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Christine Huynh -  Why Les Miserables matters today

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Christine Huynh -  Why Les Miserables matters today

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Les Miserables Matters Today

Even though Les Miserables was made in 1862, it still matters today since the book portrays poverty and how people are affected by it. The main character, Jean Valjean struggles to live his life in poverty. He goes out and looks for a place to stay since he doesn’t have a place himself. The man was usually sent away instead of putting a roof over his head. He didn’t have any new clothes or even food for him to eat.

On page 22 of Les Miserables it says “ Jean Valjean was born of a poor peasant family of Brie. In his childhood he had not been taught to read.”. This means that his family was poor when he was born and didn't have the money to provide him proper education. On page 23, his family with 7 children didn't have money for food in the winter, “ Jean had no work, the family had no bread; literally no bread, and seven children.”. Jean Valjean didn’t have a job either so he wasn’t able to get money for his family. On the same page, “ Jean Valjean was brought before the tribunals of the time for “burglary at night, in an inhabited house.”. Jean Valjean had stolen from another family because he didn’t have anything of his own.

In the article, Breaking the Cycle of Childhood Poverty in New York, it says “Tens of thousands of children are not getting enough food to eat, and their families are struggling to make rent.”. This quote states that children and their families don’t have money for basic needs. They don’t even have money to afford themselves a roof over their head. In the same article, it says “They are less likely to complete high school or go to college, and once they become adults, they are more likely to experience financial instability and poor health.”. Meaning that kids can’t afford a proper education which will put them into even more financial trouble and bad health that they can’t afford to fix.

Les Miserables matters today since both families today and Jean Valjean struggle to buy basic needs to live and can’t afford a proper education. Both are impacted by these since they are in poverty. Since both are lacking money for education then it is less likely for them to get into a job. If they can’t get a job then they won’t be able to afford food.

Hugo, Victor. Les Miserables. Ballantine Publishing Group, 1961.

Breaking the Cycle of Childhood Poverty in New York. The Editorial Board, December 13, 2024.

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Aoibhe Henry - Why Les Miserables matters

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Aoibhe Henry - Why Les Miserables matters

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Les Miserables, the book written by Victor Hugo, published in 1862, has many conflicts and shows many social issues during the time the book takes place. Les Miserables is set in 1832 during the June rebellion which was a cause of many social issues. The book can also reflect on our time in many ways with the similar social issues in the 21st century. The main reason the essay will portray is class inequality. The social issue our main character also Jean Valjean faces mostly at the start of the book and other characters is class inequality. He is faced with homelessness, inequality, identity fraud, etc which all make out the idea of class inequality. This reflects on our society as everyone is a victim of class equality. Even during our time with ex-convicts, homeless, richer people, and middle just as well as during Les Miserables.

Jean Valjean faces class inequality because people see him as dangerous or as an ex-convict. Most of the people that see his yellow passport think this because a yellow passport means you are an ex-convict. So he is treated poorly, although the only reason he was in jail was because he stole bread for his sister and her starving family. In Les Miserables on page 16 it says, “See here! My name is Jean Valjean. I am a convict; I have been 19 years in the galleys. Four days ago I was set free, and started for Pontarlier, which is my destination; during those four days I have walked from Toulon. Today I walked twelve leagues. When I reached this place this evening I went to an inn, and they sent me away on account of my yellow passport, which I had shown at the mayor's office, as was necessary. I went to another inn; they said: ‘Get out!’ It was the same with one as another; nobody would have me. I went to the prison, and the turnkey would not let me in. I crept into a dog kennel, and the dog bit me, and drove me away as if he had been a man;you would have to have said he knew who I was. I went into the fields to sleep beneath the stars: there were no stars; I thought it would rain, and no good God to stop the drops, so I came back to the town to get the shelter of some doorway.” This piece from the text shows the difficulty of finding a place to stay as an ex-convict and how people see him. It shows how his class in their society's social structure treats him, making it inequality.

The reflection of the book to our reality is how unfair many are treated to this day. Many people suffer from homelessness and are thought of poorly just like how Jean Valjean was. An example of this is on a street many Bostonians know as Mass Ave which has a big group of homeless people. Many think of them as “druggies” or “disgusting” but don’t ever realize how hard life might be for them. In an Article published by the Simmons university they state, “When prisoners in the United States are released, they face an environment that is challenging and actively deters them from becoming productive members of society. Within three years of release, 67.8 percent of ex-offenders are rearrested, and within five years, 76.6 percent are rearrested.[1] With more than 2 million people incarcerated in the United States, recidivism harms both the families of inmates and society in general, as taxpayers continue to support a broken system that sets ex-offenders up to fail once they are released.” This textual evidence supports the idea that class inequality is very harsh towards ex-convicts who try to re-enter society as a better version of themselves will most likely fail because of the way society treats them. This connects to Les Miserables by the way no one would let Jean Valjean stay in their inn even though he had the money for it.

Our reality has many reflections on the society in Les Miserables with social issues. As well as class inequality is a big part of Les Miserables it makes up big events in the story: the battle of anti-monarchist and Parisian republicans and it creates political views that are very meaningful to many characters. In conclusion to this idea of class inequality, most people like Jean Valjean can make a difference in their appearance to the world just the social issues of our society stop them from being able to do it.

