Perils of life after prison

Saudi Gazette report The popular adage that convicts must repay their debt to society has a different meaning for ex-cons who find themselves discriminated against by a society that is seemingly unforgiving toward people with criminal histories, Al-Riyadh daily reports. Sami was recently released from prison and he has tried to get a job several times but to no avail. He said all doors were closed in his face because of the stigma associated with serving time in prison. “Even residents of the neighborhood avoid eye contact and do not speak to me when they see me at the mosque. I have repented and showed remorse for the wrong I had done but people still look down on me and treat me as a convict.” Many released prisoners like Sami feel hurt inside, desperate and frustrated because of the way people treat them. All they want is to lead a normal life again and be integrated into society. They want others to accept and help them, not judge them and scrutinize their every move. Shahd Al-Hamdi, an employee in the private sector, says society is no longer tolerant with repented sinners. “No one is infallible and we all make mistakes and it could have been any of us. Let us put ourselves in their shoes before making any judgments. Ex-convicts are human beings who made a mistake, paid the price for it and repented. They deserve another chance,” Al-Hamdi said. Things are even harder for female prisoners. The suffering they go through at the hands of society is immeasurable and cannot be compared to that of released male prisoners. The social stigma will always be attached to a female prisoner no matter how hard she tries to show others she has changed. Even her children and family members will not tolerate her sight. Suspicion Lamya A., a housewife, has seen the suffering of released prisoners at first-hand when her brother, who was imprisoned for debts, was set free. When he got out, nobody offered him a job or even agreed to let him marry in the family. “A couple of my sisters still do not talk to him and do not want to see his face although he has repented. We easily forget the good qualities of a human, but we always remember his bad qualities because they stick in our minds,” she said. Frustration Dr. Muhammad Al-Qahtani, an associate professor of psychology at Imam Muhammad Bin Saud Islamic University, said a person who repents then discovers that society does not accept his repentance would feel frustrated and depressed. Civil institutions and members of society impose difficult conditions and set high standards when it comes to selecting individuals. “For example, the private sector requires a released prisoner to have an experience in the job he is applying for. How can the prisoner have such experience when he has spent a long time in prison? “The same holds true for marriage. Most families would not let their daughters marry someone with a criminal prior,” he noted. The solution is to raise public awareness about this issue and explain to them the importance of treating repented prisoners as nicely and kindly as possible. The imams of mosques should focus in their sermons on the importance of giving ex-convicts a second chance. Also, civil institutions should implement projects designed specifically to ensure that released prisoners do not go back to their old ways and help them integrate in society. A sociologist cautioned that if ex-prisoners sense no social acceptance in the process, there is every chance that they would relapse into criminal ways in anger or desperation. Employment is the best way to start reintegrating ex-convicts into society and preventing them from landing up behind bars again, he said. According to a study, only 2 percent of ex-prisoners who had given jobs in the rehabilitation process ended up in prison again.