Free, but alone

摘要

The prison gate swings shut and a man stumbles blinking into the desert sunshine. Looking up, he sees a blonde with big sunglasses and a headscarf waiting for him in a convertible. That is how screenwriters imagine the scene, but the reality of leaving prison is grimmer. Prisoners are often released with no supervision and no help finding a job. That makes them more likely to reoffend. According to a report published on June 4th by Pew, a think-tank, the number freed with no form of parole has more than doubled over the past 20 years, though this varies a lot from state to state. In Florida 64% of prisoners leave like this; in California the figure is less than 1% (see chart).