There are about 1.5 million people in federal and state prisons in the United States, . That is more than the population of St. Louis County and city combined.
They are locked up for burglary, assault, murder or numerous other crimes. A sliver of that population will remain in prison for life. But the vast majority are released at some point. How does someone adjust to life outside after spending years behind bars?
If you look at the statistics, outcomes for released felons aren't very rosy. In Missouri, or under the supervision of the state prisons system in 2014. Chances of returning after release are substantial. For example, 5,493 people were released from Missouri prisons for the first time in 2009. Of those ex-offenders, roughly half had either returned to prison or were back on parole by 2014.
The half that does manage to reintegrate into society doesn't have an easy time of it. After all, in addition to the consequences that face people convicted of misdemeanors (which we talked about in ), people who commit felonies are barred from public housing, public assistance and, in some cases, even acquiring a passport.
More than statistics or facts, ex-offenders themselves are the best guide for learning about the transition from convicted felon to ordinary citizen. We thought it best to let some of them speak for themselves.
The podcast has their stories in greater detail, but here is a sampling of what they had to say about grappling with coming back from being a felon.
Jermaine Richmond
鈥淲hen you first go to shipping and receiving, you know where they make you change clothes and take you through all the little stuff and get your information and all this. It鈥檚 a sign as soon as you come in there. It says, 'Welcome to MSP, Missouri State Prison. Leave all your hopes and dreams behind you.' And that sign just stayed in my mind for years. I鈥檓, like, 19? Leave all my hopes and dreams behind me? At 19? It鈥檚 over with at 19? I could never really wrap my mind around that."
鈥淚f you think about guys that made a mistake when they are 16 or 17 and they鈥檝e been locked up 23, 27 years you can鈥檛 tell me that鈥檚 the same person. That鈥檚 not the same person. People do change especially if they want to change and everybody ain't a lost cause. I changed my life totally. I did a whole 360 and I鈥檓 standing on it.鈥�
Patty Berger
鈥淭hey talk about the revolving door; that was me. I remember I had a roommate in prison and she was doing a life sentence without parole and she said something to me. She said, 'You鈥檙e doing life on the installment plan.'鈥�
鈥淚 needed change and I knew that I was either going to die in prison or I was going to die from my addiction and I wasn't willing to do that anymore. My motivator for me was my children. The relationship that I had longed for, I couldn't give to them and I wanted [it] more than anything."
Maurice Robinson
鈥淲hen they hit the gavel and say, 'I now sentence you to this.' I said 鈥楲ord, I just don鈥檛 know if I can do this.鈥� I looked around and see people in the audience and I cry. It鈥檚 a hurting thing. It鈥檚 like your whole life goes right behind you or right in front of you. You don鈥檛 know which way it鈥檚 going, you don鈥檛 know which way is up. The first time I went to prison I was scared crapless, excuse my language, I really was. I had to go through the old MSP wall. It says, 'Welcome through the gates of hell and into the house of horror. Leave all your hopes and dreams behind.' When you walk through you just smell blood, smell death. I had a tear come out of my eye but I wouldn鈥檛 let nobody see it.鈥�
鈥淲here would I like to be in five years? Alive...if I can be catering in five years and still in the ministry, I can have cooking ministry. And I would love that.鈥�
Sophia Hamilton
鈥淸The training program run by ARCHS is] putting me in an environment I love to be in. It makes me feel good about myself. I used to wear fake eyelashes and hats on my head. That was my shield. But when we鈥檙e in the kitchen we can鈥檛 wear that. I just feel good that I don鈥檛 have on these lashes. I have confidence in myself. I just thought I was the ugliest person in the world because of what I鈥檝e been through. I鈥檓 beautiful in and out, so it makes me feel good.鈥�
鈥淗aving a criminal record is a barrier. Because it鈥檚 forgery, that鈥檚 considered stealing. People don鈥檛 want me working at their job because they think I鈥檓 a thief. They think I鈥檓 going to steal somebody鈥檚 identity, but that鈥檚 not true. So, it鈥檚 hard for me to find a good job. I鈥檓 not a murderer; I鈥檓 not a killer or anything. But it doesn鈥檛 matter. A record is a record.鈥�
