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Michael Trapp went to prison at the age of 17 for committing a violent crime. He spent nearly nine years inside a South Carolina institution until his release earlier this year.<\/p>\n
He struggled to find work and was turned down by employers because he had a criminal record before he eventually got employed at a Waffle House.<\/p>\n
“I can talk to you \u2014 like face-to-face interview \u2014 and just from you talking to me, you get a good vibe where I can get the job. But then you say background check, then once you find that out I’ve been in prison, you don’t want to give me a shot,” Trapp, who lives in Columbia, said.<\/p>\n
“I went to Two Men and a Truck, FedEx, Walmart,” Trapp added.<\/p>\n
Trapp’s story is representative of thousands of other seeking to re-enter society following a prison sentence.<\/p>\n
According to an April 2011 report by the Pew Center on the States, the average national recidivism rate for released prisoners is 43%.<\/p>\n
Experts say the purpose of serving time is to accept a punishment for doing something wrong but that the time served is not supposed to affect the individual after. However, with current social stigmas, a prison sentence can follow convicted people around for the rest of their lives.<\/p>\n
David White, a senior probation officer in South Carolina, says the state is doing more to help make the transition easier, but that is a slow process.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe used to be like the law enforcement model, but now we\u2019re really getting into risk-based stuff. \u00a0We\u2019re doing a lot of stuff to find out what their risks are and what their problems have been in the past,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
White said those risk-based factors include past convictions, bad family situations, and a lack of\u00a0 job stability. These\u00a0factors are often used to determine the steps taken after release, including probation and parole.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kiwon France also was incarcerated at a young age for a violent crime. Despite the programs put in place by the state, both France and Trapp felt alone after their release.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re kind of thrown out to the wolves \u2014 the programs that they have, they were like insufficient funds,” France said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re not our responsibility anymore. . . just fend for yourself,” Trapp said.<\/p>\n
France said it was his family who provided the strongest support during his incarceration.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIf it wasn\u2019t for the family support \u2014 I probably wouldn\u2019t have made it,” he said.<\/p>\n
France said that it can be easy to lose hope without that family support, and urged those with family members in prison to not give up on them.<\/p>\n
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