People who are incarcerated or have been previously incarcerated have a much higher chance of once he/she gets out to be homeless then that of a person who has not been incarcerated, this number also increases with race as well. How are they supposed to keep their house if that person is behind bars? Along with programs to keep inmates out of prison or jail, I believe there should also be a program created for the inmates to keep their houses while they’re incarcerated. This would also help lower the chances of inmates from returning back to jail when he/she gets out. In my experience some of the inmates will commit crimes to go back to jail just so they can have a place to be out of the weather. On one of the recommendations mentioned, “focusing on housing first” is a good way to help the cause. I get why housing applications of inmates with a felony on their record get turned down but they should at least be able to get a trailer home, or some way to live. The majority of people incarcerated are hispanic or some race other than white. When inmates get out and are homeless, small laws will be violated because inmates without housing have nowhere else to go than the public. When they have no housing where are they going to go to the bathroom when businesses are closed other than in public. There are different programs that are created or are being worked on being created to help these people, but it will take much more than a few programs to significantly make an impact on inmates being homeless. In other words people need help from a lot more people then the number of people that are trying to help right now. crispychicken711
I totally agree you, they have to be able to get more help so they won’t go back. They will do anything in their power to survive they anyone else. Helping them find a job, at least a place to stay, would help them live better instead of go back to jail -babyblue711
I agree with you hitting the main point of getting homes even if it is a trailer home. Like the article stated the states should ban the box on housing applications. This could be key to lowering that incarceration rate significantly. Applying for jobs does require having a place of residence to mail important documents in example tax forms. -RollForInitiative711
So, they say that people who has been incarcerated become homeless when they are out. Which is believable only because they’ve probably been behind bars for a long period of time. how are they going to keep their house and belongings when they are in jail? Maybe, if they get a little help when they get out like a job or maybe shelter where they can stay until they get on their feet. Of course, they are going to be reincarcerated because they are trying to survive with nothing. They are going to do anything to survive, that goes for anyone. Yea, it may not be the legal way but they got to do it. Helping them will give them that opportunity to make a change and do better in their life so they won’t go back. They also mention that women are likely to be homeless when they get out of jail. Which was hard to believe only because they are women. But then again, you have to think not everyone has family or supported family. They can be reincarcerated because they have nowhere to stay so they commit a crime so they can at least have a roof over their head. They mentioned that colored women a man are most likely to be homeless then white men and women. i wish I could get a better understanding when it comes to that and actually ask why some races get a better chance of getting shelter. Over all this article helped me understand why we need to reach out and gives some ideas to help these people have a better life. --babyblue711
Your view point in this topic really makes sense. I've heard story after story about homeless people actually sometimes purposely committing a crime in the winter months so that they can have a shelter and a food when in all reality they shouldn't have to add onto their criminal record just to have a place to live. prison and jail are not fun places to live but many people often have no other option but to be there if they want to continue on a somewhat healthy life. - RickyBobby711
This article really leaves my head spinning. I never knew that so many formerly incarcerated people ended up homeless but it does make a lot of sense and i can why and how they end up homeless. Formerly incarcerated people just aren’t really given a chance to be successful out of prison. When somebody is locked up for an extended period of time they learn to live a prison lifestyle and once they are released they have to relearn an entire lifestyle yet again whilst trying to find a home, clothes, food and other necessities. These people are also punished again for trying to live, men and women are put back in incarcerations after doing what? Just trying to survive? People are arrested for public urination quite often, but really why? There are very many gas stations and such nowadays that don’t let you use their restroom unless you’re buying something. Now really what is a homeless person going to buy?not only do prisons need to put in better parole policies but people need to stop being so cruel to people because of a mistake they made in the past, the article says that people that rent out homes often don’t rent to people that have criminal records which really grinds my gears. Communities needs to come together to better the lives of the homeless. Parolees should be spending more time in halfway homes until they have the opportunity to put a down payment on an apartment or house to rent for to insure that parolee is on the right track. Parole is suppose to help to prevent re incarceration but it seems as though its really not helping enough.-RickyBobby711
I completely agree with your statement about how we as a community need to come together to better the lives of homeless people. I believe that more than half of the individuals coming out of prison are passionate about changing their lives for the better but with no help or job opportunities, that is impossible for them. Redbird711
I thought the same thing as well when I finished reading this article. I knew that there had to be a lot of homeless people in the United States, but I never knew how many of them were formerly incarcerated. By the end of this article I had learned so much more than I knew – Adventureflight711
It is no surprise that majority of homeless people were once incarcerated at one point of their life. The most important aspect of not being homeless(money) is limited to them all because of their previous lives. Therefor, I would imagine their needs for survival would all go to any resource for food with barely anything left over for shelter simple because imployment is not something easily accessible for them. For previously incarcerated people, we have to also understand that yes there are very few jobs in prison, but they do not pay enough even if the individual was saving for a number of years. Coming fresh out of prison would not get them any type of shelter besides a few nights in a hotel maybe. While businesses are strict on who they hire, people with criminal backgrounds are most likely to not be able to support themselves with a legal job. From looking at the bar graph, I did not find it surprising on how women are more likely to be homeless than men. Even though is it not by that much, my theory to why more women are homeless than men is because of the opportunities of work that they have. I invision that men who have recently come out of prison and seek a job that is illegal are most likely to wind up in some form of selling things illegally, number one example being drugs. I would imagine, it is most common for drug dealers to be male and with that being, this could be one of the ways why previously incarcerated men have a better opportunity to making money and not being homeless than women. Of course there are ways that women could illegally get money but it doesn't seem to be as much of a profit than what a male selling drugs would be. Prostitution, a common illegal job women tend to seek more than males, don't seem as long lasting. Not every person coming out of prison has a motive to do illegal acts that got them there in the first place. There are many people how are passionate about changing their lives around and with certain programs to help, this will give them the opportunity to turn their lives around. More programs are needed like this in order to give our people a chance at life again. Redbird711
Something I forgot to mention in my post that I liked that you brought up, was the fact that there are many more homeless women than there are men. I am not one hundred percent sure as to why this is, but your theory of men being capable of more illegal crimes than women is rather interesting, but I don't believe this to necessarily be true. I believe women can deal drugs or commit other illegal acts just as much as men, especially when faced with homelessness and unemployment or the ability to put food on their table. Gman219
I totally agree with you for the simple fact that once someone goes into the system for a long period of time and they are not rich or doesn’t have any money saved up to get them through the first rough couple month of being free, they walkout with completely nothing, no job, stable shelter, they probably walk out with a little money but some probably use that to get on a bus to get back to the place where which they came from. So I would prefer a program be made for inmates who are due for release be put in so they can at least have somewhere to go stable enough just so they can rebuild they base foundation and have something to start with at least. Statechamp711
I agree with you, the people who are incarcerated aren’t making enough money to support themselves, and that is probably why most of the inmates are there in the first place. It is only right that there is some way for them to have a way to live once they get out. -crispychicken711
This article really opens your mind up to what kind of challenges formerly incarcerated people face after being released. I've always known that finding employment for a previously convicted individual would be difficult because employers have a right to know if their interviewing a criminal or not to decide if they want to take a chance on them, but I never thought permanent housing sales would allow for the realtors to have access to this information. I believe in order for something significant to be done about this issue, the first step must be limiting what kind of charges would show on an applicants information when applying for permanent housing. For example, if someone has a very heavy history of dealing drugs out of their home, I would absolutely want to know that as a realtor. But other crimes, such as drug possession, petty theft, and disorderly conduct should not be shown on an applicant’s application. Another step we could take in order to help reduce these shocking numbers of homelessness/need for permanent housing amongst formerly incarcerated people would be to integrate programs into the prison/jail that help the people in their systems understand what their options are, how they can best go about getting their own place along with employment, and also I like the idea of “housing vouchers,” mentioned as a recommendation in the article. to help get the previously incarcerated on their feet before sending them out to fail with no help. Another issue brought up in this article is the problem with punishing those who are homeless with no where else to go. Conviction of a formerly incarcerated person for petty homeless crimes, such as sleeping in public spaces, panhandling, and public urination, should not send them back to prison/jail. This ends up creating the “revolving door” issue the article mentioned in which the convicts really don’t stand a chance at ever getting back on their feet because they’re in an endless cycle of being out on the streets with no chance of getting a job or a home, which leaves them with no where to go/nothing to do but commit petty homeless crimes and usually panhandle/turn to other illegal activities for some sort of income just to eat. In conclusion, I believe this is an issue that needs some sort of resolution in the very near future for fear of it continuing to grow worse and worse. Gman219
Everyone who goes to jail, or already is incarcerated have had or has a life outside of them four walls before they are admitted into incarceration. Static shows that people who was incarcerated has a 10 percent higher chance of being homeless than the public. Being homeless could define one’s self in a positive way by making them make a decision to get they life turned around, and get it on track, and do what’s need to be done to make sure he or she doesn’t have to return to them four walls a security doors, but being homeless can also define one’s self in a negative way as well, by just being so down and struggling that they start on drugs to try and forget about their situation which then turn them into a drug addict, which will require them to need money which they don’t have because they don’t have a steady income, so now they’re trying to find a way to get some extra money to get they next fix or drink, which can then possibly lead to them during a crime which would then turn them into possibly and habitual offender and now they ended up back where they started. I believe that if they can come up with some way to find a deterrence to the situation like the prison already have inmates getting their “GED’S” or special skill sets they could use once inmates are released, so why can’t someone rent or buy a building and turn it into apartments or a place that can shelter inmates who are just being released back into society so they can just have a place to go, then from there you can help them find jobs matching they skill set which they’ve learned in prison, or just simply help them fill out a application so they can get job, and have some type of steady income, and once they have completed that program and showed that can live on they own, and can handle the burden of responsibility, the can then go on to find their home and go back to living like a normal citizen. Statechamp711
I like how you stated that everyone has a life outside of prison whether its good or bad. Going to Prison, or becoming homeless can be a very life changing experience for the good or for the worst. I agree with you very strongly when you state it makes that individual decide whether he or she wants to get their life together or be homeless and have no income the rest of their life. I also like how you said prisoners try to deter the situation by getting their GED's once they are released out of prison. -I-Like-Cereal
