When you live life with a family member, friend, and/or co-worker who’s a convicted felon you are bound to be judge by society for your affiliation with them. This is known in the world of Sociology as a Stigma.
A stigma is characteristics that discredit people. It is the violation of norms of ability, appearance, and involuntary membership. In other words, it is what our World views as wrong, or not acceptable in society.
The stigma that convicts carry is a very extreme example. Convicts are viewed in this world as the ultimate villains. When they are trying to find jobs they are at the back of the line, all due to their rap sheets. It also takes a large hit on their surrounding inner circle. By that I mean the family members and friends that have remained close to the convict. I have personal experience with this subject. My older brother began to have run-ins with the law at the end of my sophomore year in high school and was convicted during my senior year of breaking parole. From that point forward, I saw a drastic change in the perception of my family, along with myself. Long time family friends began to separate themselves from our family, and my teachers and school administrators viewed me as a punk. I struggled to understand what I had done so wrong to deserve this persona I had inherited, before I began to realize it was the stigma my brother had caused. I have never been arrested, convicted, or done anything that would warrant such actions by my surrounding community, but my brother had. My brother also now struggles to find jobs, working mostly for my parents, and in a moving company that my father is well affiliated with.
This is a stigma that is voiced all over the world, and it is these stigmas that cause convicts to be repeat offenders of the law. According to a study done by crimes in America, 52% of our convicted felons return to jail for serious crimes or breaking of their parole within the first year. Howard Husock, vice president for policy research for The Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, says the number increases to about 2/3rds returning to prison. Many of those parole infractions are caused by the lack of jobs offered to ex cons. How do we expect convicts to return to society when they aren’t given a chance to? These stigmas are harming not only the convicts, but also our government. MSNBC reported that 50 billion dollars is spent each year for our prisons to run. How many different ways could we spend that 50 billion dollars if we were just able to reintegrate our ex convicts?
Below is a video of an ex convict who has been convicted three times.
You bring up a very good point, that the stigma is extended to those surrounding the one initially stigmatized.
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