In short, once you have a criminal record your chances in life are dramatically cut and you are more likely to fall back into the habits that led to the first conviction.
If, rather than a criminal record, people were subjected (in appropriate cases) to treatment the stigma of crime would not be there and rehabilitated drug addicts, for example, could have a real chance to become productive citizens.
http://www.thestar.com/article/460765
On having a record:
"It's a stain. It's like having a birthmark on your face or a tattoo on your face that says, `I'm a criminal.' I probably marked myself in my own way. I've got sleeves of tattoos. And I think that in a way, that's what we do in (prison). It's like we brand ourselves, because we feel like we don't fit into society any more, so this is our own club, and this is how we brand ourselves. That's the way I felt, that people didn't understand. I didn't understand, either. I wasn't really willing to look at in-depth issues that were driving me. . . ."
"I was a criminal. Addiction, that was my lot in life. Anger, hatred towards the world, anger and hatred towards myself. It wasn't just one thing. I don't think it's ever just one thing. I think that's just simplistic. . . ."
"Really it was the stigma I put on myself. It was almost like I'd be going out for a job but I'd already talked myself out of the job before they could even have a chance to say no, so I would go in there with a (bad) attitude, or basically act like they wouldn't give me the job anyways."
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