Guaranteed income experiment provides hope for formerly incarcerated
ABC News
Formerly incarcerated people praise guaranteed income experiment in Gainesville, Florida. Incarceration strains people's finances and opportunities once they're released.
When Murray was released from prison in July, he didn't have a source of income. The 54-year-old, whose last name is being withheld because he fears for his safety, is no stranger to struggling financially; he grew up poor in Gainesville, Florida, and resorted to stealing or shoplifting in the past.
"When you live with something in your life for so long, such as criminal activity, you always have this lingering thought in your mind: 'I know a way to get some money and it wouldn't take me long to get it,' Murray said.
He was "down and out" after prison, he said, and doing his best to make a new life for himself, but money was hard to come by.
Struggling to maintain financial stability after incarceration is something that many formerly incarcerated people face; 27% of formerly incarcerated people are unemployed and are 10 times more likely than the general population to be homeless, according to the non-profit criminal justice research organization Prison Policy Initiative.
