Kaplan University
Arsianna Walker
Comp II Final Project

“Fear, which, in turn, is utilized as a rationalization for discrimination and prejudice” (Akhtar, 2014). According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics since 1990 an average of 590,400 inmates have been released annually from federal/state prisons. The amount of people that have been incarcerated is a multiplying number yearly in this country. America should be more tolerant if not accepting to the idea of convicted felon’s reintegration in to society. It is disheartening that people still live in fear or look down on others whom have had to be incarcerated. If we overcome our discriminations against convicted felons, they can successfully re-enter society, and become productive law abiding citizens. Imagine applying for job after job, with no luck at all even though your credentials qualify you. With no income to provide much less survive, how can anyone make it? The opportunity that someone with a clean criminal history has is incomparable to that of someone with even just one prior conviction. Jobs as well as housing are not as easily attained by a convicted felon. I myself would not know what to do or how to handle the heavy weight of re-entering society. I am not one to make excuses, pacify or enable anyone. This is a real issue that families are suffering the consequences of. Unfortunately the view on imprisonment has been distorted by society ideas to label it as a way to lock up a “bad person and throw away the key”. It’s easy to assume inexperienced citizens have no way of knowing about all the educational, career, emotional and behavioral programs that are offered in prisons and jails. Upon interviewing an ex con about his experiences with re-entry, I discovered that even with proper education it is near impossible for many ex cons to have a career. Mr. Christian Jacobs a former inmate,