EASTHAMPTON, MA – The Prison Policy Initiative this month recognized April as ‘Second Chance Month’ for formerly-incarcerated individuals.
Prison Policy Initiative notes the adversities faced by formerly-incarcerated people as they attempt to rebuild their relationships and careers, as well as strategies and institutional assistance that help those formerly incarcerated overcome these challenges.
“Over 600,000 people are released from prison each year,” said Prison Policy Initiative in a statement, adding, “When they walk out of the prison walls, they’re met with a daunting series of challenges as they work to rebuild their lives, families, and careers.”
PPI touched upon strategies that are proven to uplift those recently released from custody, like guaranteed basic income.
According to PPI, those in the criminal justice system are often on “precarious financial footing” prior to incarceration, facing further instability following their release, citing “a growing body of research” from institutions such as the Chicago Future Fund and the Penn Center for Guaranteed Income Research that proves a basic level of income ensures recently-released people have access to food and housing stability, and that it decreases stress levels.
Another proven strategy to overcome post-incarceration struggles revolves around housing, reported PPI.
With formerly-incarcerated people being 10 times more likely than the general population to experience homelessness, PPI references a model called “Housing First,” which argues that having housing stability ensures a greater ability to meet all other needs.
Employment is another struggle faced by formerly-incarcerated people, said PPI, citing a research article published by ScienceAdvances.
ScienceAdvances, said PPI, states, “It is well established that the presence of a criminal history record (CHR), ranging from an arrest to a conviction, contributes to unemployment or employment problems.”
Prison Policy Initiative asserts these “second chances” for formerly-incarcerated people are largely inaccessible due to institutional barriers like the inability to expunge records, and being denied the right to vote.
