John Oliver is not a fan of the American prison system. The host of HBO's "Last Week Tonight" has previously discussed mandatory minimum sentences, how bail punishes the poor and how overworked public defenders threaten the citizens' constitutional right to a fair trial. Last night, the former "Daily Show" correspondent took a look at what happens when a prisoners are no longer incarcerated and what their next steps usually are.
Oliver dove into his 18-minute exposition and specifically concentrated on the many state regulations that were instituted in the 1990s that make it incredibly difficult for a former prisoner to find a place to live, get a job, keep the job and work with his or her parole officer. At one point in his monologue, Oliver cited one statistic that said half of all people who get out of prison will eventually go back.
Oliver wanted to bring a human face to the discussion and interviewed an ex-convict named Bilal Chatman, who spent dozens of years behind bars for a non-violent drug offense. When he was released he faced scheduling issues with his parole officer, something that threatened his attempts to rebuild his life.
"I guess I'm more worried about being judged for what I used to be," Chatman told Oliver. "I'm not that same person. I've dedicated myself, I've changed myself. I'm no longer that person. As time goes on, I've become a better person. I've worked really hard at the things I've taken from society."
While Oliver admitted he and his staff might not be helping Chatman by labeling him "Bilal the ex-prisoner," the host encouraged him to share other aspects of his life.
"I grow tomatoes," Chatman answered.
Check out the entire segment below.
