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Second Chance Act for Who

Social Welfare Policies in the early 20th Century were a result of the causes and effects of the economy and struggles of the previous wars and the abolishment of slavery. During the mid-20th Century, it was also known as the Great Depression Era. Our government includes (3) three levels of power federal, state, and local; the branches included the legislative, Executive, and Judicial. There were several government policies that were designed to Aid relief to the children that are poor and single-parent family homes were a continuation of the responsibility of the Federal Government programs. ADC (Aid to Dependent Children), Aid to the Blind, and Old Age were policies that would assist this group. From the perspective of a farmer during the Great Depression things were rough. During the Great Depression, the farmer’s income dropped causing the farmer’s property to drop. The development of social warfare policies is what influences non-governmental and non-profit organizations (Hudson & Lowe, 2009). A few social welfare policies were designed such as the Agricultural Adjustment Act, Authority Act, the Tennessee Valley Authority Act, and the National Industrial Recovery Act (APA, 2018). Through healthcare welfare policy housing, empowerment, unemployment, and helping the poor or those who are seen as having less power was the goal. In conjunction with these amazing policies being incorporated and processed, there were some major concerns about the ability to manage the industries. As the federal prison system was created in 1891 it was not truly enforced until the Prison Reform Movement occurred in the late 19th and early 20th century.

Understanding the development of how and why the prison system was created is only the beginning of how corrupt the government system was and still is. During a period when the United States was making several social reforms happen out of reacting to the high increase in population, poverty, and the industrialization barriers so was the prison system. This is when an opportunity became capitalism of free and trade labor at the cost of manpower. In 2023, we are faced with even larger loopholes and strategic private enterprise. The prison was developed in 1891, with the mindset of avoiding death penalties for lesser crimes yet not in 1891 or in 2023 do we practice reforming individuals who are incarcerated until after they are eligible for release. The Second Chance Act was not created until April 2008. The 2nd Chance Act focused on 5 major areas of self-sufficient Mental Health, Substance Use, Housing & Homelessness, Education & Employment, and Children & Families. This program is one of a kind and can be truly beneficial, yet we must look at the root cause of the social reforms and how it has a negative approach that no matter the resources because of the foundations of the prison has not changed system 1785, 1891 or 1920’s.

Throughout the entire social welfare system developed during the Great Depressions,

. Systematic Racism includes several aspects of discrimination and unequal treatment. Several ethical groups which included race, gender, and age were affected by this and these government practices. When I think of the basic elements of life for one to become successful the following (5) five areas must be taken into consideration education, employment, homeownership, healthcare, and the justice system. As I learn and study what the Great Depression endure, I understand that the basic 5 areas of living were also heavily affected such as unemployment, homelessness, and deflation all on the rise while the housing and trade market was on the downfall. The economy was facing so many crises with money supplies, banks were in a panic of failing, and the supply and demand were being affected due to the war, which led to companies and factories to budget cuts and layoffs, which made consumers limited on their ability to spend money and advance their families. Also, during this phase of life, there were several increases in mental health issues and concerns. Those in leadership create a pathway to generate resources for the industries that would make America money through incarnation.

Incarnation influences an individual psychologically, environmentally, socially, and economically all controlled by the brain while imprisoned. Prison facilities are not designed to become a home away from home however they also are not designed to rebuild or create healthy individuals to become reformed with the ability to restore themselves and become the best version of themselves as they “wait” to serve the sentence and be released back to civilization. Being imprisoned is a form of holding individuals responsible for their behaviors yet at the same time the prison system is degrading and resulting in one losing perspective and any form of truly becoming productive citizens. These facilities are cold, lack color, and personality, and individuals are talked to and treated like animals. They apply today to work for less the $5.00 an hour to make money for grooming, cigarettes, and other amenities while incarcerated. When we look at the last 160-plus years of the prison system we see the same process and arrangement, but the only difference is that they received no amenities, and many were falsely imprisoned in partnership to help the government supply manpower to the Agriculture Industries.

