Written by: Sadie Evans, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
The Truth About America Not Giving Ex-offenders A 2nd Chance
Why must the odds be forever against me when I already served 5-10 or 10-20 years of my life behind bars?
Completely cut off from a fast-moving society, is this really a setup to keep me coming through the revolving door of the prison system.
Isn’t this the same country that stands on the back of God, the God of second chances?
Now here I am finally released into a society that I am no longer familiar with and the only option I have is to get a job that I have no skills for only forcing me to accept wages that I cannot live on. Oftentimes, I question if this is a setup to see if I will eliminate myself once again.
America, America, why must I still serve time when I served my time! Let me make it clear, I understand that I made a mistake as an adult, and I should have known better, and I take full responsibility for the charges on my name. But please understand that from the eyes of a child all I saw was pain and poverty and this issue was not something I asked for, but it was forced on me. But it's not just me, but also my family. Unfortunately, I was not given the option to go to schools where teachers genuinely cared about our education, I was not able to go to my father for guidance because he was trying to survive the best way he knew how. As I grew, I knew I wanted to escape the pain that came with living in poverty, but I had no idea how, so I leaned on the only piece of love and guidance I felt... Which was the streets and as we all knew the streets do not love you back, but even bad guidance is better than no guidance right?
Your Honor, during the 5 years of my life that I spent alone in a prison cell, I sat in there and, I learned the error of my actions. Each day, I realized that pain and poverty was meant to teach me how to tap into the greatness within me, I learned that no guidance was better than bad guidance because it allows me the opportunity to seek good guidance, I learned that there is nothing in these streets but an early death sentence and or becoming stale by the prison system. Actually, I have a plan, I finally have a plan! Once I get out, I am going to get a job and work hard every day so that I can get home, go to school, and become a productive MAN in society. But here, I am being rejected by yet another job. The frustration is rising, and I better get some money soon or I’ll be homeless, and my family will starve. Now, I’m fighting myself because I know better now, I learned my lesson when I gave y’all 5 years of my life. But if I don’t go back to the only thing that I know which is to hustle for money I’ll end up sleeping on the streets and not being able to take care of the family I created. America y’all have left me no choice but to go back to what is familiar and what is familiar will eventually lead me to give the prison system 10-15 more years of my life.
Why is this happening America? Why are people serving time behind bars and getting out without proper rehabilitation, why pay the price for crime ten years later? Is the average $33,274 to house inmates all the value that is placed on the lives of people. Again, I ask is this the same America that stands of “ONE NATION UNDER GOD” If so, can we truly give our ex-offenders a second chance, can we properly rehabilitate them, can we not make them continue to serve time after all, they served their time and worked for unlivable wages while doing it.
I am the sister, the friend, the niece, the heart, and the mouth of PEOPLE (Ex-offenders) that are trying to move on but are being forced to go back to the only survival skills they know.
America, WE HAVE TO DO BETTER!
Sadie Evans, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Sadie Evans is an author, speaker, and the podcast host of Soul Food with Sadie, She is a first-generation college grad with her degree in Human Services. She is a first-generation business owner and author, Sadie is the epiphany of self-development. She took the obstacles she was born into and utilized them as a staircase to her success. Sadie has survived childhood trauma, domestic violence, and the struggles that come with being a single parent. She knows how to turn pain into purpose and her goal is to help others transform their trauma into triumph.