It doesn't surprise me that people who were incarcerated do have trouble finding work. Do I think it is right no. But business may not be able to trust an employees if they have a criminal record. If business do not hire people who have gone to jail, then those people cannot make money, and therefore will end up homeless. It also doesn't surprise me that people who have been incarcerated more than once have a higher chance of being homeless. If people who have multiple felonies, or convictions why would a business want to higher them, if their record shows that they clearly can't change. It also surprises me that people of color, and women have a higher rate of homelessness, due to factors that are out of their control. The article states that people who become homeless have a higher chance to get reincarnated. That is very interesting to me, its interesting that there are laws that seem to be against homeless people. Its also just simple logic, why would you want to be living on the streets when you could be incarcerated again and get to sleep inside get free food, showers. Living in a prison isn't the best living conditions, but sure does seem better than being homeless and living on the streets. I also find it interesting that race plays a big role in homeless shelters, that African Americans have a harder time getting into homeless shelters. I think that incarcerated people should at least be given a chance. Businesses shouldn't exclude a possible employee because of their past. They should be hired, evaluated on how they perform, and if they cannot meet the standards and be let go. Also I think homeless people should try to get back on their feet and not repeat the incarceration process, just to find shelter, and warmth. -I-like-Cereal
I agree with your statement in that a business is looking out for their wellbeing when they do not hire former inmates. They cannot take a chance in that the person is trustworthy or not when they have a criminal record. They might have become a better person while they were locked up but the business still can’t take that chance. –ClarkKent711
I completely agree with how businesses would not want to hire someone after they have been arrested more than once. The people need to do what is in the best interest of their companies and if they can not trust the people that work for them, then it will never work out in the end. I also thought how it was weird that people of color and especially women were more likely to be homeless after getting out. It was something that I had never thought about before I guess. -Steel711
I never knew that so many people out of the homeless population were previously incarcerated before reading this article. Once outside of prison it is hard for them to find a place to live because of discrimination by public housing authorities and private property owners. I agree with the article that landlords and public housing authorities should evaluate housing applicants as individuals, rather than excluding people by their criminal record. If this doesn’t happen then starts, what they call, “revolving door”. Where once living on the street the person has a more likely chance of going back to prison. To quote the article “people who have been to prison just once experience homelessness at a rate nearly 7 times higher than the general public. But people who have been incarcerated more than once have rates 13 times higher than the general public. Whether it is for “offenses” such as sleeping in public spaces, panhandling, public urination, or all three. Sometimes people have to sell drugs or sell their bodies just so they will have money to survive another day. Also, lawmakers, in every state, need to stop making homelessness a crime. This would include arresting, fining, and jailing the homeless just because someone is trying to anything or everything they can to survive another day. This would also put them through the “revolving door” again and again, reducing their chance of a successful reentry back into civilian life. I did like what Utah did by creating “Housing First”. It acknowledges that a stable home is necessary before talking about unemployment, illness, substance uses, and other problems they may have. I agree that once someone is released from prison, or before they are released, they need to get help from whoever it may be, to find a place to live. Also, that there should be more available affordable housing, instead of using shelters, which can fill up fairly quickly. - Adventureflight711
Hi Adventureflight711 I appreciate your response and your opinion. I truly believe that we absolutely overlook with the homeless population particularly after prison is the metal health issue. One of the statistics that is not regularly publishes is the extrainaly large amount of mentally ill prisoner released into society. It's almost like the prison system just wants to get away from being underneath that problem. Unfortunately for the mentally ill they do not take advantage of all the services available to them. This is because these people do not necessarily understand that they are mentally ill. Until we address the mental health issue we will continue to have mentally ill members of society crowding our shelters. -mmmchicken711
Of the many problems facing our criminal justice system homelessness among formerly incarcerated is unfortunately one that I haven’t really given much thought to. Not because it’s something I don’t care but because it just never crossed my mind. I know from experience how difficult finding a place to live can be without even having a criminal record, I can only imagine how much more difficult it would be were I to have a felony on my record. Perhaps we should be doing more as a society to make sure those that are coming out of incarceration are better equipped to handle the world outside of prison. The first step in this is creating programs designed to help inmates develop skills that translate to real life, GED programs, college degrees, trade schools, etc. But I think beyond policy there needs to be a shift in how we as a society think about criminals. It can be a lot to ask to trust someone that you know has a criminal record, but how do we expect people to become functional members of society if we refuse to treat them as such? When applying for a lease if the landlord sees a felony on their background check I’m willing to bet that he or she would be rather hesitant to lease to that person which, I can’t really fault them for I suppose. But if that person applying to that apartment keeps getting shut down and ends up homeless what else is there to do besides commit more crimes? I know it can be difficult to put a lot of trust into a convicted felon but I believe that if we do we might start seeing less crime take place because people will start having more opportunity to get out of that life and start functioning in society. I believe we should also look at we can do to prevent people from getting into crime in the first place. A lot of these people in prison barely stood a chance to ever get decent housing in the first place as many of them grew up in poverty and lacked the tools necessary to ever get out of it. The way our criminal justice system is set up heavily favors the rich and powerful and has a strong tendency to punish our poor and minorities. This homeless problem that this article talks about is a huge problem but I fear it is only a symptom of a much larger disease and that is prevalent in our country today, and that is systemic poverty and racism built into our system...intentional or not the numbers don’t lie. So to put it succinctly, I believe we need more programs to help combat this homeless issue but if we don’t look at the broader picture and get to work on fixing that I worry we are trying to put a band-aid on an amputated limb. Avatar711
I feel as you do also. We do need to associate the homeless situation more thoughtfully because as years go on the country will get larger and the number of homeless will also rise with population. I feel deeply on the thought that a convict will have a much harder of a time than anyone else acquiring a home or apartment. Since they will just keep getting overlooked by everyone else. It is a large hurdle we need to jump to and we need to jump it the correct way. -MyHandle711
So, what they are saying is that once incarcerated your chances of being homeless are higher which entails a higher risk of being incarcerated again. This seems to me that our society have put these people into an endless cycle. So, my question is why we haven’t come up with programs to help these people? We have programs for military personnel leaving to adjust back into society. Is it any harder to place these programs into jails, prisons, or even shelters to get these people back into society. The article states homeless is a fixable problem across the country, but in my eyes are individual states prepared to put this into their budget plans. Illinois as it is having problems alone with that. So, without a budget is it even possible to instate these programs? Then again it isn’t always fixable some people have it set in their minds that they would rather be homeless and incarcerated again because its technically a free room and food. Traveling the around the United states I have also noticed that the bigger the city the bigger the homeless populace. Is it because bigger the city bigger the chance of getting reincarcerated? I do agree with the article on certain recommendations for the states to follow. The biggest one though is the banning of the box on housing applications. The articles said, “Cities and states should ensure that public housing authorities and landlords evaluate housing applicants as individuals, rather than explicitly excluding people with criminal records in housing advertisements or applications.” With that in mind I could believe that this could be start of decreasing numbers in homeless. Something I could see work also is having them apply for jobs before their release date. In conclusion working towards lowering homelessness would also lower incarceration rates. -RollForInitiative711
I totally agree with you! They talk about how there's many formerly incarcerated homeless people but nobody talks about how they are going to help them or how much money they're going to put into the programs or purchase a build for the homeless. Instead of just talking about the homeless the gathering information about it we should use it for more positive reasons and change the results. KenzieLand711
It is surprising to me of how many formerly incarcerated people are now homeless I would have never guessed the number to be that high. I figured that the number of homeless former inmates was a low number before I read this article. After reading this article I was completely surprised that the number was so high. Another statistic that I thought was lower before reading this article was how much more likely a formerly incarcerated person is to become homeless than the general public. I figured that the number would be maybe in the range of 2 to 5 times more likely but not 10 times more likely. You would think with the number of formerly incarcerated inmates becoming homeless being so high the government would do something about it. I do not know if there are programs set up for these people to find jobs and housing after they have been released from prison. If there is not there should be. I understand how hard it is to find a job in the general public I could only image how hard it is to find a job as a former inmate. I also understand how hard it is to find housing. I would think that if programs like this existed it would save money in the long run because they would not be wasting money on people returning to prison. In this article it states the revolving door effect. The revolving door is when a formally incarcerated inmate is homeless and is arrested again and sent back to jail. This article also shows that when a person is sent back to jail they are two times more likely to be homeless again than a person who is returning from their first year in prison once they get out of jail. –ClarkKent711
ClarkKent711, I agree the number of the homeless is far from being a joke. So many go without, it is hard for us to imagine life without since we have so much. Truly a different life style. I too was amazed to read the amount of homeless was higher in people who where incarcerated than those who are in the general public. I am also surprised the government hasn’t done much about this staggering number of homeless in our country. -CoalRoller711
I believe “the halfway house” should be available for everybody that spent numbers of years in jail and not just for those that get the opportunity to do half their time in jail and half of it out of jail as well. Therefore that allows formerly incarcerated people time to get on their feet and genuinely try to live a better life. I think that would cause a big decrease for the number of homeless people. After being incarcerated for so long where can you go once you get out of jail or prison? Once you get out you are already labeled and seperated from others in the world due to your past and background. Most people get out and automatically turn to drugs thinking it’s a getaway and escape instead of seeking for proper help to get their lives back on track and not only that but the way the world operate changes day by day. If you get sent to prison or jail in 2010 and get released in 2018 when you get out the way everything goes and operate will be completely different. There should be more SUPPORTIVE programs and more open doors and opportunities that's available to those that were formerly incarcerated. There should be programs inside of jail as well to at least put people foot in the water and get a little prepared for the real world again. What about those that has mental illness here they are getting the proper assistance that they need then once they get sent to prison they get some assistance but not the proper assistance that they are use to so once they get out it becomes hard to function. The article doesn’t really address or talk about the ways the world can help the homeless. Nobody deserves to be homeless under any circumstances. It goes deeper than not being able to help yourself but not having family who cares enough to take you in until you get back on your feet can also play a role. KenzieLand711
I completely agree with this. Making sure people have access to the “halfway house” would make it a lot easier for the people to get back on their feet find a job and start getting back into the community. I also agree that it would significantly help with the number of homeless people not only because we make it hard for them to find a job but most of them do have nowhere to go are anyone that wants to help them. -pizza711
