PUBLIC STANCE

Researchers M. Ouellette, K. Applegate, and Vuk have recognized community support to be a critical consideration for sustainable public programming, and successful community reintegration. Prior studies have established that the public recognizes the barriers and challenges ex-felons face after they have been released from prison and many support the different reentry services initiated for offenders. However, we still lack a substantial understanding of the effects caused by public opinion on prisoner reentry, as well as if the support the public has for policies extend to individuals’ willingness to engage with ex-felons.[11]

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As mentioned before the public’s stance and view on ex-offenders plays an important rule in the establishment of a successful reentry. These are people that one day will become our neighbors and in some cases they might even become our coworkers. By establishing programs that cost little too almost nothing to run and are impossible to criticize we can develop a key to getting the public more involved. We need to include programs in our prison system that simultaneously educate offenders, prepare them for re-entry and at the same time give back to the community. Here is a list of some programs and initiatives that could improve the public’s view and the reentry process for prisoners: 

• Correctional facilities organizing job fairs that allowed members of the public and CEOs to come to the prisons to meet and recruit inmates approaching their release dates. This will allow the inmates to work on their resumes and improve their interview skills, It will aslo help create a more civil and humane environment between inmates and the public. 

• Programs that send inmates to clean up schools and repaint their bleachers over the weekend 

• Programs such as “Toys to Kids” which allows inmates to build thousands of toys a year to the local children’s hospitals. 

• Sending inmates out to distribute sandbags during a flood. 

• Holding talent shows that inmates’ families can attend.

• Having choirs and other art programs that allows inmates to sing and get more involved with the public and the elderly during the holidays. 

It is important that we build these bridges between prison and the community. The prison environment alone does not replicate enough of the real world to allow for a successful transition. [12]