Citations

Hugo, Victor. Les Misérables. 1862, p. 16.

“The Challenges of Prisoners’ Reentry into Society.” Simmons University, https://online.simmons.edu/blog/prisoner-reentry/

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When prisoners in the United States are released, they face an environment that is challenging and actively deters them from becoming productive members of society. Within three years of release, 67.8 percent of ex-offenders are rearrested, and within five years, 76.6 percent are rearrested. With more than 2 million people incarcerated in the United States, recidivism harms both the families of inmates and society in general, as taxpayers continue to support a broken system that sets ex-offenders up to fail once they are released.

The Congressional Research Service defines recidivism as "the re-arrest, reconviction, or re-incarceration of an ex-offender within a given time frame." Because of systemic legal and societal barriers, once ex-offenders are released, it is more difficult for them compared to the general populace to find gainful employment, secure a consistent source of housing, and generally function in society. Often viewed as sub-citizens, ex-offenders are perpetually punished for crimes. The causes of these restrictions are systemic and affect ex-offenders at all levels of society.

Interconnected Challenges Contributing to the Cycle of Recidivism

Before diving into where and how ex-offenders are affected, it is important to understand micro, mezzo, and macro levels of analysis. Put simply, micro level of analysis refers to individuals; mezzo level of analysis refers to families or small groups; and macro level of analysis refers to organizations, agencies, communities, and large groups of people, including nations. In almost any social change context, these levels are interconnected and affect one another.

Former prisoners face challenges at every level. These challenges come in many forms, but Ann Jacobs, director of the Prisoner Reentry Institute at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, succinctly summarizes them "A person's successful re-entry into society can be viewed through how adequately they are able to meet six basic life needs: livelihood, residence, family, health, criminal justice compliance, and social connections." Attaining each life need presents unique challenges, many of which are interconnected.

Micro Challenges

Livelihood

While data on post-incarceration employment in relation to recidivism is famously limited,it seems clear that it is much less likely for ex-inmates to find employment than a member of the general population. A 2002 study of more than 200 employers in the Milwaukee area found that formerly incarcerated candidates with nearly identical professional experience as non-offenders were less than half as likely to receive job offers. According to the Bureau of Justice, only 12.5 percent of employers said they would accept an application from an ex-convict. Ironically, getting back to work decreases recidivism, but there are barriers for ex-convicts finding work.

Many prisoners have limited education and work experience, which makes it difficult for them to secure employment after they are released. According to several studies, "about 70 percent of offenders and ex-offenders are high school dropouts." As a result of incarceration and involvement in the criminal justice system, many former prisoners are viewed negatively by former employers or by individuals within their former professional networks, if they previously had one. The combination of a limited professional network and a conspicuous résumé gap can make it very difficult for ex-convicts to get an interview with a prospective employer.

According to the Urban Institute, around 75 percent of formerly incarcerated men have a history of substance abuse, and a significant percentage suffer from physical and mental health issues (i.e., 15 percent to 20 percent report emotional disorders). That limits their employability in that employers may not view them as "job ready."

Many employers worry about being sued for damages resulting from "negligent hiring." An employer can be held liable for exposing the public to a potentially dangerous individual, so many balk at the idea of hiring someone with a criminal record. In 72 percent of negligent hiring cases, employers have lost and faced an average settlement of $1.6 million - powerful disincentive to hire potentially "risky" individuals.

Race is also a factor, particularly when combined with a history of incarceration. In the 2002 study of Milwaukee employers mentioned above, African-American offenders were two-thirds less likely to receive offers, and African-American non-offenders were half as likely as white non-offenders to receive an offer. So African-Americans ex-offenders face a huge double-challenge: Even if they hadn't committed a crime, racism significantly restricts their job opportunities; since they have committed a crime, they must somehow overcome the racism and convince the employer that their ex-con status does not make them a risky hire.

Fortunately for many former inmates, employer interest in an ex-offender rises when they find out that the crime was nonviolent or drug-related. So long as the individual remains drug-free and has gained relevant work experience (either inside or outside of prison), there is more employer interest in hiring.

Mezzo Challenges

Studies have shown that prisoners who maintain consistent contact and connection with their families during their sentences have a lower recidivism rate than those who do not. Over half of incarcerated adults are parents of minor children, which means they may miss out on many of their children's critical and formative years. Unfortunately, there are obstacles to maintaining consistent contact with family, and challenges for ex-offenders once released.

Once ex-offenders return home, they are dependent on family members and must overcome years of limited contact, potential resentment, and a change in the household dynamic. According to the Urban Institute Justice Policy Center, just before release, 82 percent of ex-offenders thought it would be easy to renew family relationships; after returning home, over half reported it was more difficult than expected. Family members often assume a new financial and emotional burden when ex-offenders return home, having to support a dependent adult.

To ease reconnecting with family and lost years of parenting experience, some prisons have programs to improve parenting skills. Although there is evidence that such prison-based programs are effective and beneficial for prisoners and their families, participation in such programs has declined in recent years. It is not completely clear why, but a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services study found many prisoners who couldn't get the other parent to co-participate were less likely to continue participation. That prompted some prisons to create new incentives for prisoner participation, including increased video chat privileges and gas coupons for spouses to encourage more visitation.

