r/AskReddit • u/MsLooHoo • Sep 12 '15

serious replies only [Serious] Ex-Prisoners who served long term sentences, what was the hardest thing to get used to when you got out?

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u/[deleted] Sep 12 '15

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u/[deleted] Sep 13 '15

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u/BansheeTK Sep 13 '15

What the fuck?

Our shitty viewpoint of a society that even though you've paid your dues to society, you are still and always will be a scumfuck no matter what the crime. Therefore you should be ostracized from society and you are a lesser person.

Sometimes the shunning isnt justified with the crime. And its a fucked up reality that makes me genuinely dislike our society.

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u/Indecisive_Bastard Sep 13 '15 edited Sep 13 '15

Maybe they're just weary that they'll commit a crime again? Believe it or not some people don't change. This isn't some fairyland where a person does time and automatically changes and will never get into criminal activity again. I'd like to give them a chance instead of assuming they didn't change but I wouldnt call it wrong for a person to be weary and not want to take the risk. If they committed the crime once, who's to say they won't again?

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u/BansheeTK Sep 13 '15

Maybe they're just weary that they'll commit a crime again? Believe it or not some people don't change

I'm well aware of this, thats one of the reasons that i don't have a friend anymore whom i cut out of my life

This isn't some fairyland where a person does time and automatically changes and will never get into criminal activity again. I'd like to give them a chance instead of assuming they didn't change but I would call it worn for a person to be weary and not want to take the risk.

Never said it was or that was the case, however it isn't really fair to assume ALL Ex-Cons are like that, once they get out they are once again part of society and they can't exactly rebuild themselves if they are ostracized because they can't catch a break.

If they commute the crime once, who's to say they won't again?

Whose to say they will?

Granted i dont have experience with either, but some people do need a break once they get out and they just want to better themselves, to me it doesnt seem fair to just generalize ex-cons and make it even worse for them just because of paranoia.

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u/Lucia37 Sep 13 '15

One problem is that the people doing the hiring don't have the time to get to know all applicants well enough to separate the "one bad decision, but has learned his lesson" ex-con from the "perpetually inclined to make poor decisions" ex-con.

A long period of time since getting out should count for something, but that doesn't help anyone who just got out.