....Helping ex-inmates find jobs, reconnect with their families and become full citizens requires changes in the laws that prevent them from achieving such goals. Hundreds of jobs become off-limits to ex-offenders due to bonding or licensure requirements. In many states, for example, a felony conviction prohibits barbers, social workers, optometrists and even car sellers from practicing their trade. Some of the largest sources of stable employment, including the medical industry and the public sector, impose extensive restrictions on people with criminal records.

Many custodial parents lose their parental rights. And of course, they are disenfranchised:

Finally, millions of ex-offenders are also denied the most basic right of citizenship in a democratic society: the right to vote. While we expect ex-offenders to abide by the law, most states prevent those out on probation or parole from voting, and 14 states prevent some or all ex-offenders from voting for life. These restrictions are ironic considering that almost all ex-offenders are citizens, and the Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled that no one can be stripped of citizenship because of a criminal offense.

Here are the most current offender statistics:

The sheer number of Americans ending up in prison is staggering. Last year alone, more than 600,000 Americans were released from prison. More than 14 million Americans now carry a felony conviction on their records. The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world, 6 to 10 times higher than that of most European countries. This remarkable number of prisoners has led to growing bipartisan concerns about how to help former offenders reintegrate into their communities.

And 1.5 million children now have a parent behind bars. This entire article is excellent, we recommend reading the whole thing.