Second Chances

Edinson Calderon received an almost fatal beating by the police in his country of Venezuela. He escaped and passed through four countries before crossing the border into the United States, where he was quickly taken into ICE custody. He was placed in solitary confinement on "suicide watch." Now he helps other detainees in immigrant centers get through those trying times by sending them letters. Puedes leer esta historia en español.

It’s not just about keeping former inmates off a criminal path, but also about opening avenues which offer them a sense of purpose and real opportunities to succeed. Excessive punishments for minor offenses and complicated, hard-to-follow rules can be counterproductive. Education is key to transforming the system, but isn’t the only option. Various experts offer their solutions.

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Socioeconomic level, implicit police prejudice, categorization, immigration and drug crimes are some of causes for the over-representation of Hispanics in jails and prisons. With the help of experts, we show you some of the reasons for this disparity.

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The first 72 hours determine what the new life will be like. Where to sleep, who to call, how to pay for transportation, who to ask for a favor are some of the challenges faced by people leaving prison. They become such difficult moments that during the first two weeks, there is a very high chance of dying, as much as 13 times higher than that of someone else who hasn’t been in prison. These four testimonials show how complicated this Second Chance(*) can be.

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The third time was the charm, but not because of luck or the popular saying; rather, it was thanks to Inside-Out, a program in which prisoners share their education with non-imprisoned college students. “It was a powerful, transforming process,” he said.

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Getting an ID, housing and a stable job are some of the most frequent barriers preventing a formerly incarcerated person from staying out of prison for good. For Hispanics, machismo is an obstacle, while families are a key factor in safeguarding this ‘Second chance’ (*).
(Lee este artículo en español)

Fellows must live in California, Arizona, and Florida. Email a resume, a cover letter, 2 professional or academic references, and no more than 3 work samples (if available; not required) to unicontigo@univision.net. Deadline to Apply: December 2.

Contrary to what some may think, people who commit violent crimes are less likely to return to jail than those who commit other types of offenses. Studies show the number of former inmates who end up returning to prison for a new crime, as well as just how big a challenge that ‘Second chance’ is.

Some cover the entire United States, while others attend to people in each state. In different ways, government and non-governmental organizations support people on their difficult journey towards reinsertion into society, and their opportunity for a ‘second chance’ (*).

Did you get out of prison recently or know someone who has and wants to tell you about their experience?