Society, Social Connections, and Expectations Upon Release

When ex-offenders are released from prison, they tend to find that their expectations for returning to normal life are not always realistic. This is especially true for prisoners who serve lengthy incarcerations because they are likely to face advances in technologies that are essential in new job markets and lack training that makes them viable candidates.

According to an Urban Institute study of Baltimore-area prisoners, offenders who re-enter the prison system tend to come from a concentrated set of communities, which have "above-average rates for unemployment, percent female-headed households, and percent of families living below the poverty level." Ex-offenders face massive obstacles when searching for employment anywhere, so to return with this disadvantage to an area that likely has low job prospects increases the likelihood of unemployment.

The same Urban Institute study also found that 54 percent of prisoners about to be released thought that they would be able to rely on their own jobs for financial support, and 82 percent expected that their parole officers would help in their transition home. After release, 51 percent reported that they relied on their families to a much greater extent than expected, and only about half reported that their parole officers were helpful during their transitions.

According to the study, it is not clear why parole officers were not considered helpful post-release (they were often given high marks for professionalism and accuracy of shared information, but still not considered "useful"). The data suggests that many prisoners who received parole supervision did not expect it and may have entered the relationship with their parole officers with pre-engendered negative feelings toward them.

They also may need to learn new ways of living. One of the most unexpected adjustments can be learning new technologies that replaced traditional systems. For example, prisoners with medium- or long-term sentences may have never used a smartphone or metro card.These may seem like minor adjustments to most of us since we experienced these changes gradually, but to learn them all at once, and to have them replace old routines, can be both difficult and disorienting.

Macro Challenges

Collateral Consequences

Collateral consequences are legal restrictions unrelated to the original crime that apply to ex-offenders after their release from prison. This includes thing like a lack of access to food stamps and an inability to vote.

At the time of this writing, The American Bar Association's National Inventory of the Collateral Consequences of Conviction lists 47,442 collateral consequences of incarceration. This statistic highlights the tens of thousands of legal restrictions imposed on ex-offenders that they didn't face before their convictions. Some are explicit and permanent, such as an inability to apply for federal grants. Others are vaguely worded, and administrators often assume the strictest interpretation. For example, ex-offenders are not banned from public housing, although housing administrators can use a criminal record as cause to reject a candidate. Many housing administrators incorrectly think that they are required to turn down applicants with a criminal record, creating a widespread de facto ban on public housing. (For more of such myths, see the Reentry Councils Reentry MythBusters fact sheets).

In theory, parole gives offenders a chance to prove that they can re-enter society without serving their maximum sentences. Paradoxically, parole conditions can create extra, unintended readjustment challenges for ex-offenders. For example, one common collateral consequence is difficulty in re-obtaining a driver's license. Many ex-offenders are not given a new driver's license simply because of their criminal record, but yet must drive to work, or drive to see their parole officers. They receive fines for driving without a license, which contributes to their debt and complicates their access to a license. Many such examples exist, with little or no evidence that these restrictions deter crime.

What Can Be Done

Systemic Changes

Many of the challenges facing ex-offenders are systemic and require policy changes and a shift away from the attitude of some that punishment should continue after sentences have been served. " Ban the Box" is a national campaign against continued punishment in hiring that calls for employers to remove the box on job applications that requires applicants to disclose criminal records. In a November 2015 speech at Rutgers University, President Barack Obama called on the federal government to support the campaign:

"[The federal government] should not use criminal history to screen out applicants before we even look at their qualifications ... . It is relevant to find out whether somebody has a criminal record. We're not suggesting ignore it. What we are suggesting is that when it comes to the application, give folks a chance to get through the door. Give them a chance to get in there so they can make their case."

Grassroots Changes

In addition to lobbying for policy changes, many nongovernmental organizations are leading grassroots efforts to help ex-offenders with recidivism. Programs like The Prison University Project help inmates earn college degrees while incarcerated. A 2013 National Criminal Justice Reference Service study found that when inmates complete degrees before re-entering society, recidivism rates substantially decrease.

The " Ride Home Program" in California employs ex-offenders to pick up inmates on the day of their release so they can get them home, but also help facilitate their transition to life on the outside. A new startup, Pigeon.ly, makes it significantly cheaper and easier for inmates to stay in contact with loved ones - an important part of decreasing the chances of returning to prison once released.

Conclusion

In the United States, after serving time in prison, ex-offenders are released with significant and ongoing economic and societal obstacles that often prevent them from thriving, thus indirectly pushing them back to crime, and back into the prison system. Many employers refuse to hire ex-cons, and systemic collateral consequences restrict tens of thousands of ex-offenders' legal rights, which essentially extends their punishment and inhibits their ability to function as normal citizens. While there are many organizations working to remove these obstacles, revisions in policy must occur before ex-offenders can have real opportunities that promote success and help to reduce recidivism. There are few systems in the United States that are more broken than the post-prison environment that ex-offenders face. With a major election this year, there is a perfect opportunity for social workers, advocates, politicians, and citizens to push for the necessary policy-level changes.

