No rational parent would toss the car keys to a teenager who has never driven before and expect him to drive through traffic without causing casualties. Likewise, pushing prisoners back into our communities without the right preparation and resources and expecting them to stay out of trouble is foolhardy. The results for our peace and security are certainly disastrous.
No rational parent would toss the car keys to a teenager who has never driven before and expect him to drive through traffic without causing casualties. Likewise, pushing prisoners back into our communities without the right preparation and resources and expecting them to stay out of trouble is foolhardy. The results for our peace and security are certainly disastrous.
More than 70,000 men and women were released from prison or jail in Texas in 2009. If the trends of the past decade continue, more than one-quarter of them will be incarcerated again in three years. Public safety demands that we reduce recidivism.
Furthermore, each ex-prisoner who returns to prison will cost the state $17,000 per year to keep behind bars. A budget deficit that looms larger than $10 billion leaves us without a penny to spend on failure.
Helping ex-prisoners navigate the challenges of re-entering society, though, is a daunting task. To be successful, inmates need to start preparing for re-entry long before they walk out of the prison gates. And once they leave, they will need a strong network of support in the communities they return to. They must have access to jobs, transportation, housing, education and medical care. They will have to reconnect with their families and learn to function appropriately in a culture far different from prison and with technology far beyond their experience. Government alone cannot provide all of these services.