This article is “Nowhere to go: Homelessness Among Formerly Incarcerated People.” The article discussed a study that was done by a very qualified sociologist, Lucius Couloute. He compared race, age, and sex of the homeless who have been convicted. He also looked at how the number of convictions changed the out come of the study. The study was interesting at times. “Estimated 550,000 people are still homeless on any given night in the United States.” I thought that was interesting, however, I am sure that number changes between seasons. I thought that more people would be homeless, so I was a little surprised to read that number. It is still a major problem we need to address 550,000 people are without the very necessity we call home. That should be very sobering. I also found interesting that African American women are more likely to be homeless than and African American male. This study very much surprised me, if I would have guessed it would have been the exact opposite. One thing this article didn’t go into was why African American women are more likely to be homeless; what are the factors that are different between them and African American male? Very interesting. Then on the flip side of things the owners of real estate have the right and responsibility to do a back-ground check, which then in turn limits the potential renters drastically. It is a shame, but I am just not sure there is a good way around this issue. It effects so many. But as a real estate owner I would want to know the credit and criminal history of the potential residence, in order to be certain in my decision by allowing them to live there. So, I can understand, it is harder to find a reasonable place to live when the owners are not always helpful. Without a steady place to live, finding a job and maintaining it would quite challenging. A house for the homeless would greatly help in other areas of life, not just the shelter aspect. -CoalRoller711
I agree with you. It surprised me when I read that females are more likely to be homeless than males are when coming out of incarceration. You would think it would be the opposite. You would think most females are able to always go back to past relationships or friendships with others and have a place to stay. Whereas, males aren’t as close to people or loose friendships with others. ProbdrinkingStar$’s711
I agree with you. I feel that the article should have went into more details about why african american women are more likely to be homeless after incarceration than anyone else. I thought it would be males over females but reading this article it is not. Another thing is I believe landlords have an obligation to check the background and credit history of recipients, but I feel like they don’t care about what you have been incarcerated with they will not give you a house. How can they expect a good credit history when they just got out of incarceration.~Justice711
Reading through the article, I am really not surprised at the data we are looking at. I expected to see that the men and woman coming out of prison would be a lot higher than the general public. I can see how it would be harder for some of these people to get jobs and be able to take care of their families and how hard it would be to be able to afford a house to stay in all the time. The article said that people who have went to jail and have done some time in prison are 10 times more likely to be homeless than the general public. That is a pretty big difference, but to me it makes sense. Even if they learn their lesson in prison, they still have a hard time finding work outside of the prison walls. A lot of people are hesitant to hire people fresh out of jail. The owners want to do what is best for his or her company first, whether it is helping someone out or not. They still have a hard time with dealing with petty crimes such as urinating outside, like the article said, which could possibly send them back to prison if they are on parole. They have nowhere to go. They could get in trouble for a lot of different things while living on the street, such as loitering. Something as simple as hanging out somewhere they are not supposed to, could send them back. Something that I did not even think about or something that I did not expect was how many more women were homeless then the men who came out of prison were. I would have thought that more men would be homeless than women just coming out of prison. I can see how it could be easier for men to get jobs after jail than women, such as some jobs in construction or getting into some trades that some females may not be wanting or able to do. I think that women could do some of these jobs but are less likely to be hired by a lot of these jobs which is sad, but I believe to be reality. -Steel711
I agree with your response fully. When i read it i also was not very alarmed when i read ex convicts are more likely to be homeless. I feel like though more women would be homeless though just considering the fact not to many people gone stick around a woman who do time you know when men go to jail females will hold them down but men (in my opinion) wont do the same for a female. Then like you mentioned there are more jobs that will accept men out of prison rather than a woman trying to find a job straight out of jail. -Jollyrancher711
I feel like a lot of people do become homeless once they are released from prisons. Some people are locked up for 30 yers or 20 years and when you do that much time in jail the people you once called your friends drift off from you and you end up having no one so when you are released you do not have a house you can live at till you get on your feet. The article stated people who are released from prison, people who have been to prison more than once and women and people of color are more likely to become homeless than any other group of people. I didn't really know that women of color are more likely to be homeless that was kind of shocking to me when I read that but the other two weren't really alarming. Since there is a revolving door theory it basically states when people get out of jail they are going to be homeless and end back up in jail. Since there are laws prohibiting people from sleeping in public places some homeless people are arrested for just being homeless. I think the homeless rate would decrease it public housing authority would allot people who have been arrested to apply to get subsidized housing instead of not letting them get a place due to the fact they been to jail before. I also think maybe the jails can help those inmates who do not have a place to live find a place to live so they can prevent them from coming back to jail. I feel if the jails try to prevent further problems as such many people won't go back to jail especially if they have a nice stable place to live. My personal opinion of this topic is that the inmates need more help than the little help they receive to get on their feet to turn their life around once they are released from jail and since they don't get it some end back up in jail because they fall back into old habits. -JollyRanchers711
This article was giving me so much new information. I have to agree with an above poster, individuals who become incarcerated are never given a chance in society. That is the reason they become homeless. No company wants to give them a shot at a job, based on their criminal record. That leaves them with no job, and no money. Once these individuals get out of prison, they have nowhere to go, they don't know what to do. Everybody has left their lives. They are left to wander the streets. In all honesty, nothing I learned in this article surprised me one bit. I am more shocked that 100% of incarcerated individuals didn't end up becoming homeless. For most of these people, they only know a disfunctional home life growing up. Hence, why they end up in prison. -Bearsfan98
I agree with you when you made the point of no one wanting to give them a job. The employers are automatically gonna think that they’re a bad person or they’re gonna do something bad again. No one wants to really give them a chance and the people who are released from prison really don't have a chance a having a normal life. -SOCCER31711
I have so many opinions and thoughts over the whole homeless situations. One being having no wealth while in prison, another being the lack of family or friends to go “home” to wherever that could be, another being the chance of even getting a minimum paying job straight out of prison just to be able to pay for a living to try and get out of a larger mess and becoming homeless and return right back to prison. As anyone who breaks the law and rules excessively I think it's just a rough subject because most of the homeless is based on whether they can get a job while being homeless just to get out of the weather and stay somewhere comfortable but it doesn’t work that simple either. Just getting out of prison is even hard enough because if you are wanting to actually get a job and try to get into an apartment or mobile home you will need insurance and some type of transportation and it will go back to the homeless not having money to even get a job or start off “not” being homeless or we could jump to the number of homeless people rising each year and the occupancy of shelters maxing out so the rest of the homeless that can't get into a shelter have to find a place safe enough to sleep and away from the weather. An even bigger problem is homeless veterans, they served for the country and we cant even find the tax money the states pay to get most of them off the streets. Jumping to other points like the cruelty of the world, I know from personal experiences that veterans and homeless have much harder times getting jobs just based on where they come from, just having time under your belt will have a huge impact on the hiring process of jobs and will result in a longer hiring process which these vets or previously incarcerated will not have the time to waste getting a job and ultimately putting them back into the situation. -MyHandle711
One of the biggest issues with people getting sent to prison or jail is that they have nowhere to live. I do agree and think that having programs that help inmates get back on their feet after they have been released will decrease the amount of people that end up in jail. Majority of the time, when people get released, they have nothing. So getting locked up is the best thing for them. They have a roof over their head so they can either stay warm or cool. They have a bed to sleep in and three meals a day. But with the programs that are offered throughout the time they are locked up it should make their lives easier. Including, preparing for a real world job and making money to support themselves, along with getting along with others and building relationships. But I do think the jails should offer some sort of shelter experience to the inmates that have lost everything. Even though, yes the inmates did do it to themselves and should have to suffer the consequences. But if they don’t have the right services to help them or can’t seem to find them then they are going to end up right back in jail where they started. Women are also more likely to be homeless than men are. Therefore, their health risks are higher and they are most likely to become endangered by their surroundings. In Peoria, we have the Dream Center. They offer places for people to stay and have food and activities. l They also offer programs for adults to help them get a steady, well-paying job. But not all areas have access to this sort of facility. Not to mention, this facility only has so many beds for people to stay. But if the prison created a facility, along the same lines there could be great benefits and outcomes. ProbdrinkingStar$’s711
Many people who have been incarcerated have a better chance of being homeless than people who have not been incarcerated. Reading the article it highlights some factors like race. I think it’s crazy that black women have a higher rate than other races and especially higher than men. I believe that society is rigid against them all though no matter the race. The reason why I say that is because how can anyone expect someone who has been incarcerated to just have it all figured out? One has to have a job to pay for a place to sleep, eat , and bathe, but with incarceration on his or her background that becomes even more harder for them leaving them back at square one homeless. No one cares to know why they were incarcerated, they don’t take the timeout of their day to care.I feel that if they had some help along the way then the incarceration to homeless, homeless back to incarceration rate would drop. Something that stood out in the article is that “ Part of the problem is that property owners and public housing authorities have the ability to implement their own screening criteria to determine if an applicant merits housing - a process that often relies upon criminal record checks as the primary source of information. In practice, this means local authorities and landlords have wide discretion to punish people with criminal records even after their sentences are over. “ Although this is sad this is how our world works. Incarcerated people get out of prison or jail and think they have served their time now on to a fresh start, but there are people who thinks otherwise. Landlords are just like managers they check into your background history and if they see incarcerated on someone's background, they automatically throw the application for the house out, leaving the once incarcerated person without a place to sleep. Once this has happened they try to find many ways to come up with money and shelter that they begin to break the law and end right back up incarcerated. Also in the article is talked about how it should be set up so that once incarcerated people are released they do not have to go to a shelter if they have nowhere else to go. I agree with that, I believe that society should want to help them, not only would it help lower the incarceration rate, but put more money on the streets. No only are people thrown back into jail, but more money goes into putting them in jail. We can use that money to help them get back on their feet or something. Jobs need to review there rules and regulations, because if one cannot get a job, how does anyone expect them to maintain a house? Or eat? Incarcerated people no matter the gender, race, or age need a chance to succeed in life. They should have the same rights to get a job and get a house without being shamed upon. They should be treated with respect just like people who have not been incarcerated. ~Justice711
Your post capitalizes on a majority of the things wrong with the Justice system. How can one become a normal citizen in society when every job or house they go to they are turned away. A lot of these individuals turn to drugs causing their life to spiral even further out of control.