James, Nathan. Offender Reentry: Correctional Statistics, Reintegration into the Community, and Recidivism. Rep. no. 7-5700. N.p., 12 Jan. 2015. Web. 14 Jan. 2016.

Pager, Devah. NCJRS Abstract. Rep. no. NCJ 198320. National Institute of Justice, 2002. Web. 14 Jan. 2016.

Holzer, Harry J., Steven Raphael, and Michael A. Stoll. "Employment Barriers Facing Ex-Offenders." PsycEXTRA Dataset (n.d.): n. pag. Urban.org. New York University Law School, 20 May 2003. Web. 14 Jan. 2016.

Visher, Chreisty, Nancy Lavigne, and Jeremy Travis. "Returning Home: Understanding the Challenges of Prisoner Reentry: Maryland Pilot Study: Findings from Baltimore." PsycEXTRA Dataset (n.d.): n. pag. Urban.org. Urban Institute, Jan. 2004. Web. 14 Jan. 2016.

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The Challenges of Prisoner Re-Entry Into Society

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When prisoners in the United States are released, they face an environment that is challenging and actively deters them from becoming productive members of society. Often viewed as sub-citizens, ex-offenders are perpetually punished for crimes. The causes of these restrictions are systemic and affect ex-offenders at all levels of society.

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Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables is a beloved classic about an ex-convict, a parentless child, a brutal police inspector, and a group of student-revolutionaries in nineteenth century France. The novel addresses several issues that the lower and middle classes experienced then, like abuse, poverty, and prison conditions, which are all problems that we still experience in the modern day. This classic novel is still relevant to readers today because Hugo addresses two main issues which seem to be ripped from today's newspaper headlines: police injustice and police brutality .

In Les Miserables, one of the novel’s main characters, Jean Valjean, an ex-convict who spent nineteen years laboring in the galleys of Toulon for stealing a loaf of bread, where he worked on ships, is finally let free and starts a new life. Inspector Javert, a brutal police officer who supervised Jean Valjean and all the other galley slaves, follows Jean Valjean for seventeen years after he broke his parole and changed his name. When Javert finally finds Jean Valjean, he tries to beat him and send him back to prison. Later in the novel, he helps a disguised Jean Valjean from the Thernardiers, a group of thieving “street rats”, showing the distaste he has for people with less stature and less money.

Today, it is even worse. In 2022 the Department of Justice began an investigation on the Phoenix Police Department in Phoenix, Arizona, and found that its officers not only used excessive brute force, had the highest amount of fatal police shootings in the United States, but also had a higher tendency to detain and arrest certain groups of people. The Justice Department found that Black, Latin American, and Native American individuals were 44 times more likely to be pulled over and detained than whites. And in their report, the Department found that four out of every ten people who were arrested in Phoenix in 2022 were homeless. This compares with Javert’s view on the poverty-stricken streets of Paris, and his hate for “street urchins.”

All in all, we can see from these excerpts that there are contrasts between the modern-day police, with heavy biases and discrimination, and the prison guards who imprisoned Jean Valjean.

Healy, Jack, and Eileen Sullivan. "Justice Department Finds Brutality and Bias

by Phoenix Police." New York TImes [New York City], 13 June 2024. New York

Times, www.nytimes.com/2024/06/13/us/politics/

justice-department-phoenix-police.html?smid=url-share. Accessed 15 Jan.

2025.

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Kelly Tran - Why Les Miserables Matters Today

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Kelly Tran - Why Les Miserables Matters Today

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Les Misérables is a historical fiction novel that was published in 1862. The contents are potent to our current day lifestyle as well as serving an importance in emphasis of certain issues which occurred in the book. At first the book was published in French, but was soon translated into many languages. The main character being Jean Valjean, and he symbolized a lot of social issues. The book was published in hopes of people working towards equality. The book was very inspirational and upholds relatable content to the present day.

In the book Les Misérables, there is a lady named Fantine that was working very hard while trying to provide for her kid named Cosette. She worked at a factory when she was fired and left to fend for herself and her child. It says “Her clothes being gone, they dressed her in the cast-off garments of the little Thenardiers, that is in rags. They fed her on the odds and ends, a little better than the dog, and a little worse than the cat” (pg 46). When the guardian, Fantine, was unable to provide for her daughter, Cosette, she was put into foster care where she was not treated like an equal. When they showed Cosette in front of people the story would be different, and they pretended to care. The problem portrayed in Les Misérables in this scene is how poorly Cosette was treated, and she was not shown as equal.

In the news article, it show’s how there are cases of abuse and neglect tied to some foster care systems. These issues are potent, and are still occurring nowadays. It states “But, as briefs filed in that case point out, maltreatment of children in foster care is a rare — but unfortunately increasing — occurrence. There's no magic bullet to address maltreatment. Reducing those rates will likely require money and people — ensuring group homes have sufficient, well-trained staff, ensuring DCF has enough experienced staff to keep a careful eye on each child and each home, and properly screening and supporting foster families” (Boston Globe). Government officials have failed to recognize this factor as a growing issue in order to act on it. The amount of cases of mistreatment is increasing, and it’s also a hard case to figure out since most foster care systems hide what actually goes on so they wouldn't get a bad reputation.

