Your Perceptions Of Ex-Convicts
By cuddleme01
@cuddleme01 (2725)
Philippines
February 3, 2007 7:35am CST
Your Perceptions Of Ex-Convicts
Honestly I do fear criminals and the ex-convicts. But this does not mean I don’t believe in the possibility of them being reformed. Last December, together with our professors and classmates, we conducted a jail visit. We gave them clothing, food, basic necessities like soap, toothbrush, towels. Fear crept to me seeing these people we call criminals, but on the other hand, I felt compassion for them because of their condition. Unlike in other countries, our prison cells here in the Philippines are too crowded. For a single cell, the capacity of which is only 10 persons, there are about 25 prisoners or more in it. This is of course what they pay for the crimes they committed.
Anyway, the jail visit made me realize what if these criminals are set free, what will people think of them? How do people perceive ex-convicts? They have been judged by the courts and sentenced, will they be judged the same way by the public once they finish serving their sentences? Will the public still trust them? What if they apply for jobs to become productive citizens, will anyone hire them? I am sure these ex-convicts face tough lives.
In view of these, I am curious of what you think of ex-convicts? Would you still respect them? Would you even hire them?
5 people like this
8 responses
@cuddleme01 (2725)
• Philippines
3 Feb 07
yes certainly right ally. It's really hard to trust ex-convicts charged with pedophile to act as nanny of children. Perhaps we can consider pedophiles in a different job not related to children or away from children. thank you so much.
Just an observation, i found no other discussions on ex-convicts, i guess am the only one who made a discussion on this topic.
2 people like this
@byfaithonly (10698)
• United States
3 Feb 07
It really would depend on the crime and if the ex-con was truely sorry for what they had done, would have to trust my instinct on the last point. I could not tolorate rapists or child molesters.
I live in the town where one of the largest walled prisons in the US is located so do come in contact with a lot of ex-cons. They have a community work program for "good" prisons nearing release, through that they make contact with "locals' and many stay in the area when they are released.
@cuddleme01 (2725)
• Philippines
3 Feb 07
thank for that nice response byfaithonly. yes, i agree, we should consider the type of crime an ex-con has committed.Normally we deal with every ex-con differently on the basis of their crimes.
2 people like this
@Lydia1901 (16351)
• United States
3 Apr 07
I would respect them as long as they wouldn't do the same crime again and they wouldn't hurt me or my family in any way.
@ItTakesAllSorts (4096)
•
4 Feb 07
I suppose it depends on what their crime was.
Many ex-cons will go on to commit another crime when they come out of prison because they have not been given the support to stay on the straight and narrow.
It is hard for them to be trusted again, but I do believe they should be given a second chance. How else are they going to prove they have changed.
Our prisons are now at full capacity and some criminals are not being put in prison because of this. This makes me nervous.
However, alot should not even be in prison but in mental health hospitals receiving the right treatment, but our government has sold all these off to private investors, so the mentally ill are being totally neglected.
There have been many cases where these people have committed crimes because of care in the community is not working once they leave prison.
To enable ex-cons to have a chance, prisons should be about rehabilitation, but sadly this is not high on the governments agenda.
@cyntrow (8523)
• United States
4 Feb 07
I agree with everyone, it certainly depends on the crime. But I do believe in rehabilitation. We hired an ex con as a grounds keeper for our house in West Virginia. He was in prison for 15 years for 3 counts of armed robbery. Once in prison, he finished school and started working on college credits. He is now attending a community college while taking odd jobs around town. He's done his time and has learned from his mistakes. I think the basic problem is with the judicial system as a whole. Most of these people have been in and out of the criminal justice system since they were teens. If society had reached out at that point and gave them another direction, they may not have been in the same position when they were older. Once they are in the adult prison population, it is only up to the will of the prisoner whether they want to change their lives. I fear most don't care anymore.
1 person likes this
@cuddleme01 (2725)
• Philippines
4 Feb 07
thank you for that informative response you've given. yes our judicial system have its failures too, and also the other branches of the government. can't blame it just to the judicial branch.
1 person likes this
@Kalyni2011 (3496)
• India
28 Jan 12
Things in india and Philippines are similar in many respects, some professional criminals enjoy all kinds of facility in jails, they are kind of pet of corrupt politicians, but there are persons in jail who never did any wrong, but got trapped some how..
Thus all the covited are not wrong persons, one can hire them..
Happy posting, cheers.
Kalyani
@kgwat70 (13388)
• United States
3 Feb 07
I do feel that some of them are able to be reformed but I would still feel uncomfortable being around an ex-convict because there would be doubt in my mind if they changed or not. I certainly would not respect or trust someone that killed a person, raped a person, molested a child or any other physically harmful crime to another person. It would be hard to respect anyone that committed a crime, regardless of what they did. I would not hire an ex-convict because of the potential of them doing something again. The crime they committed had to be very serious to spend time in jail.
