I do not feel it is the criminal justice systems responsibility to ensure formerly incarcerated individuals become successful members of society. The government provides countless programs and resources to assist individuals in finding shelter, jobs, medical care, and educational opportunities. I feel that the ultimate responsibility falls on the individual themselves. Incarcerated individuals should be presented with information detailing community programs and resources they have at their disposal, both during incarceration and following release. Inmates should be presented with information and resources in ample time to allow for housing arrangements to be made prior to release. The inmate would be responsible for utilizing such information and making efforts to reach out for further assistance. In the instance of inmates who may not be able to read or who may have disabilities deterring their being able to independently achieve these objectives, there would be someone who could further assist them. I do not however, feel that incarcerated individuals should be released and turned lose on the community without confirmation that they have arranged for sufficient shelter. I feel that it would be highly beneficial to incorporate educational advancement, such as obtaining a GED or attending a vocational program, as requirements or stipulations on probation or parole or even as grounds for consideration for early release. Ultimately, the sole responsibility of the criminal justice system, in my opinion, is to provide incarcerated individuals with information detailing government and local agencies that could assist them in successfully rejoining society.
Identify two posts by your peers that you might disagree with and respond to them. For each of your two peer responses, be sure to: