Recidivism the Problem

Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently

(Galatians 6:1).

Researchers have calculated that the prison recidivism rate in the United States is beyond the point of return; each additional prison cell provides less public safety benefits.[1] Researchers have also indicated that three-quarters of a million prisoners were released from state and federal prisons in 2009, with half of them returning to prison for violating parole.[2] In 2004, Missouri's state recorded an overall prison recidivism rate of 54.4 percent, the third-highest among the states.[3]

Recidivism is a financial and social burden to U.S society and taxpayers. As of 2007, the prison correctional system expenses on a national level cost U.S. taxpayers over $50 billion per year to operate; 25 years prior, this figure was $9 billion per year.[4] The Kansas City Department of Correction (KCDOC) is expected to grow significantly over the next ten years. The prison population in the State of Kansas is projected to increase in FY 2014.[5]

Battle stated ex-offenders have a unique challenge when seeking jobs because of employers’ perceptions on hiring ex-offenders, with tattoos, aggressive, and noticeable intimidating attitudes toward customers as not being a likely customer hiring process for small business.[6] Also, Park argued conventional society does not welcome released offenders home; instead, ex-offenders were denied the opportunity of employment and other essential human and constitutional privileges of being a citizen through a combination of mistreatment called invisible punishments.[7] In 2004, former President George Bush enacted the Second Chance Act, which was intended to urge Americans to give ex-offenders another chance to prove themselves of contributing positively to society. Unfortunately, several studies have revealed that the public has hostility towards ex-offenders. [8]

[1] The Pew Center On The States, State of Recidivism: The Revolving Door of America’s Prisons. Washington, DC (2011): 8. Accessed Oct 20, 2020. https://www.pewtrusts.org/~/media/legacy/uploadedfiles/pcs_assets/2011/pewstateofrecidivismpdf.pdf [2] Peter Katel, "Prisoner Reentry." CQ Researcher, 19, no. 42 (December 4, 2009): 1000. http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/cqresrre2009120400. [3] The Pew Center On The States, State of Recidivism: The Revolving Door of America’s Prisons. Washington, DC (2011): 8. Accessed Oct 20, 2020. https://www.pewtrusts.org/~/media/legacy/uploadedfiles/pcs_assets/2011/pewstateofrecidivismpdf.pdf [4] ibid., 8. [5] ibid., 8. [6] K. W. Battle, “Employers' perspectives on the hiring of ex-offenders.” ProQuest Dissertations and Publishing, 2010, 50. Accessed on November 20, 2020. http://search.proquest.com/docview/761137467?accountid=27965 [7] Sunyoung Park, “College Students’ Attitudes Toward Prisoners and Prisoner Reentry.” ProQuest Dissertations and Publishing, 2009, 74. Accessed November 28, 2020. http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login? [8] Oluwasegun Obatusin and Debbie Ritter-Williams, "A Phenomenological Study of Employer Perspectives on Hiring Ex- Offenders." Cogent Social Sciences 5, no. 1 (2019): 13. Accessed November 20, 2020. http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login?