he increase was from 129 to 216. Since the mid-1980s, the prison population has continued to climb, however, at a reduced rate (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2002a, p. 1).
Once the prisoner is released from incarceration, the community is faced with new repercussions. Wheeler and Hissong (1988) reported for example, that jail time, probation, and fines do not modify behavior. The individual incarcerated for drunk driving returns to the community with the same drinking behaviors. Drunk driving is a national problem. Imprisonment fails to effectively reduce imprisonment. Thus the incarcerated individual returns to the community to commit additional offences. In their study, results showed that prisoners were 2.3 times more likely to be charged with a new offense, compared to probationers, and they were 1.8 times more likely to be convicted of a new offence and 2.2 times more likely to be incarcerated for a new offence. Results also pointed out that males and blacks have higher rates of recidivism, and younger offenders and those with more prior felony convictions have higher rates of recidivism. Thus the community is faced with black, male felony convicts who commit new offenses.
Post-incarceration experiences include segregation, stigmatization, and wage inequality and lack of mobility. Men with felony records find it difficult to obtain a good job. These ex-prisoners tend to lack schooling and optimal employment experience in the first place; in fact it may be this lack of economic opportunity that led to crime. Incarceration results in disrupted careers in others who had previous employment potential. Incarceration erodes job skills and it may exacerbate pre-existing or resulting mental or physical illness. Social contacts about job opportunities are also eroded by incarceration. Those who obtain employment face wage inequality and limited financial growth (Western, 2002).
In addition to these financial and so...