When a person is released from prison in Illinois he is given nothing financially. Years ago one would receive $50 later being reduced to $10. Now you will receive nothing. Not to mention if an individual is released with funds on his account, he is required to purchase his own bus ticket. The revisism rate amongst the homeless is just as high as people who aren’t homeless. Many inmates remain in prison beyond their release date simply because they have no where to go. Some are sent to halfway houses and shelters albeit there are enough beds,otherwise they remain in prison until their mandatory release date. Finding a place to reside upon release can be just as challenging as finding a job. Individuals in this position are forced to the edge making a return to prison inevitable. In most instances individuals return to prison for more serious crimes. This problem has and will continue to plague society. Homeless often sleep in a bonded homes believeing the empty dwelling is available for rest when in fact it is residential burglary. Some commit crimes intentionally to return to prison, there is an infamous man in Peoria who is well known for committing such an act, and it has become common umongst the homeless. They feel more comfortable sleeping in jail than sleeping on the streets. Individuals are willing to give up the most precious thing one has which is freedom just to have a roof over their heads. With that being the case this is a national epidemic and something has to be done to prevent such tragedies. -LawHogg
Helping the people get back up on their feet after being released from prison is something this country should strive for. When the article stated that people who have been sent to prison have a higher chance at being homeless then the people who have not been sent to prison, that kind of stuck in my head. I feel like they don't really have a chance to do what they want with their life. When some people are released from prison, they want to get their life back or at least try to and it feels wrong not to help them. Some people regret what they did to be sent to prison and I feel like we should try to do more to help them get back into the community. I feel like a lot of people who have been released from prison have the criminal stereotype. People think that they’re dangerous and sometimes they’re not. People think that they will just go back to doing bad things when they sometimes dont. Since they’re sometimes automatically stereotyped, they might have a difficult time trying to find a job or even have a hard time trying to find a place to live because some place will look at the persons records and they won't allow them to live at the place they’re trying to buy or rent. This makes it harder for them to have a normal life. There are so many people that are homeless and there was an estimation in the article that 550,000 people are homeless. I think the clear-cut systems can be a great way to help lower the number of homeless people or even lower the number of people living in hotels/motels. Giving them options and giving them some financial help can be beneficial as long as the person is not abusing it. -SOCCER31711
I agree with you when you said “Since they’re sometimes automatically stereotyped, they might have a difficult time trying to find a job or even have a hard time trying to find a place to live because some place will look at the persons records and they won't allow them to live at the place they’re trying to buy or rent.” People automatically think bad things of someone if they hear they were in prision and/or jail. I dont think its right for someone to do that to another person. Like you said maybe they are trying to turn their life around and be a good person.-ny711
This article is saying that people who are incarcerated are ten times more likely to be homeless. I believe that this is true, however I was a little shook by all the information in the article. Especially the part where women are at greater risk however it does make sense that that number is increasing because the number of women being incarcerated are increasing as well. I had no idea that so many were homeless, even though I knew that it is hard for them to get a job and things I thought they would be helped I little more with the housing. I do agree that that they should have to tell people what they did like at a job interview or getting a house. I feel like we should be doing everything we can to help these individuals with finding the right housing to keep them not only from being homeless but ending up back in jail just because it's a place to sleep that has food. If we did make it easier for them to get back on their feet we would save tons of money and keep them from being homeless. We should make it a little easier for them to get a job, I think that's where we should start in helping this problem. Because they need money to get housing. I believe that when we severely punish people for minor drug possession or for assault charges related to mental health decompensation, or when we fail to adequately assist people leaving jails or prisons to obtain housing, services, and employment, we contribute to and worsen the problem of homelessness. -pizza711
This article really targets a topic not many people tend to think about. But it is all extremely true and I am not surprised by any of it. Many people that were incarcerated have a very difficult time trying to keep or even find a job because a lot of employers simply do not want to hire felons.Therefore in return, the felons are left to ultimately fend for themselves in ways that are unimaginable. I feel for these people but not too deeply because they ultimately put themselves in the position they are in. I have heard stories of a man around my hometown that was homeless and would purposefully do anything to get himself arrested so he would not have to spend their winter months in the outside. It is sad to think about that but it is beyond truth. It is easier too in their eyes to stay on the path they know the best of doing, being a convict. I know race has and should have no real issue to do with it but i thought that the fact women are more likely to end up homeless after incarceration is astounding to me. Being on the streets, you will want a breath of air in any way you can get it and some turn to jail cause that's the only idea to really get them out of the situation they are in for at least awhile. I could not imagine what it is like to be homeless. I have been beyond privileged as a child. I do not have any personal relates to this story but still want to put the info of the PT. -notacop911711
Your statement "I feel for these people but not too deeply because they ultimately put themselves in the position they are in." sounds harsh and blunt but is ultimately true. Excluding the few exceptions, most of the people that were behind bars in the first place put themselves there. I wouldn't call myself a beyond privileged person BUT I have never been homeless and know just by seeing people out on the streets in general and putting myself in their shoes it is hard to think about. And like you said some commit crimes just to get behind bars so they have some place to stay (for example in the winter when they don't want to freeze to death). -tanlion_nala711
I honestly never thought about what incarcerated people face after they are released from prison. I think the fact that when incarcerated people get out of prison they are expected to integrate themselves back into society without proper and formal training. I feel that adjusting from being in prison to being in the real world can be challenging for the prisoners because there is a social hierarchy which dictates daily routines. In prison prisoners have 3 hots and a cot. As this article states a lot of them become homeless and based on the their race and gender that plays a factor in whether they can get into a shelter but also a job. With the challenges of getting acclimated to society it could subject them to consciously or unconsciously reoffend because that’s their nature and that's the only way they know how to survive. As stated in the article people of colored are at a disadvantage more so than white men and women which I find sad because when they get out they are more likely to be homeless that is another factor that can make getting and keeping a job that much harder unfortunately diversity is not recognized among previously incarcerated individuals. So having a transition stage to better help them ease back into society and with a more secure job and living space is essential in order to try and solve this problem that they could face after being released. This would help stop them from reoffending and in the process potentially help the prison population and the homeless population decrease. I know that the tv show Pitbulls and Parolees helps give stable jobs to parolles I think that if we develop something like that it can go a long way. I’m not saying that we should just hand them everything but I think that that is a step in the right direction. -mmmchicken711
The numbers for race and age on the charts never really surprised me; the numbers for gender on the other hand did surprise me. I thought that women would be able to find a home quicker than men but it was the opposite. There were less homeless men than women. Stepping away from statistics, I was not surprised at the main topic of the article. It makes sense that people that have been released from prison are more likely to go back because they could not find a home. The theme was a repeat all the way through. Incarcerated once equals a greater chance to be homeless. Having been Incarcerated more than once makes those chances even greater. On top of homelessness, it is hard to sustain a job if there is no roof over one’s head. Sadly, it is harder for people that have been incarcerated even just once to get a steady job. It does make more sense that a male could get a job quicker than a woman though because of harder jobs...for example road construction or fixing parking lots (I know from an old half of the family). Reasons like these are also why I originally believed a woman could find a home quicker. They’d find a home quicker than a job but a man would find a job faster than a home. On another note, I think a lot of this could be prevented if there were less or different laws against being homeless. -tanlion_nala711
This article really has got me thinking. I never knew a lot of the homeless people were incarerated once before. I think that once they get out of prision it is hard for them to find living because they are judged by others. They also may not have the money to get a place to live. Some people in jail also do not have any family members to go to for help. So its basically starting off brand new once you get out which can be very hard. Having a life once you get out of jail will be hard because that consict of getting a job, having somewhere to sleep and etc. Getting a job once you have gotten out of jail is hard especially if you are homeless. People judge so much and that shouldnt be the case because you never know what is actually going on. Someone could of been in jail for a long time and didnt even do anyhting wrong. But in our society today if they tried to apply for a certian job they would still get turned down because of the fact that they were once in jail. Which I think is completely wrong, you should not judge anyone by his/her cover. I also think that states should have home for people to go to when they get out of jail so they can try and build up on their own. Also having homes for them to go to would save some of the jails from being too full. There are some people in jail who were homeless when they got out and ended right back in jsut for being homeless. You shouldnt punish someone for not having a place to live. Therefore, I think jobs and home owners should help people who are just getting out of jail and trying to get back on their feet again. -ny711
www.PrisonPolicy.org report shows good graphs and good evidence such as polls and surveys that "people who have been incarcerated more than once, people recently released from prison, people of color and women" (PrisonPolicy. These people that fall into this category are more than twice as likely to become homeless than the general public. If we go into more detail with homelessness that most people that are homeless don't have a place to sleep every day which results in homeless people sleeping under bridges, park benches, alleyways, etc. Table 1 of this article, it states that "Women are more likely to be Sheltered than men". The article also brings race into this equation because based on their results in Table 2 of the article, More white people are sheltered than Black or Hispanic. On the bright side of this article that some prisoners provide housing to these people, The only thing that isn't good for these pro-prisoners are now their records now hold that they have a criminal background which makes getting a job, getting a house, apartment, etc. difficult because nowadays owners and business people can now do a background check and it has been proven that people are less likely to hire or trust you if you have a criminal background even though that these people have done their time and have been released. At the end of this article, it shows Recommendations that I do agree with and also disagrees because statistics do show that people have been to prison or likely to end up coming back to prison, on the other hand the state should help the prisoners by provide a place to live for a little until they get back up on their feet and have a steady income and can come into into daily living such as you or me do. -Z33 711
Getting incarcerated in released makes alot of people become homeless. Most people lost their jobs, homes and some people don't have family. Getting released after being incarcerated onlu makes mos people get incarcerated again, either from stealing, or not having no where to go so they rather do a crime so they won't be sleeping on the streets. Racism is some what still around unfortunately so some may get turned down from shelters and/or some sheletrs may be full. Not too many jobs are willing to hire people who have recently been incarcerated, so these people have no way to make money unless it's the illegal way to make it. The more the people go in and out of jail, shows you how much more the homeless rate increases which is probably the reasonwhy they go back to jail cause their homeless. The polices such as the enforce "offenses" like sleeping in public places, and urination in public, criminalize homelessness. Not saying that it's okay to pee in public but most places have "NOT PUBLIC RESTROOM SIGNS" up now and they won't let you use it without paying and if your homeless your asking for money from people so why would you spend that money on unnecessary things like peeing? You try to beat the odds the best you can but sometimes you can't. Now the doors begin to revolve and the homeless now end up back in jail so they actually have some where to stay. Being incarcerated then being released to nothing at all is whats makes them homeless, released to no home, no jon, no anything so they start struggling, in now they can't get any good jobs because of them being incarcerated in the first place. Yes, it's their fault they even got incarcerated but doesn't everyone need a second chance? LLTS78 711
