The society we live in today generally hold prejudices. For instance, some of us are prejudiced against foreign workers, homosexuals, ex-offenders etc.In Singapore, each year, thousands of ex-offenders complete their sentences and are released from prisons and drug rehabilitation centres into our society.
An ex-offender Samuel Chow, talks about his journey from an ex-offender to an entrepreneur. Samuel, who was convicted for armed robbery and served eleven years in prison, states that after his release, he changed his mind set on life and wanted to be a better person. However, like many other ex-offenders he faced many problems such as rejection by employers, mistrust, suspicion and discrimination. Samuel now, runs his own business and has a few ex-offenders on his payroll. (News Article)
To remove the social stigma faced by ex-offenders and change the society’s perceptions of them, the yellow ribbon project was initiated. The project, together with various partners provides social, financial, employment assistance as well as counselling for ex-offenders.
As part of the yellow ribbon project’s effort to generate acceptance of ex-offenders, many television and print advertisements, TV shows, roadshows were created. As a result, many Singaporeans have been primed to view the acceptance of convicts positively. This is evident in the increase in supporters for events organised by the yellow ribbon as well as employers change in perceptions of employing ex-offenders. However, the social stigma related to ex-offenders still remains among some.
Personally, I support the integration of ex-offenders into society to a certain extent. Humans in general do make mistakes. Some criminal acts can be attributed to circumstances or desperation and most of them done without rational thought. I feel that ex-offenders who belong to this category should be given sufficient opportunities, support and acceptance into society.
However offenders who commit criminal acts such as rape, molestation or calculated murder should not be readily accepted into our society. This is because these acts are often committed rationally and with the intention to inflict harm or cause danger by satisfying their socially unacceptable needs or desires. As such, allowing these individuals to integrate into society and socialize in places such as schools or work will most likely provide them with opportunities to repeat their offences.
What are your views on accepting ex-offenders?
An ex-offender Samuel Chow, talks about his journey from an ex-offender to an entrepreneur. Samuel, who was convicted for armed robbery and served eleven years in prison, states that after his release, he changed his mind set on life and wanted to be a better person. However, like many other ex-offenders he faced many problems such as rejection by employers, mistrust, suspicion and discrimination. Samuel now, runs his own business and has a few ex-offenders on his payroll. (News Article)
To remove the social stigma faced by ex-offenders and change the society’s perceptions of them, the yellow ribbon project was initiated. The project, together with various partners provides social, financial, employment assistance as well as counselling for ex-offenders.
As part of the yellow ribbon project’s effort to generate acceptance of ex-offenders, many television and print advertisements, TV shows, roadshows were created. As a result, many Singaporeans have been primed to view the acceptance of convicts positively. This is evident in the increase in supporters for events organised by the yellow ribbon as well as employers change in perceptions of employing ex-offenders. However, the social stigma related to ex-offenders still remains among some.
Personally, I support the integration of ex-offenders into society to a certain extent. Humans in general do make mistakes. Some criminal acts can be attributed to circumstances or desperation and most of them done without rational thought. I feel that ex-offenders who belong to this category should be given sufficient opportunities, support and acceptance into society.
However offenders who commit criminal acts such as rape, molestation or calculated murder should not be readily accepted into our society. This is because these acts are often committed rationally and with the intention to inflict harm or cause danger by satisfying their socially unacceptable needs or desires. As such, allowing these individuals to integrate into society and socialize in places such as schools or work will most likely provide them with opportunities to repeat their offences.
What are your views on accepting ex-offenders?
The personality or an individual’s past causes them to develop into a rapist, a molester etc. When the individual is sentenced to prison, he is being constrained to the four walls which gives him ample time to reflect on his actions and is thus encouraged to change his ways with the support of various programs conducted in the prison. This may cause him to change his mind set on life and be a better person.
ReplyDeleteWhen he is released from prison and enters the very same environment that triggered his unacceptable desires, an individual may be tempted to return to his old ways or he/she may always decide to change so as to be accepted into society. It depends solely on the individual.
Therefore, it is not always the society’s duty to readily accept the ex-offender. It is the shared responsibility of ex-offenders to decide if he/she wants to be accepted into the society and change their ways to achieve this purpose.
