Ex-Convicts and Social Exclusion

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Republic of the Philippines

RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY


College of Arts and Sciences
Political Science Department

Pescasio, Edgardo II T. CAS-01-602P

Ex-Convicts and Social Exclusion


An individual who has served their time in jail after being convicted of a crime is said to
be an ex-convict. In the society that we live in, someone who commits a crime is often
sentenced in prison for a certain amount of time as payment for their wrongdoings. Once
the offender is released from jail, the punishment is said to be over. However, despite
being free from the eyes of the law, the social stigma that exists in the world still identifies
the individual as a criminal. They may have been released after serving their sentence in
jail, but they can never escape the social stigma of society.

According to the Labelling theory, human behavior is highly impacted by how other
members of society describe or label them. Since becoming an "ex-convict" is a label
from which the individual could never escape, whatever they do is seen as an ex-convict's
behavior. This in turn restrains the person from overcoming the past due to his/her actions
being associated with his previous conviction. There is a good chance that the individual
would think that life in jail was nicer since it can be harder to live with physical restraints
but complete mental freedom than it is to live outside of imprisonment where there is
physical freedom but mental restraints everywhere.

The ex-convicts find it difficult to cope with their social exclusion since they want to live a
particularly respectable life after their time in jail but fail to do so due to the stigma that
being an ex-convict brings. Ex-convicts usually count their days until when they could be
free from the bars of jails but after being free for a while then they realize that it was
several times harder trying to be a changed man when society puts a lot of pressure on
you for being an ex-convict. This might lead to two serious situations. First, they can start
using unlawful means of living. Second, the individual may commit suicide if all prospect
of leading a respectable life has been gone. According to a recent investigation by The
Guardian, 153 of the ex-convicts who were under monitoring after being released from
jail committed suicide.

An ex-convict faces an endless number of obstacles after being released in order to get
a job. Employers view ex-offenders as the least desirable candidates due to the stigma
associated with them, which is partly a result of the legal repercussions of their
inappropriate behavior and any property damage they may have caused, which would be
the employer's responsibility. People are often reluctant to forming any kind of relationship
with someone who has recently been released from jail because they fear that person
could commit crime again. The severity of the offense that the individual has committed
directly relates to the perception of threat.

Take the example of a person who has been wrongfully convicted, particularly in a nation
like the Philippines. In that instance, not only the time spent behind bars but also the years
that follow the release from jail may have a significant negative impact on the person's
mental health. The offense for which a person was found guilty or the circumstances
surrounding the crime are very frequently overlooked by society. Whether you have done
a crime or not, this does not matter anymore, what exists is that person will forever be
tagged as an "ex-convict."

Seminars Regarding Ex-Convicts and Social Exclusion

We need seminars regarding this socio-political problem to create reforms for the start of
the new lives of ex-convicts and in a way reduce the stigma that it comes with.
Governmental or private organizations should be able to provide the freed prisoners with
effective treatment aimed at reducing prejudice against him and at his social rehabilitation
to be able to live a normal life after imprisonment.

According to the Turkish Labor Law, businesses with more than 50 employees are
required to employ a certain number of ex-prisoners. The Ministry of Labor and Social
Security fines businesses for breaking the same rules.
After being in jail for many years, ex-convicts should be imparted skills that will increase
their chances of survival which prepares them for the contemporary world. However,
since they have been kept out for so long, the administration must assume responsibility
for changing the thinking of those within the prison if this project is to be effective. This
process could be aided by educational, drug-training, and mental health initiatives where
all previously mentioned are conceivably introduced through seminars.

Ex-convicts can never find peace in society if society itself is not prepared to embrace
someone who is eager to travel on a new road despite having a dark background.
Reforms are necessary to prevent people from carrying these stigmas and to raise public
awareness of the negative consequences of doing so.

Inspiration for the same might be drawn from Singapore's Yellow Ribbon Initiative, which

1. Raises awareness of the difficulties that ex-offenders confront after being released and
the value of giving them another opportunity.

2. Encourages reintegration of prisoners into society by allowing them to have families


and integrate them into the neighborhood.

3. Motivate people to take action to aid in their recuperation.

One practical issue that ex-convicts are likely to encounter is the fact that while inside,
the skills and knowledge the prisoner acquired fades.

According to Glaser's research, "inmates tend to suffer from the immediate gratification
syndrome." This is a term that refers to the temptation, and resulting tendency, to forego
a future benefit in order to obtain a less rewarding but more immediate benefit. As a result,
reintegrating an ex-offender into society requires combining preparation in the prison
institution with acceptance by the community after release. The Prison and Probation
Service in Sweden's probation division has set the bar high in this area and should be
emulated. In order to ensure that inmates are prepared for early release from prison, the
authorities must organize the implementation of sentencing and treatment measures for
both probationers and parolees as well as for prisoners.
Beneficiaries

Ex-Convicts

The primary beneficiary are the ex-convicts. This seminar is made for their proper
rehabilitation and skills training preparing them for the contemporary world where having
a job is a must for survival. This seminar would teach them how to survive the mental
struggle in dealing with the stigma that comes with being an ex-convict through
counselling and psychosocial therapy.

Families of the ex-convicts

The families would also benefit the seminar because they would be taught how to deal
with their newly released family member from prison which would be a big factor in their
speedy recovery from the life of conviction. Family members have a major role in making
life outside of jail appear better, therefore correct treatment is essential and will be
covered in the aforementioned seminar.

Society

The people of society are those that judge people serving jail sentences the most. An ex-
convict may be free from the eyes of the law after serving their sentence but will most
likely still be a criminal in the eyes of society. A seminar on ex-offenders and social
exclusion would be a way to lessen the stigma and alter people's perceptions of ex-
offenders, which would improve their lives and the lives of the people they interact with
and demonstrate that they are capable of improving themselves while living an improved
way of life after release from prison.

Reference:

Deo, N. & Mehar, K. (2020). Re-integrating the ex-convicts into the society:
stigmas/problems attached and the need for reforms. Retrieved from
https://www.samvidhi.org/post/re-integrating-the-ex-convicts-into-the-society-stigmas-
problems-attached-and-the-need-for-reforms

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