EX-FELONS

Ex-Felons

Ex-Felons

It is, at this juncture that rehabilitation Program must provide both the opportunity and the tools of change, a veritable smorgasbord of social tools. When the student is ready the teacher must come. With these tools, the student is able to do what he wants to do anyway, make his turnaround. (Michael 2005)

Kenn Neyland refutes the hard-liners claim that "nothing works" by providing us with a new, progressive, educational model based on proven results with some our toughest felon-Americans. Project Reclaim is a complete, eclectic, integrated rehabilitation program that pivots off the crucial mentor imperative. At the mentor's disposal are other integral rehabilitation program elements such as the contract agreement, (Jamie and Marc 2008)a personalized, self-paced learning curriculum, a new concept of peer influence tied to the principle of autonomy. A rehabilitation program designed the help the student become more responsible so that he might one day return to society and live a meaningful and productive life, (Michael 2005) to perhaps get married and raise a family and to become a real asset to his community.

Thus the two-way Reclaim process is the focal point within the philosophy of Project Reclaim: bringing groups together, in this case bringing our felon-Americans together with their society; that is, society in the person of Project Reclaim reaching into our felon-Americans, showing that we understand them to be first of all human beings whose lives are sacred and inviolable. (Ratliff 2006)

Second, they are a valuable resource in our society largely going to waste. Finally, it is this positive humanistic exchange of energy that helps us heal the wounds and close the breech between them and us, which is simply a form of speech because we are all One. (Jamie and Marc 2008) It is society taking responsibility for its mistakes, working within the system-blame approach; it is society fulfilling its role as the social parent by tending to the basic needs of its troubled youth (taking responsibility for their falling through the cracks of the conventional socialization experience). (Michael 2005)

After the Revolution? some of the English common law heritage was rejected? but the voting disqualifications were maintained by many states. Two hundred years later? every state but Maine and Vermont (which allows prisoners to vote) has a set of laws that restricts the voting rights of felons and former felons. Forty-eight states and the District of Columbia do not permit prison inmates to vote? 32 states disenfranchise felons on parole? and 28 felons on probation. (Christopher and Jeff 2007)

In addition? in 13 states a felony conviction can result in disenfranchisement? generally for life? even after an offender has completed his or her sentence. Thus? for example? an 18-year-old convicted of a one-time drug sale in Virginia who successfully completes a court-ordered rehabilitation rogram and is never arrested again has permanently lost his voting rights unless he receives a gubernatorial pardon. (Fellner and Mauer? 2008)While the issue of disenfranchisement would raise questions about democratic inclusion at any point in history? the dramatic escalation of the ...