People who are incarcerated or have been previously incarcerated have a much higher chance of once he/she gets out to be homeless then that of a person who has not been incarcerated, this number also increases with race as well. How are they supposed to keep their house if that person is behind bars? Along with programs to keep inmates out of prison or jail, I believe there should also be a program created for the inmates to keep their houses while they’re incarcerated. This would also help lower the chances of inmates from returning back to jail when he/she gets out. In my experience some of the inmates will commit crimes to go back to jail just so they can have a place to be out of the weather. On one of the recommendations mentioned, “focusing on housing first” is a good way to help the cause. I get why housing applications of inmates with a felony on their record get turned down but they should at least be able to get a trailer home, or some way to live. The majority of people incarcerated are hispanic or some race other than white. When inmates get out and are homeless, small laws will be violated because inmates without housing have nowhere else to go than the public. When they have no housing where are they going to go to the bathroom when businesses are closed other than in public. There are different programs that are created or are being worked on being created to help these people, but it will take much more than a few programs to significantly make an impact on inmates being homeless. In other words people need help from a lot more people then the number of people that are trying to help right now. crispychicken711
ReplyDeleteI totally agree you, they have to be able to get more help so they won’t go back. They will do anything in their power to survive they anyone else. Helping them find a job, at least a place to stay, would help them live better instead of go back to jail -babyblue711
DeleteI agree with you hitting the main point of getting homes even if it is a trailer home. Like the article stated the states should ban the box on housing applications. This could be key to lowering that incarceration rate significantly. Applying for jobs does require having a place of residence to mail important documents in example tax forms. -RollForInitiative711
DeleteSo, they say that people who has been incarcerated become homeless when they are out. Which is believable only because they’ve probably been behind bars for a long period of time. how are they going to keep their house and belongings when they are in jail? Maybe, if they get a little help when they get out like a job or maybe shelter where they can stay until they get on their feet. Of course, they are going to be reincarcerated because they are trying to survive with nothing. They are going to do anything to survive, that goes for anyone. Yea, it may not be the legal way but they got to do it. Helping them will give them that opportunity to make a change and do better in their life so they won’t go back. They also mention that women are likely to be homeless when they get out of jail. Which was hard to believe only because they are women. But then again, you have to think not everyone has family or supported family. They can be reincarcerated because they have nowhere to stay so they commit a crime so they can at least have a roof over their head. They mentioned that colored women a man are most likely to be homeless then white men and women. i wish I could get a better understanding when it comes to that and actually ask why some races get a better chance of getting shelter. Over all this article helped me understand why we need to reach out and gives some ideas to help these people have a better life. --babyblue711
ReplyDeleteYour view point in this topic really makes sense. I've heard story after story about homeless people actually sometimes purposely committing a crime in the winter months so that they can have a shelter and a food when in all reality they shouldn't have to add onto their criminal record just to have a place to live. prison and jail are not fun places to live but many people often have no other option but to be there if they want to continue on a somewhat healthy life. - RickyBobby711
DeleteThis article really leaves my head spinning. I never knew that so many formerly incarcerated people ended up homeless but it does make a lot of sense and i can why and how they end up homeless. Formerly incarcerated people just aren’t really given a chance to be successful out of prison. When somebody is locked up for an extended period of time they learn to live a prison lifestyle and once they are released they have to relearn an entire lifestyle yet again whilst trying to find a home, clothes, food and other necessities. These people are also punished again for trying to live, men and women are put back in incarcerations after doing what? Just trying to survive? People are arrested for public urination quite often, but really why? There are very many gas stations and such nowadays that don’t let you use their restroom unless you’re buying something. Now really what is a homeless person going to buy?not only do prisons need to put in better parole policies but people need to stop being so cruel to people because of a mistake they made in the past, the article says that people that rent out homes often don’t rent to people that have criminal records which really grinds my gears. Communities needs to come together to better the lives of the homeless. Parolees should be spending more time in halfway homes until they have the opportunity to put a down payment on an apartment or house to rent for to insure that parolee is on the right track. Parole is suppose to help to prevent re incarceration but it seems as though its really not helping enough.-RickyBobby711
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your statement about how we as a community need to come together to better the lives of homeless people. I believe that more than half of the individuals coming out of prison are passionate about changing their lives for the better but with no help or job opportunities, that is impossible for them. Redbird711
DeleteI thought the same thing as well when I finished reading this article. I knew that there had to be a lot of homeless people in the United States, but I never knew how many of them were formerly incarcerated. By the end of this article I had learned so much more than I knew – Adventureflight711
DeleteIt is no surprise that majority of homeless people were once incarcerated at one point of their life. The most important aspect of not being homeless(money) is limited to them all because of their previous lives. Therefor, I would imagine their needs for survival would all go to any resource for food with barely anything left over for shelter simple because imployment is not something easily accessible for them. For previously incarcerated people, we have to also understand that yes there are very few jobs in prison, but they do not pay enough even if the individual was saving for a number of years. Coming fresh out of prison would not get them any type of shelter besides a few nights in a hotel maybe. While businesses are strict on who they hire, people with criminal backgrounds are most likely to not be able to support themselves with a legal job. From looking at the bar graph, I did not find it surprising on how women are more likely to be homeless than men. Even though is it not by that much, my theory to why more women are homeless than men is because of the opportunities of work that they have. I invision that men who have recently come out of prison and seek a job that is illegal are most likely to wind up in some form of selling things illegally, number one example being drugs. I would imagine, it is most common for drug dealers to be male and with that being, this could be one of the ways why previously incarcerated men have a better opportunity to making money and not being homeless than women. Of course there are ways that women could illegally get money but it doesn't seem to be as much of a profit than what a male selling drugs would be. Prostitution, a common illegal job women tend to seek more than males, don't seem as long lasting. Not every person coming out of prison has a motive to do illegal acts that got them there in the first place. There are many people how are passionate about changing their lives around and with certain programs to help, this will give them the opportunity to turn their lives around. More programs are needed like this in order to give our people a chance at life again.
ReplyDeleteRedbird711
Something I forgot to mention in my post that I liked that you brought up, was the fact that there are many more homeless women than there are men. I am not one hundred percent sure as to why this is, but your theory of men being capable of more illegal crimes than women is rather interesting, but I don't believe this to necessarily be true. I believe women can deal drugs or commit other illegal acts just as much as men, especially when faced with homelessness and unemployment or the ability to put food on their table. Gman219
DeleteI totally agree with you for the simple fact that once someone goes into the system for a long period of time and they are not rich or doesn’t have any money saved up to get them through the first rough couple month of being free, they walkout with completely nothing, no job, stable shelter, they probably walk out with a little money but some probably use that to get on a bus to get back to the place where which they came from. So I would prefer a program be made for inmates who are due for release be put in so they can at least have somewhere to go stable enough just so they can rebuild they base foundation and have something to start with at least.
DeleteStatechamp711
I agree with you, the people who are incarcerated aren’t making enough money to support themselves, and that is probably why most of the inmates are there in the first place. It is only right that there is some way for them to have a way to live once they get out. -crispychicken711
DeleteThis article really opens your mind up to what kind of challenges formerly incarcerated people face after being released. I've always known that finding employment for a previously convicted individual would be difficult because employers have a right to know if their interviewing a criminal or not to decide if they want to take a chance on them, but I never thought permanent housing sales would allow for the realtors to have access to this information. I believe in order for something significant to be done about this issue, the first step must be limiting what kind of charges would show on an applicants information when applying for permanent housing. For example, if someone has a very heavy history of dealing drugs out of their home, I would absolutely want to know that as a realtor. But other crimes, such as drug possession, petty theft, and disorderly conduct should not be shown on an applicant’s application. Another step we could take in order to help reduce these shocking numbers of homelessness/need for permanent housing amongst formerly incarcerated people would be to integrate programs into the prison/jail that help the people in their systems understand what their options are, how they can best go about getting their own place along with employment, and also I like the idea of “housing vouchers,” mentioned as a recommendation in the article. to help get the previously incarcerated on their feet before sending them out to fail with no help. Another issue brought up in this article is the problem with punishing those who are homeless with no where else to go. Conviction of a formerly incarcerated person for petty homeless crimes, such as sleeping in public spaces, panhandling, and public urination, should not send them back to prison/jail. This ends up creating the “revolving door” issue the article mentioned in which the convicts really don’t stand a chance at ever getting back on their feet because they’re in an endless cycle of being out on the streets with no chance of getting a job or a home, which leaves them with no where to go/nothing to do but commit petty homeless crimes and usually panhandle/turn to other illegal activities for some sort of income just to eat. In conclusion, I believe this is an issue that needs some sort of resolution in the very near future for fear of it continuing to grow worse and worse. Gman219
ReplyDeleteEveryone who goes to jail, or already is incarcerated have had or has a life outside of them four walls before they are admitted into incarceration. Static shows that people who was incarcerated has a 10 percent higher chance of being homeless than the public. Being homeless could define one’s self in a positive way by making them make a decision to get they life turned around, and get it on track, and do what’s need to be done to make sure he or she doesn’t have to return to them four walls a security doors, but being homeless can also define one’s self in a negative way as well, by just being so down and struggling that they start on drugs to try and forget about their situation which then turn them into a drug addict, which will require them to need money which they don’t have because they don’t have a steady income, so now they’re trying to find a way to get some extra money to get they next fix or drink, which can then possibly lead to them during a crime which would then turn them into possibly and habitual offender and now they ended up back where they started. I believe that if they can come up with some way to find a deterrence to the situation like the prison already have inmates getting their “GED’S” or special skill sets they could use once inmates are released, so why can’t someone rent or buy a building and turn it into apartments or a place that can shelter inmates who are just being released back into society so they can just have a place to go, then from there you can help them find jobs matching they skill set which they’ve learned in prison, or just simply help them fill out a application so they can get job, and have some type of steady income, and once they have completed that program and showed that can live on they own, and can handle the burden of responsibility, the can then go on to find their home and go back to living like a normal citizen.
ReplyDeleteStatechamp711
I like how you stated that everyone has a life outside of prison whether its good or bad. Going to Prison, or becoming homeless can be a very life changing experience for the good or for the worst. I agree with you very strongly when you state it makes that individual decide whether he or she wants to get their life together or be homeless and have no income the rest of their life. I also like how you said prisoners try to deter the situation by getting their GED's once they are released out of prison.