I agree with your views on ex-offenders. We should accept them back to the society. By accepting them back we can give them a sense of belonging.This will prevent them from making the same mistake again. We should give them opportunities to change into a better person. No human is perfect in this world.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Amir. In my view, discrimination with regards to an ex-offender may be much more on the part of that individual than on society. We cannot deny the fact that any ex-offender will be shunned by society upon his release. And we may even have some members of public holding on to a negative perspective of the ex-offender throughout life.
ReplyDeleteI feel it depends, significantly, upon the ex-offender on how he chooses to portray and conduct himself after his release. It is how he wants others to view him and how he chooses to be. Time can heal most wounds. And overtime, the ex-offender may have the chance to be viewed as a member of public. Only with his sincere efforts he might stand a chance.
Yes i do agree that ex-offenders should have the responsibility to change their ways to be accepted into society.
ReplyDeleteHowever, those who commit acts such as rape or molest, should not be accepted into society without a psychological examination. Though this may sound extreme, i feel that this will benefit the society at large. This is beacause offenders who commit these acts have psychological issues and problems that are deeply rooted in their subconsciousness.
Though they might appear changed on the surface, subconsciously their socially unacceptable needs and desires may still remain.
As such, a psychological examination might determine if the person poses no harm and is fit to return to society.
that's a very clever way to categorize ex offenders. personally, i feel that no matter what the crime, if the person admits to the mistake and shows willingness to change, why not?
ReplyDeleteno matter who the person is, as long as he is capable and shows that he is determined to succeed, thhat person deserves a second chance.
I guess until one day someone invents a "repentance detector", we have to give all ex offenders a chance to start anew, because we can't tell whether an ex criminal will repent at one glance. Maybe what we may want to try is to learn from Greenland, where rapist and molesters are given injections to control their sex drives etc. I hope the society can give them a chance, because everyone makes mistakes and it just so happened that their mistakes were more serious to warrant an arrest.
ReplyDeleteSometimes, the only difference between an inmate and a free man is only that one was unlucky enough to get caught. How many of us can honestly say that we have never done anything which constitutes as a crime before? Say trespassing or vandalising public property(even writing on the back of the bus seats or toilet doors)are all crimes that most of us may have been guilty of. How about substance abuse and driving under the influence, personally i know people who have done both the acts but were lucky enough not to get caught. What i am trying to say is that we should realise that ex inmates are not all as 'evil' as we perceive them to be, just that maybe they have made some bad decisions in their lives and they were unlucky to be caught. We should all at least give them a second chance.
ReplyDeletemy view is tat ALL criminals should be accepted back in soceity regardless of rape or molestation or murder(the severity of the crime)...who am i to judge these people....who have already did their time in prison...if they are not to be accepted, might as well hang them all...why a slow, hard and painful death...if we do tat(not accepting) who are the real sinners? us? or them?
ReplyDeleterafi, i feel that you are taking the issue too simply. On the account that you stated, how regardless of the severity, ALL criminals should be accepted in society. It is true that since they have served their time, they should not be punished further with the stigma attached to being an ex convict. But the crimes that they have commited do matter. I mean if someone has been convicted of say rape or child molestation, would you be confortable if he was to become a preschool teacher striaght after being released where he will be in high contact with children?
ReplyDeleteIn an ideal world, we would all be accepting of ex-offenders and would gladly welcome their integration back into society. but this does not actually transcend into reality. I do not think of myself as prejudiced nor do i think i am an unforgiving person; but in actuality, if i am put in a situation where i would have contact with a robber, murderer or a rapist, i might think twice about it. I think this is just human nature in wanting to be cautious and protective and not a display of social stigma. I feel that ex-offenders should understand this and not lose hope in turning over a new leaf just because people's reactions towards them might not be as receptive as they had hoped. also, i do not necessarily think those who committed rape or murder should be less readily accepted into society. I feel that this should be dependent on the individual. if he is willing and determined in making a change, i am sure he should and would receive the utmost support from us. everyone makes mistakes in life and we should realize that. being non-judgmental about others' past means barriers will be broken down and the ex-offenders won't have an inferiority complex or low esteem, as this may actually cause them to go back to their old ways.
ReplyDeleteAwesome!!! So what are the Statistic of a ex-convict able to be successful?
ReplyDelete