5 New Policy Ideas for Fixing Life After Prison
With startling speed, Americans on both sides of the political aisle have rallied around the idea of clearing out prisons, reducing at least some of the 2.3 million people spending chunks of their lives behind bars.
But after release, then what? People leaving prison face huge obstacles in rebuilding their lives. Well over half are still unemployed one year after getting out. According to one study, almost 70 percent are re-arrested within three years. With smaller incomes, little government support and a host of minor but important legal hurdles—many can’t get driver’s licenses or apply for jobs that require professional licenses—some find life after prison harder and more unpredictable than life inside. As Covid-19 has prompted mass releases from jails and prisons to cut down on risky overcrowding, helping prisoners successfully re-enter society has become the next big challenge for criminal-justice reformers. “Because of all of the obstacles, and all the prejudice, because of society’s stance, every sentence is a life sentence,” Bryan Kelley, the CEO of one nonprofit that helps inmates start businesses in Texas, says.