ex-offenders
Previously incarcerated individuals
Ex-offenders are people who have been convicted of crimes and completed their sentences.
The term emphasizes their status as former rather than current criminals, often appearing in discussions of rehabilitation, employment discrimination, and reintegration into society: Programs help ex-offenders find housing and jobs.
The label itself is contested—some prefer "formerly incarcerated" or "returning citizens" as less stigmatizing.
Restoration to a group
- paroleConditional early release
- probationSupervised trial period
- reentryComing back in
- halfway houseTransitional residence for recovery
job training · counseling · support services · mentorship · second chance · case management · aftercare · restorative justice
Mark of dishonor
- discriminationUnjust differential treatment
- family reunificationRejoining separated relatives
- homelessnessLacking permanent residence
- social exclusionDenial of societal participation
community acceptance · recidivism · peer support · mentoring · isolation · public perception · support networks · marginalization
Investigation of someone's history
- discriminationUnjust differential treatment
- fair chanceReasonable probability of success
- workforce developmentBuilding employable skills
- tax creditsReductions in amount owed
resume gaps · skilled trades · entrepreneurship · self-employment · temp agencies · job placement · work release · career counseling
Log of past convictions
- convictionFirmly held belief
- felonySerious criminal offense
- expungementOfficial record removal
- clemencyMerciful treatment of offenders
pardon · voting rights · gun rights · registration · legal aid · disenfranchisement · clean slate · petition
reintegration
Restoration to a group
halfway house · job training · counseling · support services · mentorship · second chance · case management · aftercare · restorative justice · reform
stigma
Mark of dishonor
- discriminationUnjust differential treatment
- family reunificationRejoining separated relatives
- homelessnessLacking permanent residence
social exclusion · community acceptance · recidivism · peer support · mentoring · isolation · public perception · support networks · marginalization · identity
background check
Investigation of someone's history
- discriminationUnjust differential treatment
- fair chanceReasonable probability of success
- workforce developmentBuilding employable skills
tax credits · resume gaps · skilled trades · entrepreneurship · self-employment · temp agencies · job placement · work release · career counseling · references
criminal record
Log of past convictions
- convictionFirmly held belief
- felonySerious criminal offense
- expungementOfficial record removal
clemency · pardon · voting rights · gun rights · registration · legal aid · disenfranchisement · clean slate · petition · compliance
- marginalized groupsminorities, ethnic minorities, people of color, disabled, LGBTQ
- aid recipientsfood stamp users, Medicare recipients, social security recipients, scholarship holders, charity cases
- Vulnerable Groupshomeless youth, orphans, refugees, disabled people, elderly poor
ex-offendersprisoners
Incarcerated individuals
convicts · inmates · detainees · parolees · probationers
offender, offenders, offend, offends, offended, offending, offense, offenses, offensive