There was an article written called Capitalism in Social Security Act, the article “analysis demonstrates that the state functions as a mediating body, weighing the priorities of various interest groups with unequal access to power, negotiating compromises between class factions, and incorporating working-class demands into legislation on capitalist terms”, what I am concern that we still face today is history. The more that Negros, Colored People, Blacks, and African Americans try to advance and be seen as equal they are faced with another form of suppression. As I have shared the five-basic elements any person needs for stability, this race of people still finds themselves today, and those of color race face harder challenges in a generation, environment, and society. As we investigate the pros and cons of why policies and laws were put into place, we also must take into consideration who had the power to implement those policies and laws. And

In reading the article Ethical and Racial Equity of Social Welfare Policy, it states that “The profession of social work in the United States has included ethical considerations in guidelines for practice and policy development since the 1960s”, however, we know it was not like this in 1900-1940. This article also shares that currently, human service providers attempt to learn and bring equal and quality resources to communities that are high in color proper resources and understanding of policy. In the mid-century, human service providers were only considered social workers, yet the social workers were the woman and wives of the men who held the positions to make and produce the policies and laws and at this time supported unfair treatment, resources, and laws that were created for selective individuals who would only capitalize of the social welfare system, policies, and laws that were created in the mid-20 century.

As the citizens of America are here today faced with politics, religion, social policies, procedures, and laws that still are not 100% in the best interest of all American regards of their race but more about their social and economic status. As Human Service Providers attempt to change the stereotype that clients and participants have about them and the services, they offer we still are faced with barriers and myths about the resources and who are the recipients and how to use the resources the most. As we look at the welfare system as resources in food stamps, medical care, and public housing, there is so much more to the social welfare system and how to capitalize on the resource system. If we could remove the stigma that comes along with social welfare resources and provide resources and opportunities with regulations and accountability to all regardless of their demographics, race, gender, age, and other identities areas maybe then we can see an opportunity for all to become resilient in their walks of life. The Great Depression affected many individuals from all walks of life no matter their race. Federal Policies, lawmakers, and those who could who have made the decision previously and currently making we must recognize these decisions, and votes are made on prejudiced values and not justice. Prison systems from Europe, Great Britain, and other Countries built those prisons for some of the same reasons yet treat prisons more as housing facilities for those who were mentally or uncontrollably based on spiritual and mental control beliefs. The prison created in America was formed to exploit and control a population of selective individuals based on race and gender.

As the People of Color had experienced slavery as their first form of imprisonment, mentally, intellectually, and emotionally they were already degraded. The fact that we share the Second Chance Act from being released from prison began in 2008, what happened to the first chance of individuals being released from slavery without any ability to become self-sufficient individually as well as a provider for a family? Then at the very moment use the fact that individuals lack the ability of their own ability to maintain and survive in this world against them and force them to legalize slavery into a prison system. The Prison Reform and Redemption Act of 2017 “The Correction Act, would do little to reform prisons or the federal justice system, yet would allow people to participate in reentry and rehabilitation programs and earn off their prison sentence in home confinement, halfway houses, or community supervision “. The Redemption Policy was one policy created by the same mindset of people and with the same barriers as experienced 160 years ago. When we look at the 2nd Chance Act, Reform, and Redemption Policies, no one in any government period has provided mental rehabilitation once found guilty and incarcerated. Most prisoners are not allowed to receive education and vocational training. These individuals, regardless of behavior or activity they may have committed or participated in are still a person. If the crime does not commit the to death penalty or life in prison and they are up for release in 1-50 years and expected to reenter the world and become a productive member of society. Therefore, if the government truly believed that the justice system and prison structure were to uphold individuals to their illegal behaviors and actions, why did they, not prior them to face, accept, and heal from their decisions? In these 160 years of the American Government System, we have not seen a change in this policy from the 19th & 20th centuries and we ask why we do not believe in the justice system as people of color. With most states and cities, seeing a high volume of crime and violence means that we have several generational of unhealthy and prisoned mindsets because they never had a first chance.

ReferencesStern M. J., & Axinn J. (2017). Social Welfare: A History of the American Response to Need. [Capella]. Retrieved from https://capella.vitalsource.com/#/books/9780134292960/ Inclusive American Economic History: Containing Slaves, Freedmen, Jim Crow Laws, and the Great Migration by Trevon Logan; Peter Temin IDEAS Working Paper Series from RePEc, 01/2020Ethics and Racial Equity in Social Welfare Policy: Social Work's…by Wilson, Dana Burdnell; Solomon, Terry A.; McLane-Davison, Denise2023 The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights/The Leadership Conference Education Fund. www.csgjusticecenter.org/thesecondchanceact Chattoraj, B.N. (1985) Social, Psychological and Economic Consequences of Imprisonment www.ojp.gov