In Les Misérables the highlights of Cosette being badly mistreated is shown through how the Thernardiers treated her. This issue is currently relevant, and Hugo emphasizes how this social issue is hidden from the public. Les Misérables matters today because the issues that the characters had experienced in the book explains the social issues occuring during the time of publication. According to the news article, there are still recent increasing cases where the problem of a corrupt child-care system causing damaging effects. The book matters today because it contains relevance to and connections to the problems we still have today. Hugo emphasizes the unjust treatment in hopes of bringing awareness.

Works Cited

"Though Rare, Cases of Abuse and Neglect in Foster Care should Set Off Alarms: While Still Rare, Maltreatment of Children in State Care is Concerning." Boston Globe, Dec 15 2024, ProQuest. Web. 14 Jan. 2025 .

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Gbemisola Oni- Why Les Miserables Matter Today

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Gbemisola Oni- Why Les Miserables Matter Today

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Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables has often been seen as a boring or irrelevant book. As we have been reading Les Miserables in our English class, we have seen that there are many issues in the book that still apply today in the 21st century even though the book was written in the late 19th century.  One of the common issues that we see in the book that are still relevant today is income inequality. This shows that Les Miserables is still relevant today due to it having issues that are still occurring today.

Through the book Les Miserables, there are many characters that suffer the issue of inequitable incomes. For example when Fantine has dropped her poor daughter, Cosette at the Thenardiers’ house she goes and look for work, but unfortunately “the business was entirely new to Fantine; she could not be very expert in it, and consequently did not receive much for her day’s work; but that little was enough, the problem was solved; she was earning her living” (Hugo 62). This just goes to show how much parents struggle to provide for their children which is a major effect of income inequality.

In the 21st century that we are living in, there is also income inequality and such problems that are quite unfair, but are the reality. For instance, when we look at the sport of basketball “today a basketball player earning 20 times the median wouldn’t be making much more than the N.B.A.’s minimum salary for rookies, $1.1 million. Those who play even a few minutes a game are typically — compared with Americans earning average paychecks — several times richer” (Wallace-Well). This just goes to show that there are many people who work really hard, but they still don’t have each or a lot which is what becomes unfair.

As a result of the evidence that we have seen both in the world and Les Miserables, it just goes to show that there is a problem of income. Whether it is the late 19th century when Les Miserable was written or right now in the 21st century. The problem of the world will not stop, and only continue if we choose to do something about it. We must make a difference so that our future generations will not have to face the struggles of the people in the 19th century.

Citations

Hugo, Victor and Charles E. 1833-1896 Wilbour. Les Misérables. Modern Library ed. New                                           York, Modern Library, 1992.

Wallace-Wells, David. “Income Inequality Has Been Transformed Globally.” New York Time, 2023.

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Victor Hugo’s Reflection on Post-Incarceration Hardships in Les Misérables

In Les Miserables, Victor Hugo uses his renowned characters to explore and contrast the overarching and problematic issue of not correctly rehabilitating prisoners which results in the subjection to homelessness, not only in modern day, but in Victor Hugo's time as well. After being released from prison, Jean Valjean quickly experiences hardships in the form of homelessness, being forced to sleep on unconventional things such as dog houses and stone benches. In an article by the NLM it states that previously incarcerated individuals are much more likely to be affected by the throes of homelessness. In conclusion, Victor Hugo uses his characters and the theme of homelessness to reflect on post-incarceration and homelessness.

In Les Miserables JVJ is one of the most prominent and important characters in the book. He not only adds an interesting role to the novel, but he also symbolizes the hardship and difficult journey going from prison, to being homeless. Namely, in pages 9-11, Jean Valjean is constantly cursed and cast out. On page eleven he crawls into a god kennel and is promptly attacked by the dog inside. He struggles time and time again to find housing, as no place wishes to let him stay as he is a past convict with a yellow passport, who had previously spent 19 long years in the galleys. This experience of JVJ reflects on modern-day socio-economic issues, as post-incarcerated individuals struggle to find even a bed to sleep in, regardless of if they are willing to pay.

Modern-day post-incarceration homelessness is one of the largest underlying issues of the world. In an article published by the NLM(National Library of Medicine) It is stated that previously imprisoned citizens are 10 times more likely to experience homelessness, especially after being released from long prison sentences. The article further explores how increased penal servitude rates directly result in higher amounts of homelessness. Moreover, it continues to be harder for people released from prison due to higher housing costs and them not being able to find work. All in all, liberated individuals are subjected to much larger challenges due to their unfair circumstances just like JVJ who is also subjected to homelessness after being incarcerated.

In conclusion Les Miserables connects to modern-day issues due to reflecting on the massive issue of homelessness in today's society. Les Miserables has one of its most important and popular characters go through the challenging journey of homelessness after being emancipated from the galleys. This reflects how a large number of ex-convicts are subject to large amounts of vagrant living conditions. The article shows how JVJ’s circumstances are not uncommon in the slightest in our modern-day society, and how Victor Hugo’s enrapturing novel, also speaks and reflects on how important the issue of homelessness after incarceration is.

Augustine, D., & Kushel, M. (2022a, May). Community supervision, housing insecurity, & homelessness. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9762769/#:~:text=Formerly%20incarcerated%20people%20are%2010,National%20Housing%20Law%20Project%2C%20n.d.