Delete-I-Like-Cereal
It doesn't surprise me that people who were incarcerated do have trouble finding work. Do I think it is right no. But business may not be able to trust an employees if they have a criminal record. If business do not hire people who have gone to jail, then those people cannot make money, and therefore will end up homeless. It also doesn't surprise me that people who have been incarcerated more than once have a higher chance of being homeless. If people who have multiple felonies, or convictions why would a business want to higher them, if their record shows that they clearly can't change. It also surprises me that people of color, and women have a higher rate of homelessness, due to factors that are out of their control. The article states that people who become homeless have a higher chance to get reincarnated. That is very interesting to me, its interesting that there are laws that seem to be against homeless people. Its also just simple logic, why would you want to be living on the streets when you could be incarcerated again and get to sleep inside get free food, showers. Living in a prison isn't the best living conditions, but sure does seem better than being homeless and living on the streets. I also find it interesting that race plays a big role in homeless shelters, that African Americans have a harder time getting into homeless shelters. I think that incarcerated people should at least be given a chance. Businesses shouldn't exclude a possible employee because of their past. They should be hired, evaluated on how they perform, and if they cannot meet the standards and be let go. Also I think homeless people should try to get back on their feet and not repeat the incarceration process, just to find shelter, and warmth.
ReplyDelete-I-like-Cereal
I agree with your statement in that a business is looking out for their wellbeing when they do not hire former inmates. They cannot take a chance in that the person is trustworthy or not when they have a criminal record. They might have become a better person while they were locked up but the business still can’t take that chance. –ClarkKent711
DeleteI completely agree with how businesses would not want to hire someone after they have been arrested more than once. The people need to do what is in the best interest of their companies and if they can not trust the people that work for them, then it will never work out in the end. I also thought how it was weird that people of color and especially women were more likely to be homeless after getting out. It was something that I had never thought about before I guess. -Steel711
DeleteI never knew that so many people out of the homeless population were previously incarcerated before reading this article. Once outside of prison it is hard for them to find a place to live because of discrimination by public housing authorities and private property owners. I agree with the article that landlords and public housing authorities should evaluate housing applicants as individuals, rather than excluding people by their criminal record. If this doesn’t happen then starts, what they call, “revolving door”. Where once living on the street the person has a more likely chance of going back to prison. To quote the article “people who have been to prison just once experience homelessness at a rate nearly 7 times higher than the general public. But people who have been incarcerated more than once have rates 13 times higher than the general public. Whether it is for “offenses” such as sleeping in public spaces, panhandling, public urination, or all three. Sometimes people have to sell drugs or sell their bodies just so they will have money to survive another day. Also, lawmakers, in every state, need to stop making homelessness a crime. This would include arresting, fining, and jailing the homeless just because someone is trying to anything or everything they can to survive another day. This would also put them through the “revolving door” again and again, reducing their chance of a successful reentry back into civilian life. I did like what Utah did by creating “Housing First”. It acknowledges that a stable home is necessary before talking about unemployment, illness, substance uses, and other problems they may have. I agree that once someone is released from prison, or before they are released, they need to get help from whoever it may be, to find a place to live. Also, that there should be more available affordable housing, instead of using shelters, which can fill up fairly quickly. - Adventureflight711
ReplyDeleteHi Adventureflight711 I appreciate your response and your opinion. I truly believe that we absolutely overlook with the homeless population particularly after prison is the metal health issue. One of the statistics that is not regularly publishes is the extrainaly large amount of mentally ill prisoner released into society. It's almost like the prison system just wants to get away from being underneath that problem. Unfortunately for the mentally ill they do not take advantage of all the services available to them. This is because these people do not necessarily understand that they are mentally ill. Until we address the mental health issue we will continue to have mentally ill members of society crowding our shelters. -mmmchicken711
DeleteOf the many problems facing our criminal justice system homelessness among formerly incarcerated is unfortunately one that I haven’t really given much thought to. Not because it’s something I don’t care but because it just never crossed my mind. I know from experience how difficult finding a place to live can be without even having a criminal record, I can only imagine how much more difficult it would be were I to have a felony on my record. Perhaps we should be doing more as a society to make sure those that are coming out of incarceration are better equipped to handle the world outside of prison. The first step in this is creating programs designed to help inmates develop skills that translate to real life, GED programs, college degrees, trade schools, etc. But I think beyond policy there needs to be a shift in how we as a society think about criminals. It can be a lot to ask to trust someone that you know has a criminal record, but how do we expect people to become functional members of society if we refuse to treat them as such? When applying for a lease if the landlord sees a felony on their background check I’m willing to bet that he or she would be rather hesitant to lease to that person which, I can’t really fault them for I suppose. But if that person applying to that apartment keeps getting shut down and ends up homeless what else is there to do besides commit more crimes? I know it can be difficult to put a lot of trust into a convicted felon but I believe that if we do we might start seeing less crime take place because people will start having more opportunity to get out of that life and start functioning in society. I believe we should also look at we can do to prevent people from getting into crime in the first place. A lot of these people in prison barely stood a chance to ever get decent housing in the first place as many of them grew up in poverty and lacked the tools necessary to ever get out of it. The way our criminal justice system is set up heavily favors the rich and powerful and has a strong tendency to punish our poor and minorities. This homeless problem that this article talks about is a huge problem but I fear it is only a symptom of a much larger disease and that is prevalent in our country today, and that is systemic poverty and racism built into our system...intentional or not the numbers don’t lie. So to put it succinctly, I believe we need more programs to help combat this homeless issue but if we don’t look at the broader picture and get to work on fixing that I worry we are trying to put a band-aid on an amputated limb.
ReplyDeleteAvatar711
I feel as you do also. We do need to associate the homeless situation more thoughtfully because as years go on the country will get larger and the number of homeless will also rise with population. I feel deeply on the thought that a convict will have a much harder of a time than anyone else acquiring a home or apartment. Since they will just keep getting overlooked by everyone else. It is a large hurdle we need to jump to and we need to jump it the correct way. -MyHandle711
DeleteSo, what they are saying is that once incarcerated your chances of being homeless are higher which entails a higher risk of being incarcerated again. This seems to me that our society have put these people into an endless cycle. So, my question is why we haven’t come up with programs to help these people? We have programs for military personnel leaving to adjust back into society. Is it any harder to place these programs into jails, prisons, or even shelters to get these people back into society. The article states homeless is a fixable problem across the country, but in my eyes are individual states prepared to put this into their budget plans. Illinois as it is having problems alone with that. So, without a budget is it even possible to instate these programs? Then again it isn’t always fixable some people have it set in their minds that they would rather be homeless and incarcerated again because its technically a free room and food. Traveling the around the United states I have also noticed that the bigger the city the bigger the homeless populace. Is it because bigger the city bigger the chance of getting reincarcerated? I do agree with the article on certain recommendations for the states to follow. The biggest one though is the banning of the box on housing applications. The articles said, “Cities and states should ensure that public housing authorities and landlords evaluate housing applicants as individuals, rather than explicitly excluding people with criminal records in housing advertisements or applications.” With that in mind I could believe that this could be start of decreasing numbers in homeless. Something I could see work also is having them apply for jobs before their release date. In conclusion working towards lowering homelessness would also lower incarceration rates. -RollForInitiative711
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you! They talk about how there's many formerly incarcerated homeless people but nobody talks about how they are going to help them or how much money they're going to put into the programs or purchase a build for the homeless. Instead of just talking about the homeless the gathering information about it we should use it for more positive reasons and change the results. KenzieLand711
DeleteIt is surprising to me of how many formerly incarcerated people are now homeless I would have never guessed the number to be that high. I figured that the number of homeless former inmates was a low number before I read this article. After reading this article I was completely surprised that the number was so high. Another statistic that I thought was lower before reading this article was how much more likely a formerly incarcerated person is to become homeless than the general public. I figured that the number would be maybe in the range of 2 to 5 times more likely but not 10 times more likely. You would think with the number of formerly incarcerated inmates becoming homeless being so high the government would do something about it. I do not know if there are programs set up for these people to find jobs and housing after they have been released from prison. If there is not there should be. I understand how hard it is to find a job in the general public I could only image how hard it is to find a job as a former inmate. I also understand how hard it is to find housing. I would think that if programs like this existed it would save money in the long run because they would not be wasting money on people returning to prison. In this article it states the revolving door effect. The revolving door is when a formally incarcerated inmate is homeless and is arrested again and sent back to jail. This article also shows that when a person is sent back to jail they are two times more likely to be homeless again than a person who is returning from their first year in prison once they get out of jail. –ClarkKent711
ReplyDeleteClarkKent711, I agree the number of the homeless is far from being a joke. So many go without, it is hard for us to imagine life without since we have so much. Truly a different life style. I too was amazed to read the amount of homeless was higher in people who where incarcerated than those who are in the general public. I am also surprised the government hasn’t done much about this staggering number of homeless in our country. -CoalRoller711
DeleteI believe “the halfway house” should be available for everybody that spent numbers of years in jail and not just for those that get the opportunity to do half their time in jail and half of it out of jail as well. Therefore that allows formerly incarcerated people time to get on their feet and genuinely try to live a better life. I think that would cause a big decrease for the number of homeless people. After being incarcerated for so long where can you go once you get out of jail or prison? Once you get out you are already labeled and seperated from others in the world due to your past and background. Most people get out and automatically turn to drugs thinking it’s a getaway and escape instead of seeking for proper help to get their lives back on track and not only that but the way the world operate changes day by day. If you get sent to prison or jail in 2010 and get released in 2018 when you get out the way everything goes and operate will be completely different. There should be more SUPPORTIVE programs and more open doors and opportunities that's available to those that were formerly incarcerated. There should be programs inside of jail as well to at least put people foot in the water and get a little prepared for the real world again. What about those that has mental illness here they are getting the proper assistance that they need then once they get sent to prison they get some assistance but not the proper assistance that they are use to so once they get out it becomes hard to function. The article doesn’t really address or talk about the ways the world can help the homeless. Nobody deserves to be homeless under any circumstances. It goes deeper than not being able to help yourself but not having family who cares enough to take you in until you get back on your feet can also play a role. KenzieLand711
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with this. Making sure people have access to the “halfway house” would make it a lot easier for the people to get back on their feet find a job and start getting back into the community. I also agree that it would significantly help with the number of homeless people not only because we make it hard for them to find a job but most of them do have nowhere to go are anyone that wants to help them. -pizza711
