Causes
It has been suggested that for many decades, correctional observers did not give priority to the reality that offenders who reenter society face a varied assortment of daunting challenges that predictably lead to high recidivism rates. Various researchers also noted that prisoners are stripped of civil rights and are reluctantly absorbed into communities which leads to their further alienation and isolation. A final factor when looking at the causes of recidivism is the difficulty of a released offender when faced with finding a job, renting an apartment or getting an education.
Owners of business will often refuse to hire a convicted felon and are at best hesitant, especially in any position that entails even minor responsibility or the handling of money (note that this includes most work), especially to those convicted of thievery, such as larceny, or drug addicts. Many leasing corporations (those organisations and/or people who own and rent apartments) now routinely perform criminal background checks and disqualify ex-convicts (although many apartments, especially in the inner city or in areas with high crime rates, even if having such an official policy, do not follow it, or it leads to a situation where apartments are held in the name of a someone other than the occupant without a felony record).
People with criminal records report difficulty or the inability to find educational opportunities, and are often denied financial aid based on their records. In America, those found guilty of even a minor misdemeanor (in some states, a citation offense, such as a traffic ticket) or misdemeanour drug offence (for example, simple possession of marijuana or heroin, respectively) are disqualified from receiving all government-funded educational loans and financial aid.
Read more about this topic: Recidivism