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Les Miserables was published by Victor Hugo on March 31, 1862, but despite having been around for 163 years, this novel is still relevant today. This is because of the many social issues covered in the book that are reflected in modern society. Child abuse and neglect is one of these issues; something our society currently struggles with. An article titled “What Happens When Abusive Parents Keep Their Children” by Naomi Riley for the New York Times covers some of the results of children in abusive households. In Les Miserables, Victor Hugo gives his idea of what children who have grown up in abusive households may look like. He does this in the form of Eponine and her family the Thenardiers, an impoverished family. The novel Les Miserables is still relevant today because it covers the issue of child abuse and neglect, an issue that currently runs rampant across the country.

Victor Hugo shows the issue of abuse and neglect in his novel Les Miserables with the character Eponine. Eponine is the eldest daughter of the Thenardiers and has suffered through neglect, abuse, and poverty. On page 239, Victor Hugo writes, “She was barefooted and in rags, as on the day when she had so resolutely entered his room, only her rags were two months older; the holes were larger, the tatter dirtier.” In this scene, Eponine is having a conversation with Marius, who notes that she is dressed in rags. Eponine’s parents suffered from poverty and were not able to properly raise her. This neglect and poverty led to Eponine always being dressed in tattered and dirty clothes. While Hugo never tells whether Eponine had been abused by her parents, he does reveal that the Thenardier did abuse their youngest child. At the age of seventeen Eponine dies in the barricades without ever becoming an adult. Hugo shows how this character was stripped of a chance to thrive from birth because of the neglect from her family.

Naomi Riley’s article also explains how many children suffer and even die from the neglect of their families. More specifically she explains how many social services have tried to reduce the number of children placed in foster care, and how this may seem like a good thing despite the fact it isn’t. Ms. Riley states, “In recent years, the number of children in foster care fell by nearly 16 percent while the fatality rate from abuse and neglect rose by almost 18 percent.” This data shows that allowing children to stay with neglectful parents can have rather tragic results. While foster care is not perfect, allowing abusive parents to keep their kids is not a good option. These children are not given a chance to thrive when abusive parents are allowed to keep them under their care. Similarly to how Eponine never had a chance to properly live because of her own family. Naomi Riley’s article shows how important the issue of child abuse and neglect is currently.

The novel Les Miserables may be 163 years old but it is still relevant today. Victor Hugo covers many important social issues in this novel that are still seen in society. Currently, child abuse and neglect is an important issue that many children suffer from today. In an article for the New York Times, Naomi Riley stresses the importance of helping children who are in unsafe homes. Victor Hugo shows his own vision of children who have neglectful and abusive parents. Hugo talking about this issue in his novel Les Miserables only acts to show how relevant this book is today. The novel Les Miserables may have been published a long time ago but the issues covered by Hugo keep the book relevant today.

Riley, Naomi. “What Happens When Abusive Parents Keep Their Children.” New York Times, 9 May 2024, 17 Jan. 2025

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/09/opinion/child-abuse-foster-care.html?searchResultPosition=4

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Victor Hugo wrote Les Miserables 200 years ago, and it still matters today because it reflects on things that still happen in society today. It discusses common issues that still go on in current day society. There are many articles written about things that Victor Hugo had written about in Les Miserables. A few similar topics that I wanted to highlight; discrimination, injustice, and philosophy of incarceration. In Les miserables, the protagonist Jean Valjean is an ex-convict who is discriminated against and treated unfairly throughout the novel. Discrimination and injustice towards ex-convicts who have done their time is still an issue to this day. Les Miserables is still relevant and impactful to readers today.

In Les Miserables, on pages 5 and 6, the man does not let Jean Valjean stay at his inn because Jean Valjean is a convict. Jean Valjean has enough money to stay at his inn, but the owner still tells him to leave, and does not serve him any food.¨Monsieur said he, I cannot receive you. The traveller half rose from his seat. Why? Are you afraid I shall not pay you, or do you want me to pay in advance? I have money, I tell you. It is not that. What then? You have money-  Yes, said the man. And I, said the host. I have no room.¨ Before, the host was willing to let Jean valjean stay at his inn, but after he found out he was a convict, he told him to leave. This is doing an injustice to Jean Valjean because he has already served his time and punishment but is still denied a place to stay. This also highlights the philosophy of incarceration in Les MIserables, where even if you have served your time and sentence, you will still be frowned upon by society.

In the article, they are discussing things that happen to people that are ex-convicts. They are often discriminated against, and also very often denied jobs. A year after they are released from prison, a large percentage of them are unemployed and don't have a job, and have trouble finding work. They cannot get jobs that are paying them livable wages and it feeds into this pathway that leads them back into prison. They either give up, or find what I refer to as ‘underground economics,’” Stennis-Williams said. “They find ways to make ends meet that sometimes are not in their best interest or the community’s interest.” This is doing an injustice to people who have already served their punishment. They have such a hard time finding jobs that they often end up going back to prison and doing even more time.

