Dear Next President,

I think one of the many issues we have in America today our jail systems. I think because they are run by the government, they don’t get enough time or effort put into them. A lot of the time people will serve their time and then they come out with the same attitude or behaviors as before and end up returning to jail. I believe that we should have more rehabilitation type programs that people have to go through that will teach them certain skills and things they need to succeed in the real world like basic life skills, how to get a job and manage finances.

When inmates are released from jail they are likely going to be re-admitted. I think one of the reasons felons keep returning to jail is because the it hasn’t been a learning process for them. It’s more of a discipline thing , which is also very important to have. There is however the people that are on the right path and the only thing stopping them is their criminal record. The more people that can’t find work so they can’t support themselves and their families which means more people in poverty.

According to the National Institute of Justice, within three years of being released about 68% prisoners were readmitted. So why are more than half of previous felons coming back? I think it’s reasonable to assume that some people can’t get jobs because of their background and so they turn to their old behaviors. It’s also possible that they haven’t changed from the time they entered jail/prison. There should be more behavioral checks or programs to go through before being released, to try to prevent people from coming back are are unemployed and living on their own. On average there are about 4 reentry programs per state in the U.S.

To reduce the amount of people coming back through jail for a second time I think you should make it mandatory for inmates to go through some type of rehabilitation or recidivism program before they are released so maybe they can change their behavior and there could be a less chance of them returning.

I think that we should have more programs to help felons get jobs and get help because they are still a part of society. I think we could make sure that people have a more positive impact on society then negative. Spending the money and time on new programs will be better in the long run because we would spend as much money on the people coming back through the system.

Sincerely,

Gabby Belmares, 10th grade

Mendota Heights, Minnesota