DeleteThis article is “Nowhere to go: Homelessness Among Formerly Incarcerated People.” The article discussed a study that was done by a very qualified sociologist, Lucius Couloute. He compared race, age, and sex of the homeless who have been convicted. He also looked at how the number of convictions changed the out come of the study. The study was interesting at times. “Estimated 550,000 people are still homeless on any given night in the United States.” I thought that was interesting, however, I am sure that number changes between seasons. I thought that more people would be homeless, so I was a little surprised to read that number. It is still a major problem we need to address 550,000 people are without the very necessity we call home. That should be very sobering. I also found interesting that African American women are more likely to be homeless than and African American male. This study very much surprised me, if I would have guessed it would have been the exact opposite. One thing this article didn’t go into was why African American women are more likely to be homeless; what are the factors that are different between them and African American male? Very interesting. Then on the flip side of things the owners of real estate have the right and responsibility to do a back-ground check, which then in turn limits the potential renters drastically. It is a shame, but I am just not sure there is a good way around this issue. It effects so many. But as a real estate owner I would want to know the credit and criminal history of the potential residence, in order to be certain in my decision by allowing them to live there. So, I can understand, it is harder to find a reasonable place to live when the owners are not always helpful. Without a steady place to live, finding a job and maintaining it would quite challenging. A house for the homeless would greatly help in other areas of life, not just the shelter aspect. -CoalRoller711
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. It surprised me when I read that females are more likely to be homeless than males are when coming out of incarceration. You would think it would be the opposite. You would think most females are able to always go back to past relationships or friendships with others and have a place to stay. Whereas, males aren’t as close to people or loose friendships with others. ProbdrinkingStar$’s711
DeleteI agree with you. I feel that the article should have went into more details about why african american women are more likely to be homeless after incarceration than anyone else. I thought it would be males over females but reading this article it is not. Another thing is I believe landlords have an obligation to check the background and credit history of recipients, but I feel like they don’t care about what you have been incarcerated with they will not give you a house. How can they expect a good credit history when they just got out of incarceration.~Justice711
DeleteReading through the article, I am really not surprised at the data we are looking at. I expected to see that the men and woman coming out of prison would be a lot higher than the general public. I can see how it would be harder for some of these people to get jobs and be able to take care of their families and how hard it would be to be able to afford a house to stay in all the time. The article said that people who have went to jail and have done some time in prison are 10 times more likely to be homeless than the general public. That is a pretty big difference, but to me it makes sense. Even if they learn their lesson in prison, they still have a hard time finding work outside of the prison walls. A lot of people are hesitant to hire people fresh out of jail. The owners want to do what is best for his or her company first, whether it is helping someone out or not. They still have a hard time with dealing with petty crimes such as urinating outside, like the article said, which could possibly send them back to prison if they are on parole. They have nowhere to go. They could get in trouble for a lot of different things while living on the street, such as loitering. Something as simple as hanging out somewhere they are not supposed to, could send them back. Something that I did not even think about or something that I did not expect was how many more women were homeless then the men who came out of prison were. I would have thought that more men would be homeless than women just coming out of prison. I can see how it could be easier for men to get jobs after jail than women, such as some jobs in construction or getting into some trades that some females may not be wanting or able to do. I think that women could do some of these jobs but are less likely to be hired by a lot of these jobs which is sad, but I believe to be reality. -Steel711
ReplyDeleteI agree with your response fully. When i read it i also was not very alarmed when i read ex convicts are more likely to be homeless. I feel like though more women would be homeless though just considering the fact not to many people gone stick around a woman who do time you know when men go to jail females will hold them down but men (in my opinion) wont do the same for a female. Then like you mentioned there are more jobs that will accept men out of prison rather than a woman trying to find a job straight out of jail. -Jollyrancher711
DeleteI feel like a lot of people do become homeless once they are released from prisons. Some people are locked up for 30 yers or 20 years and when you do that much time in jail the people you once called your friends drift off from you and you end up having no one so when you are released you do not have a house you can live at till you get on your feet. The article stated people who are released from prison, people who have been to prison more than once and women and people of color are more likely to become homeless than any other group of people. I didn't really know that women of color are more likely to be homeless that was kind of shocking to me when I read that but the other two weren't really alarming. Since there is a revolving door theory it basically states when people get out of jail they are going to be homeless and end back up in jail. Since there are laws prohibiting people from sleeping in public places some homeless people are arrested for just being homeless. I think the homeless rate would decrease it public housing authority would allot people who have been arrested to apply to get subsidized housing instead of not letting them get a place due to the fact they been to jail before. I also think maybe the jails can help those inmates who do not have a place to live find a place to live so they can prevent them from coming back to jail. I feel if the jails try to prevent further problems as such many people won't go back to jail especially if they have a nice stable place to live. My personal opinion of this topic is that the inmates need more help than the little help they receive to get on their feet to turn their life around once they are released from jail and since they don't get it some end back up in jail because they fall back into old habits. -JollyRanchers711
ReplyDeleteThis article was giving me so much new information. I have to agree with an above poster, individuals who become incarcerated are never given a chance in society. That is the reason they become homeless. No company wants to give them a shot at a job, based on their criminal record. That leaves them with no job, and no money. Once these individuals get out of prison, they have nowhere to go, they don't know what to do. Everybody has left their lives. They are left to wander the streets. In all honesty, nothing I learned in this article surprised me one bit. I am more shocked that 100% of incarcerated individuals didn't end up becoming homeless. For most of these people, they only know a disfunctional home life growing up. Hence, why they end up in prison. -Bearsfan98
ReplyDeleteI agree with you when you made the point of no one wanting to give them a job. The employers are automatically gonna think that they’re a bad person or they’re gonna do something bad again. No one wants to really give them a chance and the people who are released from prison really don't have a chance a having a normal life. -SOCCER31711
DeleteI have so many opinions and thoughts over the whole homeless situations. One being having no wealth while in prison, another being the lack of family or friends to go “home” to wherever that could be, another being the chance of even getting a minimum paying job straight out of prison just to be able to pay for a living to try and get out of a larger mess and becoming homeless and return right back to prison. As anyone who breaks the law and rules excessively I think it's just a rough subject because most of the homeless is based on whether they can get a job while being homeless just to get out of the weather and stay somewhere comfortable but it doesn’t work that simple either. Just getting out of prison is even hard enough because if you are wanting to actually get a job and try to get into an apartment or mobile home you will need insurance and some type of transportation and it will go back to the homeless not having money to even get a job or start off “not” being homeless or we could jump to the number of homeless people rising each year and the occupancy of shelters maxing out so the rest of the homeless that can't get into a shelter have to find a place safe enough to sleep and away from the weather. An even bigger problem is homeless veterans, they served for the country and we cant even find the tax money the states pay to get most of them off the streets. Jumping to other points like the cruelty of the world, I know from personal experiences that veterans and homeless have much harder times getting jobs just based on where they come from, just having time under your belt will have a huge impact on the hiring process of jobs and will result in a longer hiring process which these vets or previously incarcerated will not have the time to waste getting a job and ultimately putting them back into the situation. -MyHandle711
ReplyDeleteOne of the biggest issues with people getting sent to prison or jail is that they have nowhere to live. I do agree and think that having programs that help inmates get back on their feet after they have been released will decrease the amount of people that end up in jail. Majority of the time, when people get released, they have nothing. So getting locked up is the best thing for them. They have a roof over their head so they can either stay warm or cool. They have a bed to sleep in and three meals a day. But with the programs that are offered throughout the time they are locked up it should make their lives easier. Including, preparing for a real world job and making money to support themselves, along with getting along with others and building relationships. But I do think the jails should offer some sort of shelter experience to the inmates that have lost everything. Even though, yes the inmates did do it to themselves and should have to suffer the consequences. But if they don’t have the right services to help them or can’t seem to find them then they are going to end up right back in jail where they started. Women are also more likely to be homeless than men are. Therefore, their health risks are higher and they are most likely to become endangered by their surroundings. In Peoria, we have the Dream Center. They offer places for people to stay and have food and activities. l They also offer programs for adults to help them get a steady, well-paying job. But not all areas have access to this sort of facility. Not to mention, this facility only has so many beds for people to stay. But if the prison created a facility, along the same lines there could be great benefits and outcomes. ProbdrinkingStar$’s711
ReplyDeleteMany people who have been incarcerated have a better chance of being homeless than people who have not been incarcerated. Reading the article it highlights some factors like race. I think it’s crazy that black women have a higher rate than other races and especially higher than men. I believe that society is rigid against them all though no matter the race. The reason why I say that is because how can anyone expect someone who has been incarcerated to just have it all figured out? One has to have a job to pay for a place to sleep, eat , and bathe, but with incarceration on his or her background that becomes even more harder for them leaving them back at square one homeless. No one cares to know why they were incarcerated, they don’t take the timeout of their day to care.I feel that if they had some help along the way then the incarceration to homeless, homeless back to incarceration rate would drop. Something that stood out in the article is that “ Part of the problem is that property owners and public housing authorities have the ability to implement their own screening criteria to determine if an applicant merits housing - a process that often relies upon criminal record checks as the primary source of information. In practice, this means local authorities and landlords have wide discretion to punish people with criminal records even after their sentences are over. “ Although this is sad this is how our world works. Incarcerated people get out of prison or jail and think they have served their time now on to a fresh start, but there are people who thinks otherwise. Landlords are just like managers they check into your background history and if they see incarcerated on someone's background, they automatically throw the application for the house out, leaving the once incarcerated person without a place to sleep. Once this has happened they try to find many ways to come up with money and shelter that they begin to break the law and end right back up incarcerated. Also in the article is talked about how it should be set up so that once incarcerated people are released they do not have to go to a shelter if they have nowhere else to go. I agree with that, I believe that society should want to help them, not only would it help lower the incarceration rate, but put more money on the streets. No only are people thrown back into jail, but more money goes into putting them in jail. We can use that money to help them get back on their feet or something. Jobs need to review there rules and regulations, because if one cannot get a job, how does anyone expect them to maintain a house? Or eat? Incarcerated people no matter the gender, race, or age need a chance to succeed in life. They should have the same rights to get a job and get a house without being shamed upon. They should be treated with respect just like people who have not been incarcerated. ~Justice711
ReplyDeleteYour post capitalizes on a majority of the things wrong with the Justice system. How can one become a normal citizen in society when every job or house they go to they are turned away. A lot of these individuals turn to drugs causing their life to spiral even further out of control.