The article and this scene in the book are similar because they are both about ex -convicts who are discriminated against. They also both talk about ex-convicts who have already been punished, and are turned  down from many jobs, or in Les Miserables turned down from staying and eating at an inn. The society in Les miserables and our society today both have similar views on the philosophy of incarceration, where even if a person did their time they are still rejected by society.  Les MIserables talks about issues that are still going on in society today, which is why this book is still impactful and holds up after 200 years.

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Although Les Miserable is a 19th century French novel published in 1862, it is still a very important book for the people of today as it presents the issue of child neglect which has continued to be addressed through writing. The book follows Jean Valjean who takes on multiple aliases to evade police inspector Javert while striving to become a good man. Victor Hugo frequently presents the idea of overcoming child neglect through Cosette, who was raised by the Thenardiers and then adopted by Jean Valjean. Today Cosette’s story still exists and is emulated by people like Paul Baretto who share a similar past yet strive in a society that cannot seem to prevent child neglect.

Cosette's story leads many people to have sympathy for her. She grew up with a family that did not care for her. They only adopted her for money, and as she got older, they started to put her into the role of the ugly duckling. Hugo states that “From year to year the child grew, and her misery also. So long as Cosette was very small, she was the scape-goat of the two other children; as soon as she began to grow a little, that is to say, before she was five years old, she became the servant of the house.” (Hugo 47). Eventually she was taken in by Jean Valjean and given a proper education. She learned to read and write while spending her days at a convent surrounded by love. She even fell in love and went on to live a life on her own accord, putting her past behind her.

Paul Baretto’s story is one of a similar caliber. He grew up with his dad whose ideas differed greatly from his own, and led him to be outcasted. His father, when he was rambling about the conspiracy theories he was obsessed with, was even harder to manage. Mr. Baretto even made outlandish claims that he was the owner of Brazil! While living with him “Paul had learned how to avoid his father's ire and ignore his ramblings” (Haag). Sooner than later, Paul fell behind. He could not go back to school and scarcely kept in contact with his friends. But he at last confided in one of his friend’s moms. She took him in, enrolled him into 9th grade, and continued to nurture him as he fought to leave his father. Now Paul will graduate from an elite performing arts high school as one of the best students and finally break free from his family.

While Cosette's story was published more than 100 years ago, Paul’s was published a little more than 2 weeks ago. Despite the fact that the times when each of the stories happened are so different, they share many similarities, including isolation, getting help from a new parental figure, and eventually overcoming their history. Les Miserables is a book that discusses the neglect of a child that is comparable to the children in our world right now. Why should we stop reading it just because it is old? Les Miserables is still a book that helps everyone learn, relate, and inspire.

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There are about 8 billion people in this world, but have you ever thought about how many are homeless? Well, the amount of homeless people in the world is tragic. Who would want to live on the streets on the cold, bumpy cement with weather that varies each day. Rain . . . snow. . . and hail are deadly for homeless people. Les Miserables is filled with homelessness and criminal injustice issues.

Victor Hugo Les Miserables is still vital to this society even 163 years later. Madame la Marquise de R------, a character from Les Miserables, finds a man (Jean Valjean) who has spent 19 years in prison and was a soldier, lying on the stone bench, hungry, cold, and desperate for a place with comfort. Who wants to be starving and sleeping on the stone bench? Les Miserables talks about the importance of injustice and emphasizes the reality of our society. There are homeless people everywhere in our society. Les Miserables speaks facts. Many people don’t understand the cruelty of the justice system. People were oppressed by those in the  higher ranks. Jean Valjean was a “convict” who was wrongfully imprisoned because he stole a loaf of bread. Les Mis talks about the less fortunate and the ways in which the very existence of poverty is a result of society's failures. Jean Valjean is an example of a society’s failure. On page 17 it states, “He drew from his pocket a large sheet of yellow paper, which he unfolded. ‘There is my passport, yellow as you see. That is enough to have me kicked out wherever I go . . . ’” Even if Jean Valjean, also known as JVJ, has enough money for a place to eat, he is a social outcast in society with his yellow passport.  Those who have power are able to control those who are lower-level. The past of people's lives, always sticks with them even after people have changed, just like Jean Valjean.

The US saw a dramatic change in homelessness at the start of 2024, with nearly 3 MILLION CHILDRENS going to sleep every single night without a home. Think about it, there are about 335 million people in the US. That’s about 0.89%, although it may not seem like a lot, but it is an immense amount of people who are homeless. The Los Angeles wildfire destroyed over 12,000 homes. Those who are wealthy, stayed at a nightly rate of more than $1,000 at the posh Beverly Hills Hotel, according to the LA times. Some went to the Sunset Tower Hotel in West Hollywood, where the cheapest rate was listed at $512. Others who are less fortunate drove over 30 miles southeast to the city of Anaheim for a discounted stay. Their struggles from the LA wildfire has caused them health issues from inhaling the wildfire smoke, a place to stay, and lacking cell phones and Internet access. For those who are wealthy, they don’t have to worry about not having a place to stay and eat. For those who are poor, they have to struggle every day to find food and a safe place to live. The society that we live in is extremely oppressed, with racism and privilege and power.

