In case you missed it, the Chronicle published an op-ed on Sunday that I authored that discusses the plight that ex-offenders face in our society. (See
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/outlook/6709207.html.)
I began thinking about this issue after some friends had a son that ended up in prison as a result of a drug problem. Near the end of his sentence, they began to think about what he would do once he was released.
For the last couple of years in prison, this young man had a job as a trustee working in the prison dog pound, taking care of the bloodhounds. He loved the job and the animals and by all accounts did an excellent job. In addition to the trustees that worked in the pound, there were several civilian employees that supervised the work. As his release neared, an opening in one of these positions became available. It occurred to the young man that working in one of these positions would be something that he would enjoy and might provide a good transition to back into civilian life. So he applied for the position. TDCJ turned him down because he had a record.
Of course, the fact that the agency that is charged with responsibility of rehabilitating criminals refuses to hire them drips with irony. To be entirely fair, TDCJ, especially compared with other State prison systems, is in the forefront of developing programs to assist ex-offenders to prepare for life on the outside. But even so, the programs are woefully small and poorly funded. Spending money on "locking them up and throwing away the key" is more popular politically than spending money on rehabilitation programs.
Considering the current prison population and the rate at which individuals in Texas are incarcerated, there will be thousands of individuals released from prison for many years to come. Most have little or no family support and get off the bus from Huntsville with $50 in their pocket. No job. Nowhere to live. No credit. No driver's license. And on and on.
Many will say that these ex-offenders made their bed and now they have to lie in it. It is an understandable sentiment, but certainly not one to which people of faith, and especially Christians, can adhere. For the central tenant of the New Testament is forgiveness, even of the most heinous offenses, such as St. Paul's persecution of Christians prior to his conversion.
But laying aside the moral issue, what we are currently doing is just dumb public policy. With no alternative but to go back to "the street" to survive, it is hardly surprising that a significant majority of ex-offenders end up back in trouble with the law in a relatively short time. And in the meantime, crime rates and the cost of our criminal justice system soar.
There are no easy answers to this dilemma. Given current attitudes and potential liability issues, employers and landlords can hardly be blamed for being reluctant to hire or lease to ex-offenders. In the end it is going to take all of us changing the way we feel about and treat ex-offenders. If we do not, this destructive cycle will continue and we will all suffer the consequences.
