Felony Inmates Reintegration Back Into Society Essay

Felony Inmates Reintegration Back Into Society - Essay Example There are various felony crimes that could be committed and that have been committed. According to Criminal Law Attorney, felony crimes constitute offenses which are more serious and heavier than misdemeanor crimes like public intoxication and petty theft (2012). The penalty for felony crimes includes fines, incarceration and other punitive punishments. A person convicted of felony crime in a court of law is referred to as a felon (Hattery & Smith, 2010). The rights of convicted felons would often be revoked, for example, the right to vote, the right to bear arms and the right to offer service in the military. Felony crimes could be categorized according to the degree which shows the severity of crime. Of all the felony crimes in this categorization, the most serious are first degree crimes. The definitions of these degrees vary depending on the state or federal laws applicable and also depending on the presiding jurisdiction. While some felony offenders would be tried through the system of state criminal justice, others would be tried through the federal court system. These would be governed by state laws and federal laws respectively. This means that despite the similarity in some types of felony crimes, the outcome could be different depending on where they were tried. Similarly, these crimes could be categorized into two; ones that are violent by intent or act and those ones that are not. Non-violent felony crimes are usually considered as white collar crimes. They would mostly be committed in businesses or professional set-ups with the aim of gaining financially at the expense of another person’s loss. ... These convictions make up about 4% of federal convictions as compared to over 16% in state convictions (Hattery & Smith, 2010). Arson refers to an offense that involves maliciously damaging a building, vessel, inhabited structure or any property through fire or explosive (Travis & Visher, 2005). There are other felony offenses that are neither violent in nature nor intent and include burglary, fraud, forgery and larceny. O’Brien (2010) observed that about 67% of convictions for property felony crimes lead to incarceration. Other non-violent crimes include drug trafficking and possession and about 90% of those convicted of crimes related to drugs face incarceration (Hattery & Smith, 2010). The penalties for felony have been classified into tiers depending on each state’s arrangement. They are often categorized in alphabetical and numerical classes like Class 1, Class A and first degree felony, with crimes in a class bearing similar punishment. Other categories could incl ude Class 2, Class B and second degree classes and Class 3, Class C and third class felonies. Murder felony charges and capital punishment would be in their own category. Federal felony classifications have crimes divided from Class A to Class E charges, which determine the fine to be charged depending on the severity of crime and the offender’s prior criminal records. Generally, felonies convicted on State level are less harsh than Federal punishments (Allard, 2002). How well do inmates regain or create family bonds after incarceration? The terms of incarceration for felony cases vary greatly but usually above one year and could even go to one having a life sentence. According to Scirmer, Nellis and Mauer, M. (2009), 1.7 million American children had their