The FairCosa Foundation
Mission
from historically underprivileged communities
to aid in improving quality of life through
education, training, and community development.
Graphic courtesy of www.drc.ohio.gov
Recidivism rates in the US are unquestionably high. According to some reports, the number is upwards of 60% of offenders. This post aims to explore the numbers in the US, identify obstacles to success, and highlight effective programs which reduce those numbers.
What is Recidivism?
While the definition varies from country to country, in the US it is best explained as the percent of individuals who are re-incarcerated within 3 years of their release. So if the recidivism rate were 60% (as some reports state) than 60 of every 100 released inmates would be incarcerated again within 3 years of their release. This percent can be further broken down into rates by the year - according to the graphic above, from the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections, the rate of recidivism in the first year post-release ranges from 9% to 15%.
Graphic courtesy of www.drc.ohio.gov
What Causes Recidivism?
Examining the chart above highlights interesting data - more people are returned to prison due to technical violations than are returned for committing new crimes. Technical violations refer to breaches of the terms of their release. Some of these offenses can include not finding (or keeping) employment, missing a court date, or failing to find suitable housing. These 3 causes - housing, transportation, and employment - are the main obstacles to success for people recently released from prison.
Side note: PRC = Post-Release Control EST = End of Stated Term EOS = End of Sentence Inmates released as a result of EST or EOS have no terms to violate as they are not under the supervision of the courts.
What Breaks the Cycle?
Many states and organizations are making efforts to reduce the recidivism rate in the US. Check out this article for specifics on a few of these programs. Each program has one thing in common: they provide support in the areas of education and employment.
The FairCosa Foundation plans to offer similar support. We are working with the ODRC and local re-entry courts to provide in-prison education programs in the field of transportation. Upon an inmate's release, we will provide housing and a paid internship for a full year. During this time, program participants will become experts in the transportation industry, learning multiple aspects such as brokering, dispatching, sales, and service. After successful completion of the program, individuals will have the option to work with a national brokerage through partnerships with The Foundation.
What Does Success Look Like?
What do you know about the recidivism rate in your country? Steemit is truly a global platform - please share your ideas and observations in the comments below. There are many models to ensure success. We'd love to hear your thoughts.
We all deserve a future - help us clear the way.
The FairCosa Foundation
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I did not know this. Thanks for enlightening me. Truly a problem to solve.
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So sorry for such a late response.
I know a man who was released from prison. He only served a few years for a non-violent drug offense. He is on probation for 5 years! Every single week he has to go get drug tested. He has to go to AA meetings, although he was never an alcoholic. He has to appear in court and perform community service regularly. It is difficult for him to meet the terms of his probation while holding down a full time job.
The system sets so many people up for failure. His judge has told him that if his urine test comes back diluted she will send him back to prison. He's been on probation for about 3 years now and hasn't missed a day or a test or anything, yet she still threatens him with prison over something as silly as drinking too much water.
Something needs to change.
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Some of that is just people being stupid. It's been a lifelong observation of mine that if you put the average person in a position of authority, they instantly become more interested in exercising their authority than in solving problems, exercising justice, or engaging in critical thinking. The most important thing to the entire human race is to feel important. Black robes make people feel important.
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True story. And sad as well. Unjust exercise of authority has been a huge issue in Cleveland, where I am, lately. The US Marshalls just finished a report on how awful the county jail is here, and it's mainly because of apathy and excess authority.
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this just happened to a person we know. He couldn't find a job - because he had a record, lost his housing, was homeless and back to jail. At least, now he is off probation and we think we found a good space for him. So sad!!
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That is a common story among former inmates. Many employers see that they have a record and immediately dismiss them as potential employees. Without a job, how can a person get housing or transportation? Almost immediately, they are set up for failure and in danger of going back to prison due to a technical violation.
It is incredibly sad. Fortunately, there are more and more employers who make a point to hire felons. It's not common knowledge though, so even if it's available, most recently released inmates don't know about it.
We don't know what we don't know, so it's up to organizations like ours to help spread awareness and connect these folks with the tools for success. :-)
Thanks for helping him find a good space to be!
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And thank you for what you do. It is ridiculous how many people we have in jail for basically no reason. I hope that we see the light and be more like Europe in the future.
But jails and prison are big businesses...
It will take a big shift.
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I agree - it will take a whole lot of awareness before we begin to fix the issues. You might check out season 3 of a podcast called Serial. It's based in Cleveland which is where I am, but the justice system operates the same way all over the country. It's crazy - but podcasts like this one are what it's going to take to make enough people aware that we have a big problem on our hands.
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I will honestly say that I was never really interested in the issue of recidivism as the crime here is luckily not as high as in other countries so I can't say what is the rate but I'll try to look into it..
You have such a great program and I'm looking forward to read some stories from people whom you will help :)
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Thank you. I'm quite excited to get it running and interacting with folks as an agent for change. :-)
The US doesn't have the highest recidivism rate, although we have the highest incarceration rate, but it's still much too high. Also, recidivism is measured differently in other parts of the world. Some countries define it as a 5 year period, some as a 1 year period, and some don't really track statistics. It's tough to get accurate comparisons on the topic.
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We really need to expect far better from our government here. Unfortunately, the US has never figured out whether prison is punishment or rehabilitation, and with private prisons companies now have a vested interest in making sure as many people as possible end up there. As a person who was born and raised in the US, I am increasingly alarmed at where we are at as a country. We truly seem to not care about people, whether its our judicial, prison, immigration, or healthcare system. Trump's election as president further illustrates just how many Americans are either ignorant or just plain hateful. I worry about our children and how long the US will remain a viable place to live.
Proud member of #powerhousecreatives.
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So sorry for such a late response.
Yes, if we cold figure out which we are going for - punishment or rehab - we would likely make a lot more progress. As a punishment, providing TV and craft time and all that jazz seems counterproductive. As rehab, locking someone up for years on end is equally counterproductive.
Also, studies show that punishment, which is distinct from consequence, doesn't work to change behavior. Rehab requires actively teaching people new habits and skills - that is almost completely lacking in our prisons.
What do you think the solution is - or at least, what do you think a good starting point would be?
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Wow. I knew there had to be a word for this, but I had no clue that was it. I now understand the process a bit better knowing what the word was. It has brought two topics together and makes more sense to me.
I wish there was an easier way to help these people make the change, but it really isn't going to be all that simple there is such a cultural thing in there that it seems to take hold of the soul. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. It helps to understand people a bit better.
Ren
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Support makes all the difference in changing habits and attitudes upon release. Many people are released with nothing and yet somehow expected to succeed. That's just not realistic.
The FairCosa Foundation aims to provide those supports to actually help people reach the success that we know is possible. :-)
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