significantly increased the competition for jobs.
There are companies who are second chance employers who will employ people with a background. So the question remains should felons be given a second chance or still be discriminated because of their pass ?
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