Societal re-entry for returning citizens

Citizens seeking to re-enter society after a period of incarceration face several structural and societal challenges. On a structural level, they are denied housing and employment because of their criminal record. The societal challenges may pose as even greater obstacles to overcome because of the nuanced nature of these challenges. Re-entering society after a period of incarceration can feel very disorienting that navigating the minute details of daily life are overwhelming.

Law: A law can be passed to remove the need to state one’s criminal record status in a job application to give returning citizens an equal chance of getting through the front door.

Norm: Societal stigmas and norms are huge obstacles to societal re-integration. Some serious campaigning/conversations/awareness rallies are needed to address society’s mental stigmas toward returning citizens. Universities, given their societal and cultural standing, can facilitate such conversations to transform society’s attitudes.

Code: Many returning citizens feel completely overwhelmed by the re-entry process that few can take advantage of support programs available. The architecture of social programs can be better designed to ensure that there are consistent check-ins with each individual and that they are connected to the right resources.

Market: Corporates can partner up with social programs to either train, hire or create new markets for returning citizens.

 

Homelessness in urban cities

The U.S. prides itself as one of the world’s wealthiest nations, yet the country’s homelessness crisis remains an epidemic. 2017 saw a 1% rise in the total number of homeless people in the country, with the percentage of unsheltered homeless rising by 9%. Unsurprisingly, the rise of the tech elites is proportional to the rise of homelessness in cities – in California, Oregon and Washington, overall homeless population climbed by 14% in the past 2 years, while Seattle’s unsheltered population grew by 44%.[1]

Law: The law can eradicate homelessness in 3 ways: i) Increase housing subsidies; ii) Build more affordable houses, ii) Implement Housing First policies.

With the influx of tech elites into cities, daily living expenses have increased, making it hard for many to maintain a home. State and federal governments can increase housing subsidies and vouchers for those earning below a certain wage level. Further, the number of affordable houses is in dire short supply. Governments can fund affordable homes that are well-integrated within diverse neighborhoods.

Homelessness is a multifaceted problem; rather than aiming to solve all the social problems that result in homelessness, governments can implement Housing First policies that primarily ensure a roof over someone’s head before addressing the social issues.

Market: The law and market need to work in tandem to better regulate the housing market as housing prices continue to rise especially in cities that have experienced an influx of tech elites in the recent years.

Private capital, which comes with fewer restrictions than federal funding, can also be used to build affordable homes and support social programs to alleviate the homelessness epidemic in the US.

Norm: Similar to returning citizens, the homeless population is commonly viewed as second-class citizens and a liability to society. Such stigma strips them of their humanity and acts a mental barrier to their social progress. Social programs and campaigns can be implemented to re-build confidence and self-esteem of these individuals and their role in society.

Code: At a recent design conference, a non-profit revealed a 3D printer capable of constructing a 3D home in less than 24 hours. Whilst this is a temporary solution, these homes serve as transitional housing and at the very least, gets people off the streets faster than waiting for the government to build more affordable homes. Ideally, these 3D homes are means to an end of securing permanent housing for the homeless.

 

Digital wellbeing

By now, it comes as no surprise to learn that the technologies we use every day were intentionally designed to keep us hooked. As a UX designer, I’m concerned about the ways in which persuasive design has diluted our human interactions. More importantly, I’m concerned about its impacts on our human psyche i.e. our reduced attention span, our need for societal validation, our digital proxies over human connection.

Law: At present, there are no laws regulating types of persuasive design, yet countless research has shown that these technologies are fundamentally transforming how we think and approach the world. Lawmakers need to figure out a new vocabulary to talk about and enforce restrictions on the use of behavioral psychology in design.

Norm: We need a cultural shift in our digital hygiene practices i.e. taking digital sabbaths, setting aside our phones during social gatherings etc. We also need to cultivate habits to rebuild our short attention spans.

Code: Google’s recent Android Pie is a good example of the use of architecture in reducing our screen time. Their latest update allows users to greyscale their phone as a means of working against persuasive design and color psychology that underpins digital design.

Market: Social media companies need an overhaul of their business models since the bulk of their profits comes from selling ads and collecting data.

 

[1] https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2017-12-06/us-homeless-count-rises-pushed-by-crisis-on-the-west-coast