Goodwill Lauds the "Second Chance" Act

Goodwill Industries released a statement on Friday in praise of the newly passed Second Chance Act, which was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
The Act is meant to finance help for prisoners who are being freed and returning to civilian life.

There have long been critics of the correctional system in the United States concerning matters of actually preparing convicted criminals to return to the life of working, productive citizens. The critics say that while locked away from society, prisoners too often become "institutionalized" men and women, losing the sense of independence that they had before their incarceration, an they are ill-equipped emotionally or skills-wise to return to the world of the free.

There are over 2 million Americans locked away and serving time presently, and it has been calculated that over 5% of the American population has served or is serving correctional facility time. In the mid-1970s, there were only 200,000 Americans serving time.

Critics have said that there are simply too many laws and too much litigation activity in the United States, and it is too easy for even decent people who have committed minor offenses to find themselves sentenced to having their liberties stripped for a time in order to "correct" their behavior.

The former inmates that this journalist has spoken with speak of fear, abuse, rape, poor quality food, and harsh treatment from guards most of the time. While locked away, these people seem to be encouraged to learn how to smuggle cigarettes or bribe guards to get certain privileges while being exposed to violent or drug-addicted fellow inmates rather than "corrected", if the many stories I have heard are to be believed. This journalist has found it difficult to disagree with the critics of our justice system, and has seen scant evidence of any "correcting" taking place.