Surprisingly, even offenders want to be treated justly and fairly. An offender wants to be given a chance to re-establish his or her character. Many offenders are first time offenders and would like to be given the opportunity to rehabilitate and prove themselves as law abiding citizens. An offender may feel the law is designed to punish and humiliate them for their offense. Very few offenders feel after serving time for their offense that their slate has been wiped clean by serving time in jail or prison. Many offenders are denied a second chance at working a legitimate job and may be forced to return to their criminal ways to survive. Confinement is a breeding ground for major offenses.
An offense is a mistake and many offenders believe second chances should be given to anyone that makes a mistake. However, ignorance is no excuse for breaking the law. Some offenders feel they had no other choice but to break the law. The petty thief may be stealing to sell the items just so that they can survive. Alas, they are not taking into account the people who abide by the law, no after how hard it is to live by the rules.
The prisons are over-crowded and our taxes to support these offenders is being squandered away as the tax payers provide a system that hardens offenders and sends them back on the street after serving their time. Some minor offenses such as avoiding paying tickets should be punished by allowing the offender to work and pay off the debt rather than sit in jail and be even more corrupted by major offenders.
It is evident the law or justice system is not equal and just to all offenders. How many times have we seen celebrities and influential people defray or get off scott free from serving any jail time. This legal system may seem quite unfair to a poor offender who may not have the means to get bailed out of jail. The law states after serving your term that you have paid your debt to society. Many offenders do not concur with that statement.
It’s obvious certain jobs would not hire an offender. A bank teller would not be a job for a person convicted of petty theft. Like-wise a person convicted of drunk driving should never be allowed to drive again until he repeatedly passes sobriety tests. Innocent peoples lives are at stake. Offenders seldom if ever evaluate the circumstances of their illegal actions. Offenders, probably don’t think things through clearly.