ex-convict
Released prison resident
An ex-convict is a person who has served time in prison and been released.
The term carries stigma—employment applications asking about criminal history, housing discrimination, social suspicion: As an ex-convict, he struggled to find work.
Often shortened to ex-con.
The prefix ex- marks the sentence as complete, though the label tends to persist.
Restoration to a group
- rehabilitationRecovery from injury/addiction
- paroleConditional early release
- probationSupervised trial period
- halfway houseTransitional residence for recovery
adjustment · resocialization · employment · housing · support services · case manager · supervision · compliance
Conditionally freed prisoner
- felonSerious crime perpetrator
- inmateConfined facility resident
- prisonerConfined criminal detainee
- sentenceComplete thought, grammatically
penitentiary · correctional · cellblock · detention · lockup · warden · custody · confinement
Renewed opportunity after failure
- forgivenessReleasing resentment toward offenders
- transformationThorough change in form
- new beginningsChances to start again
- hopeDesire for good outcomes
resilience · recovery · restoration · trust · acceptance · fresh start · turning point · making amends
Log of past convictions
- background checkInvestigation of someone's history
- scarlet letterMark of public shame
- labelingAssigning identifying markers
- blacklistRecord of prohibited entities
shame · ostracism · prejudice · stereotyping · discrimination · marginalization · social exclusion · bias
Advising someone less experienced
- counselingProfessional guidance for problems
- therapyCurative mental treatment
- job trainingTeaching skills for employment
- educationSystematic development of mind
life skills · sobriety · substance abuse treatment · reentry program · advocacy · community service · peer support · case management
reintegration
Restoration to a group
- rehabilitationRecovery from injury/addiction
- paroleConditional early release
- probationSupervised trial period
halfway house · adjustment · resocialization · employment · housing · support services · case manager · supervision · compliance · monitoring
parolee
Conditionally freed prisoner
sentence · penitentiary · correctional · cellblock · detention · lockup · warden · custody · confinement · bars
second chance
Renewed opportunity after failure
- forgivenessReleasing resentment toward offenders
- transformationThorough change in form
- new beginningsChances to start again
hope · resilience · recovery · restoration · trust · acceptance · fresh start · turning point · making amends · personal growth
criminal record
Log of past convictions
- background checkInvestigation of someone's history
- scarlet letterMark of public shame
- labelingAssigning identifying markers
blacklist · shame · ostracism · prejudice · stereotyping · discrimination · marginalization · social exclusion · bias · branding
mentoring
Advising someone less experienced
- counselingProfessional guidance for problems
- therapyCurative mental treatment
- job trainingTeaching skills for employment
education · life skills · sobriety · substance abuse treatment · reentry program · advocacy · community service · peer support · case management · legal aid
- Stigmasmental illness, HIV, AIDS, homelessness, addiction
- ex-prisonersparolee, time served, conditional release, supervised release, early release
- Former Rolesex-president, ex-wife, ex-husband, ex-boyfriend, ex-girlfriend
- redemptionredemption arc, redeemed, forgiven, saved, moral redemption
- criminalsmurderer, thief, burglar, criminal, killer
- reentryreentry, reentry vehicle, reentry capsule, heat shield, ablative
ex-convictpolice officer
Law enforcement agent
judge · prosecutor · first-time offender · pillar of the community · crime fighter
ex-convictconvict
Jailed offender after trial
prisoner · jailbird · death row inmate · detainee · lifer
conviction, convict, convicted, convicting, unconvicted, reconvicted, ex-con, ex-convicts