Introduction
Despite being traditionally referred to as correctional and, therefore, presupposing the rehabilitation of criminals, prisons and the related facilities often serve as the means of isolating people from the rest of the society even after the rehabilitation (Miller, 2014). Recent studies show that people, who have been in jail and have recently been released, be it a release on parole or after serving full time, are highly unlikely to integrate back into the society (Hatcher, 2010).
Psychological Issues
When it comes to identifying the factors that will prevent Bill from integrating into the society successfully, one must mention the communication problems that may emerge as a result of the conflict with the parents of the deceased. Particularly, the fact that the specified members of the community have lost their child to the horrible crime committed by Bill’s accomplice deserves to be mentioned. Although Bill did not have any direct relation trot eh victim’s death he will still be blamed by the parents; more importantly, the latter may affect the way, in which the rest of the community sees Bill. Consequently, facing the victims of the crime and being able to accept the responsibility, yet not be crushed by the weight of the guilt is the key challenge that Bill will have to face when returning to the community (Taxman, 2004).
The need to overcome the suspicions of the neighbors should also be mentioned as the key psychological problem that Bill will have to deal with. The neighbors will literally watching his every move waiting for him to make a mistake. The fear of coming into conflict with the law and being reported to the local authorities, therefore, will become Bill’s key fear, which will prevent him from becoming a member of the community and socializing with its members successfully.
Practical Issues
Additionally, regaining the trust of the rest of the community members is going to be very tricky. Consequently, Bill will have to deal with significant obstacles when applying for a job, participating in the community events that are somehow related to politics, or any events that presuppose any kind of participation in social events.
Moreover, the fact that the degree, to which one has to fight against social prejudices in the endeavor of reentering the society depends heavily on gender, as recent studies show in a very graphic way (Taxman, 2004). Particularly, researches point at the fact that women are more likely to being blocked from any kind of social interactions with the members of the community due to the mental health issues that they are exposed to: “young women in the justice system experience significantly higher rates of mental health problems than their male counterparts” (Fields & Abrams, 2010, p. 256). Therefore, from a practical perspective, unemployment and, therefore, the financial wellbeing, Bill has slightly higher chances than women, who are released from jail. Nevertheless, he still has a long way to go to integrate back into the society..
It should be noted, though, that bill still has a chance at redeeming himself in the eyes of the people living in his community. Particularly, enrolling into a correctional program that helps rehabilitate criminals may assist him in gaining people’s trust once again and becoming socially accepted (Fox, 2012). Until then, Bill will have to face certain hostility from the community representatives.
Reference List
Fields, D., & Abrams, L. S. (2010).Gender differences in the perceived needs and barriers of youth offenders preparing for community reentry. Child & Youth Care Forum, 39(4), 253–269. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
Fox, K. J. (2012). Redeeming communities: Restorative offender reentry in a risk-centric society. Victims & Offenders, 7(1), 97–120. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
Hatcher, S. (2010). Recognizing perspectives on community reentry from offenders with mental illness: Using the Afrocentric framework and concept mapping with adult detainees. Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 49(8), 536–550. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
Miller, J. (2014). Identifying collateral effects of offender reentry programming through evaluative fieldwork. American Journal of Criminal Justice, 39(1), 41–58. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
Taxman, F. S. (2004). The offender and reentry: Supporting active participation in reintegration. Federal Probation, 68(2), 31–35. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.