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When ex-offenders are eventually released from prison, felons often have nowhere to take up residence. Some have family or friends they can stay with, but a large portion are relegated to homeless shelters and the streets.
The problem with this situation is that they are placed back into a criminal element that only provokes further criminal behavior. And further criminal behavior translates into more victims, and more costs to taxpayers.
Studies performed by Governor Bill Ritter’s Colorado Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice, as well as the Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition, have found that denying ex-offenders basic tools for survival will inevitably result in the commission of new crimes, the creation of new victims, and additional costs to taxpayers for re-incarceration.
However, Colorado chooses to ignore these studies and continue denying felons and newly-released prisoners basic needs such as housing and employment. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) enforces federal laws that prohibit discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status and handicap.
But there are no such laws to deter discrimination against felons. “We discriminate against them because we can,” says Neal Lang of Tonti Properties in Texas, which owns several properties in Colorado. “”People with felonies have a bad track record and tend to attract other felons. It’s our basic co-policy to not accept them.”
Comments
Felons have rights to. If a felon is denied their rights, then they need to pick up a gun and FIGHT for those rights at all costs.
If you shake Washington up with the prospect of well over 3 million felons fighting for their rights, then, and only then, is when felons will get the respect they deserve.
Right on bro!
Ah, felons, the last class to discriminate against here in the United States so naturally, we discriminate against them with such zeal, it's scary.
Speaking as an ex-con myself (when I was younger and much stupider I got in trouble with the law) I've faced a lot of discrimination, even today, twenty-one years since my release from prison. Nevermind my college degree, the fact I've "kept my nose clean" or any of that. No. I'm a felon so I can't be trusted, EVER. I've been denied housing and employment because of my record.
We NEED to change the way felons are treated upon release. A time limit past which all record of any wrongdoings are expunged, to allow us the ability to restart our lives. Discrimination can be a good thing, but when it's used to deprive an entire group of people (the ones who usually need the most help!) of employment and housing it's pure evil.
The challange for the housing and employment market is that the term felon is s so broad. When someone who wrote a bad check of $200 bucks 20 years ago is considered the same as a violent rapist released last week there is a problem with the process. Like Bruce I believe a time limit on background checks is important for both housing and employment. I recently saw a women that was about 40 come into an apartment complex as I was entering a maintenance call for my daughter's apt and she was told it didn't matter that her offense was a bad check or that it was 23 years ago the policy was no felons. This is a huge problem for our country due in large part from the information age where every piece of our lives is available to be combed through. What are the alternatives for them since they can't vote? Does this mean they are taxed without representation if they do work? Because many felons are living in secrecy and shame there is little chance there will be any march on Washington.
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