DeleteWhen a person is released from prison in Illinois he is given nothing financially. Years ago one would receive $50 later being reduced to $10. Now you will receive nothing. Not to mention if an individual is released with funds on his account, he is required to purchase his own bus ticket. The revisism rate amongst the homeless is just as high as people who aren’t homeless. Many inmates remain in prison beyond their release date simply because they have no where to go. Some are sent to halfway houses and shelters albeit there are enough beds,otherwise they remain in prison until their mandatory release date. Finding a place to reside upon release can be just as challenging as finding a job. Individuals in this position are forced to the edge making a return to prison inevitable. In most instances individuals return to prison for more serious crimes. This problem has and will continue to plague society. Homeless often sleep in a bonded homes believeing the empty dwelling is available for rest when in fact it is residential burglary. Some commit crimes intentionally to return to prison, there is an infamous man in Peoria who is well known for committing such an act, and it has become common umongst the homeless. They feel more comfortable sleeping in jail than sleeping on the streets. Individuals are willing to give up the most precious thing one has which is freedom just to have a roof over their heads. With that being the case this is a national epidemic and something has to be done to prevent such tragedies. -LawHogg
ReplyDeleteHelping the people get back up on their feet after being released from prison is something this country should strive for. When the article stated that people who have been sent to prison have a higher chance at being homeless then the people who have not been sent to prison, that kind of stuck in my head. I feel like they don't really have a chance to do what they want with their life. When some people are released from prison, they want to get their life back or at least try to and it feels wrong not to help them. Some people regret what they did to be sent to prison and I feel like we should try to do more to help them get back into the community. I feel like a lot of people who have been released from prison have the criminal stereotype. People think that they’re dangerous and sometimes they’re not. People think that they will just go back to doing bad things when they sometimes dont. Since they’re sometimes automatically stereotyped, they might have a difficult time trying to find a job or even have a hard time trying to find a place to live because some place will look at the persons records and they won't allow them to live at the place they’re trying to buy or rent. This makes it harder for them to have a normal life. There are so many people that are homeless and there was an estimation in the article that 550,000 people are homeless. I think the clear-cut systems can be a great way to help lower the number of homeless people or even lower the number of people living in hotels/motels. Giving them options and giving them some financial help can be beneficial as long as the person is not abusing it. -SOCCER31711
ReplyDeleteI agree with you when you said “Since they’re sometimes automatically stereotyped, they might have a difficult time trying to find a job or even have a hard time trying to find a place to live because some place will look at the persons records and they won't allow them to live at the place they’re trying to buy or rent.” People automatically think bad things of someone if they hear they were in prision and/or jail. I dont think its right for someone to do that to another person. Like you said maybe they are trying to turn their life around and be a good person.-ny711
DeleteThis article is saying that people who are incarcerated are ten times more likely to be homeless. I believe that this is true, however I was a little shook by all the information in the article. Especially the part where women are at greater risk however it does make sense that that number is increasing because the number of women being incarcerated are increasing as well. I had no idea that so many were homeless, even though I knew that it is hard for them to get a job and things I thought they would be helped I little more with the housing. I do agree that that they should have to tell people what they did like at a job interview or getting a house. I feel like we should be doing everything we can to help these individuals with finding the right housing to keep them not only from being homeless but ending up back in jail just because it's a place to sleep that has food. If we did make it easier for them to get back on their feet we would save tons of money and keep them from being homeless. We should make it a little easier for them to get a job, I think that's where we should start in helping this problem. Because they need money to get housing. I believe that when we severely punish people for minor drug possession or for assault charges related to mental health decompensation, or when we fail to adequately assist people leaving jails or prisons to obtain housing, services, and employment, we contribute to and worsen the problem of homelessness. -pizza711
ReplyDeleteThis article really targets a topic not many people tend to think about. But it is all extremely true and I am not surprised by any of it. Many people that were incarcerated have a very difficult time trying to keep or even find a job because a lot of employers simply do not want to hire felons.Therefore in return, the felons are left to ultimately fend for themselves in ways that are unimaginable. I feel for these people but not too deeply because they ultimately put themselves in the position they are in. I have heard stories of a man around my hometown that was homeless and would purposefully do anything to get himself arrested so he would not have to spend their winter months in the outside. It is sad to think about that but it is beyond truth. It is easier too in their eyes to stay on the path they know the best of doing, being a convict. I know race has and should have no real issue to do with it but i thought that the fact women are more likely to end up homeless after incarceration is astounding to me. Being on the streets, you will want a breath of air in any way you can get it and some turn to jail cause that's the only idea to really get them out of the situation they are in for at least awhile. I could not imagine what it is like to be homeless. I have been beyond privileged as a child. I do not have any personal relates to this story but still want to put the info of the PT. -notacop911711
ReplyDeleteYour statement "I feel for these people but not too deeply because they ultimately put themselves in the position they are in." sounds harsh and blunt but is ultimately true. Excluding the few exceptions, most of the people that were behind bars in the first place put themselves there. I wouldn't call myself a beyond privileged person BUT I have never been homeless and know just by seeing people out on the streets in general and putting myself in their shoes it is hard to think about. And like you said some commit crimes just to get behind bars so they have some place to stay (for example in the winter when they don't want to freeze to death). -tanlion_nala711
DeleteI honestly never thought about what incarcerated people face after they are released from prison. I think the fact that when incarcerated people get out of prison they are expected to integrate themselves back into society without proper and formal training. I feel that adjusting from being in prison to being in the real world can be challenging for the prisoners because there is a social hierarchy which dictates daily routines. In prison prisoners have 3 hots and a cot. As this article states a lot of them become homeless and based on the their race and gender that plays a factor in whether they can get into a shelter but also a job. With the challenges of getting acclimated to society it could subject them to consciously or unconsciously reoffend because that’s their nature and that's the only way they know how to survive. As stated in the article people of colored are at a disadvantage more so than white men and women which I find sad because when they get out they are more likely to be homeless that is another factor that can make getting and keeping a job that much harder unfortunately diversity is not recognized among previously incarcerated individuals. So having a transition stage to better help them ease back into society and with a more secure job and living space is essential in order to try and solve this problem that they could face after being released. This would help stop them from reoffending and in the process potentially help the prison population and the homeless population decrease. I know that the tv show Pitbulls and Parolees helps give stable jobs to parolles I think that if we develop something like that it can go a long way. I’m not saying that we should just hand them everything but I think that that is a step in the right direction. -mmmchicken711
ReplyDeleteThe numbers for race and age on the charts never really surprised me; the numbers for gender on the other hand did surprise me. I thought that women would be able to find a home quicker than men but it was the opposite. There were less homeless men than women. Stepping away from statistics, I was not surprised at the main topic of the article. It makes sense that people that have been released from prison are more likely to go back because they could not find a home. The theme was a repeat all the way through. Incarcerated once equals a greater chance to be homeless. Having been Incarcerated more than once makes those chances even greater. On top of homelessness, it is hard to sustain a job if there is no roof over one’s head. Sadly, it is harder for people that have been incarcerated even just once to get a steady job. It does make more sense that a male could get a job quicker than a woman though because of harder jobs...for example road construction or fixing parking lots (I know from an old half of the family). Reasons like these are also why I originally believed a woman could find a home quicker. They’d find a home quicker than a job but a man would find a job faster than a home. On another note, I think a lot of this could be prevented if there were less or different laws against being homeless. -tanlion_nala711
ReplyDeleteThis article really has got me thinking. I never knew a lot of the homeless people were incarerated once before. I think that once they get out of prision it is hard for them to find living because they are judged by others. They also may not have the money to get a place to live. Some people in jail also do not have any family members to go to for help. So its basically starting off brand new once you get out which can be very hard. Having a life once you get out of jail will be hard because that consict of getting a job, having somewhere to sleep and etc. Getting a job once you have gotten out of jail is hard especially if you are homeless. People judge so much and that shouldnt be the case because you never know what is actually going on. Someone could of been in jail for a long time and didnt even do anyhting wrong. But in our society today if they tried to apply for a certian job they would still get turned down because of the fact that they were once in jail. Which I think is completely wrong, you should not judge anyone by his/her cover. I also think that states should have home for people to go to when they get out of jail so they can try and build up on their own. Also having homes for them to go to would save some of the jails from being too full. There are some people in jail who were homeless when they got out and ended right back in jsut for being homeless. You shouldnt punish someone for not having a place to live. Therefore, I think jobs and home owners should help people who are just getting out of jail and trying to get back on their feet again. -ny711
ReplyDeletewww.PrisonPolicy.org report shows good graphs and good evidence such as polls and surveys that "people who have been incarcerated more than once, people recently released from prison, people of color and women" (PrisonPolicy. These people that fall into this category are more than twice as likely to become homeless than the general public. If we go into more detail with homelessness that most people that are homeless don't have a place to sleep every day which results in homeless people sleeping under bridges, park benches, alleyways, etc. Table 1 of this article, it states that "Women are more likely to be Sheltered than men". The article also brings race into this equation because based on their results in Table 2 of the article, More white people are sheltered than Black or Hispanic. On the bright side of this article that some prisoners provide housing to these people, The only thing that isn't good for these pro-prisoners are now their records now hold that they have a criminal background which makes getting a job, getting a house, apartment, etc. difficult because nowadays owners and business people can now do a background check and it has been proven that people are less likely to hire or trust you if you have a criminal background even though that these people have done their time and have been released. At the end of this article, it shows Recommendations that I do agree with and also disagrees because statistics do show that people have been to prison or likely to end up coming back to prison, on the other hand the state should help the prisoners by provide a place to live for a little until they get back up on their feet and have a steady income and can come into into daily living such as you or me do.
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Getting incarcerated in released makes alot of people become homeless. Most people lost their jobs, homes and some people don't have family. Getting released after being incarcerated onlu makes mos people get incarcerated again, either from stealing, or not having no where to go so they rather do a crime so they won't be sleeping on the streets. Racism is some what still around unfortunately so some may get turned down from shelters and/or some sheletrs may be full. Not too many jobs are willing to hire people who have recently been incarcerated, so these people have no way to make money unless it's the illegal way to make it. The more the people go in and out of jail, shows you how much more the homeless rate increases which is probably the reasonwhy they go back to jail cause their homeless. The polices such as the enforce "offenses" like sleeping in public places, and urination in public, criminalize homelessness. Not saying that it's okay to pee in public but most places have "NOT PUBLIC RESTROOM SIGNS" up now and they won't let you use it without paying and if your homeless your asking for money from people so why would you spend that money on unnecessary things like peeing? You try to beat the odds the best you can but sometimes you can't. Now the doors begin to revolve and the homeless now end up back in jail so they actually have some where to stay. Being incarcerated then being released to nothing at all is whats makes them homeless, released to no home, no jon, no anything so they start struggling, in now they can't get any good jobs because of them being incarcerated in the first place. Yes, it's their fault they even got incarcerated but doesn't everyone need a second chance? LLTS78 711
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