Ex-Offenders After Prisons Essay

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Many challenges arise for ex-offenders upon reintegration into society, but most importantly, when seeking employment. Therefore, it is crucial for educators to understand the factors that negatively effect ex-offenders in order to guide them in finding employment. This population is often faced with stigma as they attempt to reintegrate into society, which makes their transition to life after prison even more difficult and challenging. Stigma, caused by criminal history often forces many to find alternative ways to adapt to the world to fit in and be successful (Harrison & Beck, 2006). It limits their future work opportunities and as a result, they often return to crime for a source of income. Therefore, gainful employment is of utmost importance for an ex-offender who is trying to turn their life around, it helps prevent recidivism by providing legal income and giving them a productive role in society. According to the United States Department of Justice (2011) each year, more than 700,000 individuals are released from state and federal prisons and over 10,000 ex-prisoners are also released from state and federal prisons every week. And few of those ex-offenders reenter society with a positive I can do it attitude. Many of them feel …show more content…

48). As stated before ex-offenders experience a lack of self-efficacy, therefore, feeling worthless and hopeless. However, validation theory offered a new approach that instructors and counselors can use to validate students and acknowledge that they are capable of succeeding in a college environment through positive interaction with other supportive individuals. Rendon (1994) defines “validation as an enabling, confirming and supportive process initiated by in and out of class agents that foster academic and interpersonal development”(p.

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