Make Them Work for a Living

It's time to be really tough on criminals, make it so they have to get a job when they get out of jail -- let them suffer like the rest of us.

But over the last two decades, the New York State Legislature and governors have been doing precisely the opposite. New York State's prison population remains at or near record levels, with over 60,000 in state prison and over 20,000 currently on parole. The state has the dubious honor of having the fifth highest recidivism rate in the nation. We spend a staggering amount ($2.5 billion) to keep this whole system in place, while education, roads and infrastructure are grossly underfunded, particularly in the midst of this recession.

How we got into this bizarre situation is all about how too many politicians would rather not tell the public the full truth. Instead, they want simplistic solutions to toss at the electorate under the banner of "being tough on crime," while they have actually made it less safe rather than improving the security of our families and communities.

That's just what happened with the Rockefeller drug laws, which provided mandatory sentencing for certain kinds of narcotics offenses, filling the prisons with low-level offenders from Black and Brown communities, and then systematically making it virtually impossible for them to get employment or training when they finally are released. The State Legislature, over the past decades, has barred former felons from being barbers, plumbers and working in establishments where liquor is served and, to make life really interesting for the formerly incarcerated, banned them from living in public housing even if their families reside there.

It shouldn't be surprising then that hundreds of thousands of individuals in New York State with a criminal conviction end up paying for their often youthful mistake with jail time, parole, a lifetime of unemployment and, all too often, homelessness. And by cutting people off from any possibility of legitimate work, guess what? They end up again committing crimes against their fellow citizens. What a smart policy that only a very few elected officials could dream up.

That's why it was a pleasant surprise that our much maligned governor David Paterson understood the absurdity of making it impossible for the formerly incarcerated to work. Two weeks ago, his administration announced that $14 million in federal stimulus funds will be dedicated to reentry programs that will help the formerly incarcerated and those nearing release get back to work. The Governor also created the $5 million Transitional Jobs Initiative to provide paid, subsidized work experience combined with paid-education related to work for TANF eligible individuals, including the formerly incarcerated. And at long last, New York repealed the worst parts of the Rockefeller drug laws, but still needs to do more about promoting employment.

Lots more needs to be done to roll back some of the provisions that make it impossible for ex-felons to work, but I have some sense of hope that elected officials across the political spectrum are coming to understand that the best preventative from returning to a life of crime is a good paying job.

In some ways, this is like coming full circle on something that has been understood for a long time. In New York State, up until the early '80s, in order to get parole, you had to show you had a real job waiting for you. The state had a whole team of investigators to actually visit employers named by the prospective parolees. But the Rockefeller drug laws forced so many low-level offenders into the prison system that this approach was abandoned, effectively tossing people out of prison at the end of their time with no skills, limited education and virtually no possibility of gainful employment.

Now we have to fix the mess for the inmates, their families, their communities, and, of course, for us taxpayers who have had to foot the bill for what has to be one of the most ridiculous systems in America.

Comments

[ConcernedAboutRFuture]

How about we start by changing the drug laws (marijuana) put in place by the Hearst and DuPont families because hemp was too much competition for their money making goals? That will eliminate a good 30% of the "criminals" in jail today.

[lsbutch]

Well lets start by making criminals work while in prison to pay for their living expenses. If they refuse to work, they get no out of cell time, limited food, and no tv, books, etc., until they do work. Prison is not to be a group interaction, but an isolation to contemplate ones deed that caused one to be there. Then teach skills that can be used to create employment for the time when one is released. During ones probation period they must report to a job and their housing and a small salary is given, in exchange but if they again refuse to co-operate with the system, they are returned to prison to finish out their time, and still work. No free rides, making people responsible for their actions, and choices, and when there is a victim of a crime, they must make reparation of funds to compensate the victims loss.

Our whole justice/penal system needs review and laws need to be rewritten and in time hopefully all victimless crimes will be removed from the individual state and national criminal laws. We can not legislate morality, and it is time to stop trying, it creates more issues than it solves. Do as you will, but harm none, and this is the freedom we all seek in our lives, in our nation, and in our spiritual existence.

[i-am-mouse]

I think it is supremely hypocritical when large companies refuse to hire ex-offenders (drug or otherwise) - on one hand, the CEO and his rich buddies are busy acting self-righteous by purging the company of *gasp* convicted felons, while on the other hand, they are busy raiding the pension fund and stealing all the money.

The ridiculous sex offender laws need to be reformed all over the country. There is no evidence that any of the onerous residency and registration restrictions make anyone any safer. All these laws do is give the police an excuse for persecution and give the prosecutors easy convictions to put on their records.

And, come on... legalize and tax pot already. The only people who still believe in the "war on drugs" either are not living in the reality-based community or somehow profit from all the tax money that is spent on this foolish pursuit.

If I had the resources to start a company I would make it a point to hire ex-offenders. Everyone deserves a second chance.

[hjo4]

Excellent points, yet Governor Paterson is called "The failed Governor" and the media has convinced the public that he's the worst Governor NYS has ever had. Ex-convicts must be placed into a job the day they're released, an idle mind is the Devil's workshop for many ex-offenders. I applaud Mr.Jones for this article, unfortunately the NY tabloids will never print this story.It doesn't fit their agenda.