Re-entry Barriers (Essay Sample)

Re-entry Barriers Name Institutional Affiliation Course Instructor Date Re-entry Barriers The re-entry process can be a challenging and risky process for both the released inmate and the community receiving the inmate. A lot of uncertainties lie due to a lack of trust. People will always fear relapse, which could pose a danger to their lives. On the other hand, the released inmate needs a lot of love and support to sustain their newly acquired values and behaviours (Blevins & Blowers, 2014). Therefore, re-entry remains a challenging process, and policies should be improved to enable smooth re-entry. One of the challenges of re-entry is employment. Formerly incarcerated individuals equally need employment opportunities as their counterparts since they also have equal needs including: pursuing their life goals, fending for their families and giving back to their communities. Historical employment injustice has been there since time immemorial and causes more harm than good. Lack of employment for formerly incarcerated individuals may cause them to commit a crime to provide for their families. Studies reveal that the unemployment rate among former detainees is 27%, a rate that is higher than the overall national unemployment rate (Lockwood et al., 2015). The situation is even worse among blacks or Hispanic. The other common challenge is a mental health issue. Most ex-inmates suffer from mental health issues ranging from anxiety disorder, depression, psychosis, drug addiction, and bipolar disorders, among other mental issues. Although they receive treatment during the incarceration period, some still require post-incarceration treatment and follow-up (Gideon & Sung, n.d). Due to such a predicament, there is a need to make the re-entry process smooth and welcoming. On the contrary, such people face stigmatization, unemployment, family separation, and homelessness, among other life issues, and this worsens their mental health issues. In conclusion, the re-entry process still remains a nightmare for most released inmates sinc...