In 2012, legislation was passed to ease restrictions on earning state licenses in skilled trades. And in the Ohio House Criminal Justice Committee, a bill exists that would expand access to publicly funded housing for criminal record holders. These recent pushes by Ohio to ease post-prison life are inspiring the rest of the country to do the same.
President Biden designated April as “Second Chance Month” in an effort to support programs that help formerly incarcerated people re-enter society. But these people shouldn’t need a second chance in the first place. Incarceration should have never been their experience.
Incarceration is designed to be a cycle that damages our wealth earning potential. 1 in 5 Americans have a criminal record and because of their records, these people earn half as much in their lifetime as those who don’t have one.
Employment can help formerly incarcerated people stay out of prison. This may seem like the best opportunity for many formerly-incarcerated people, we have to question why people who have experienced some of the worst conditions in life should have to work to survive after?
Formerly incarcerated people deserve to live and not be dragged socially or economically by their past in the criminal justice system. How can we as a community support them better than the government could?