People coming in and out of Prisons, not always their fault

People are repsonsible for their actions regardless of how they were brought up or where they are from or who they are. For example, a convicted felon is responsible for the crime (whatevery it may be). He/she gets out of prison and tries to do things without breaking the law. Unfortunately, many of them do the same things they did that led them into prison because they can’t get a job (even if they are educated and creative). In other words, they are basically banned from society. That is why they commit crimes. They are not doing it for fun or because “that is the way to be”. People with a bad record don’t have any choices, they simply can’t do legal things to make money. That is why they resort to violence, drugs, and all types of illegal activities----to put food in their stomach and have a place to stay. Even if they manage to get a job, it is usually a job that does not pay enough to pay the bills. In some cases, it is not even enough to even get by day to day. Living by the pay check is a heck of a struggle.
Some of those people are simply brought up in an environment where all they know and experience is violence, drugs, abuse, and poverty. They are still responsible for their actions though. The problem is with the way they are brought up and not necessarily themselves. There are also people who are brought up in decent to very good environments who just happens to be getting into trouble and end up with a bad record. In both cases, they are still accountable for their actions but in order to break the cycle we need to help the people that are in that scenario. Minorities and a chunk of the African American population is suffering from the ongoing cycle of poverty and violence. For the most part, it is poverty and not enough opportunities that lead people to do the type of things that get them into trouble.

If we give more opportunites, improve the living conditions and schools in poor neighborhoods, then less people will be going to prison. Therefore, people would do things that does not get them into trouble. From a historical point, it is not their fault for they way they are now(although individuals are responsible for their actions).