Every year, a significant number of prisoners are released from federal and state prisons. Prisoner reentry has been a significant challenge as only a handful of the prisoners can fully reintegrate into the community once they have been released from prisons. This is mainly because upon returning to society, they realize they have considerable deficits like lacking housing, limited education, and fragile support networks. The second chance act is aimed at increasing federal and state reentry programs for prisoners, thus increases chances for easier reentry to society. The second chance act provides offenders a chance of easy reentry into society by sponsoring programs that ease their rehabilitation, showing that deterrent threats alone cannot be used to reduce recidivism.
The second chance is rooted on the prospects of positive offender change and their ability to be rehabilitated. Ratified in 2007 by the then-president Bush, the second chance act authorizes federal grants to support programs that assist offenders in their reentry and rehabilitation (Burris & Miller, 2017). The act also requires that the programs are analyzed and maintained, thus ensuring the effectiveness of the measures towards realizing the goals of the programs. The goals of the act are to offer opportunities for the empirical study of rehabilitation and reentry, to provide needy offenders services, to expunge criminal records while also enhancing public safety, thus reducing costs (Burris & Miller, 2017). All these provisions are a positive way in which the act tries to reduce offenders’ chances of reoffending. The act is against the idea that deterrent threats alone can achieve recidivism reduction.
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Preventing ex-offenders from reoffending is a major goal for the Bureau of Justice Assistance. Research shows that the ability of an ex-offender to commit crime depends on how their needs are met (Lindquist et al., 2015). If their pressing needs are met, they are more likely to be successfully reintegrated into society. I believe that recidivism prevention is best achieved when both deterrent threats and support is given to ex-offenders. This is evident as the deterrent threats have been used over time by law enforcement officers to strengthen criminal’s perception that they will get caught if they commit crime. In Ezra 7:26, the bible expressly states that whoever does not obey God’s law or the King’s law ought to be imprisoned (The Holy Bible, 2019). This, therefore, shows that prison sentence was given to prisoners as punishments also helps to deter criminals from committing crime.
Still, positive ways can also be used for these offenders to ensure that their chances of reoffending are mitigated. These include treating prisoners to drug and anger management programs that will help them manage some of the key factors that lead them to commit criminal activity (Lindquist et al., 2015). I also believe that allowing these individuals chances at furthering their education or vocational training will help them get skills that will ensure a swift transition to society once they serve their prison terms. In Psalms 69:33, the Lord is seen to not despise His people who are prisoners (The Holy Bible, 2019). Similarly, we have to be compassionate and ensure that these prisoners are treated with love and given a chance to better themselves. This will ensure that they have an easy time reentering society.
References
Burris, S. W., & Miller, J. M. (2017). Second Chance Act, The. The Encyclopedia of Juvenile Delinquency and Justice, 1-4. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/9781118524275.ejdj0148
Lindquist, C., Willison, J. B., Rossman, S., & Hardison, J. (2015). Second Chance Act Adult Offender Reentry Demonstration Programs. https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/249188.pdf
The Holy Bible. (2019). Ezra. http://www.o-bible.com/cgibin/ob.cgi?version=kjv&book=ezra&chapter=7