Both the article and Victor Hugo’s book highlight the impact of homelessness and to say the least, it is saddening. :( Who would know the damages and trauma of what homeless people have experienced? Revolutionary France famously has a large homeless population and today’s American population has rising numbers of homeless people. Les Miserables is a phenomenal book that talks about injustices issues in our modern society.

Works Cited

The Guardian. 27 De 2024, www.theguardian.com/society/2024/dec/27/homelessness-rising-2024. Accessed 16 Jan. 2025.

Mother Jones. 9 Jan. 2025, www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/01/los-angeles-fires-unhoused-homelessness-crisis/. Accessed 16 Jan. 2025.

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A lot of people who are tempted to read the book Les Miserables might ask themselves, "does it even relate to what we experience today?" The answer is yes, although it may not seem like it, life back then was pretty similar to how it is now. The main character, Jean Valjean faces issues about his past and serving time in prison. Ever since he served in prison, his life has been very difficult. [Save your direct evidence for your body paragraphs & use a signal phrase to orient your reader to your direct evidence.]“Oh, the red blouse, the ball and chain, the plank to sleep on, the heat, the cold, the galley’s crew, the lash, the double chain for nothing, the dungeon for a word,-even when sick in bed, the chain. The dogs are happier! Nineteen years! And I am forty-six, and now a yellow passport. That is all.” (pg. 20) In this quote, JvJ is talking about how his life is in and out of prison. He is a free man but is struggling to get by. Tying this to my article, about inmates who were refused healthcare and proper living conditions under the watch of a guard when they were malnourished and seen playing with toilet water because of their severe dehydration.

While Jean Val Jean was trying to find an inn or somewhere to stay, he was turned down and ignored. Until he found somewhere to stay. “True. What! You will keep me? You won't drive me away? A convict! You call me Monsieur and don't say “Get out, dog!” as everyone else does. I thought that you would send me away, so I told first off who I am. Oh! The fine woman who sent me here! I shall have a supper! A bed like other people with mattress and sheets- a bed! It is nineteen years that I have not slept on a bed.” (pg, 18) This quote shows that all prior to the Bishop’s encounter with Jean Val Jean, that JvJ was commonly turned down because he was a prior convict. In these prison conditions in the article, they were not often supplied with what they needed on a daily basis and when they threatened to take their own lives, they were often always ignored.

When JvJ was accepted by the bishop, he was surprised that someone would allow him to stay because he is a convict. He believed that he did not deserve to be treated properly. In the article that I picked titled, Former Waupun Prison Warden it says that, “We expect or treat people in our care with the dignity, humanity, and respect they deserve no matter what.” No matter if someone has done something wrong in the past, they can learn from their mistakes but they still deserve to be treated properly. In this scenario, JvJ has been treated badly because of who he once was. He often compared himself to dogs and how they even knew that he was a bad person and so being treated fairly is surprising to him when it's a bare minimum.

Even though Jean Val Jean is a good man currently, he is still being held  accountable for his past when he stole a loaf of bread. Once he was a free man, he was given a yellow passport so others know that he is a convict. “He drew from his pocket a large sheet of yellow paper, which he unfolded. “There is my passport, yellow as you see. That is enough to have me kicked out wherever I go.”(pg 17) His yellow passport is a clear distinction from others. Once he shows it, he is often turned away and denied any service.

Article citations, https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/05/us/waupun-prison-warden-deaths.html?searchResultPosition=6

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Les Miserables by Victor Hugo concerns many pressing issues surrounding justice and humane treatment, mainly through the story of Jean Valjean. Upon his release from prison, Valjean experiences difficulties in rehabilitation because of his criminal record, as defined by social perceptions. This reflects how hard it can be for people to move on to live better lives. These problems still exist, making the book very relevant. Try something like this as your thesis/claim to conclude your intro. paragraph: [les Miserables has stood the test of time in part because Hugo tackles issues of his moment, including prejudice against the formerly incarcerated, which are still unsolved problem's in today's society.]

Les Miserables still matters today because it outlines the unfair treatment of people with bad records etc. The article "Justice Department Finds Brutality and Bias by Phoenix Police" by The New York Times outlines the unfair treatment certain police officers use in Phoenix. This reminded me of how in the book Inspector Javert was more concerned with the law rather than fairness. Both the book and the article depicted how people in power can hurt others instead of helping them.

In Les Miserables, the bishop's kindness transformed Valjean's life. As Hugo wrote "The bishop had caused the dawn of virtue on the horizon of his life" (p. 112). This proves that one act of kindness can make all the difference. The article also mentions the need to correct defective systems to improve the lot of all

Hugo's Les Misérables is relevant today because it explains what is wrong with any unbalanced system and the importance of being kind to change it. The book and article recommend constructing a better world by treating individuals respectfully.

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Punishment or rehabilitation? In a sense that is the philosophy of incarceration. Should we punish someone for what they did to get into jail or should we help them with whatever made them do it and try to make it so it doesn't happen again? What are their pros and cons? These questions are at the heart of our prison system. So far in the U.S. we have been using punishment as well as many other countries but lately we have seen some uprising in rehabilitation as people do not deem it right for people to be punished for life for what they did. One man did have to suffer his whole life for what he did and his name is Jean Valjean(JVJ) and that is not right. Because the problems are still relevant today the book is also still relevant.

In the hit book and play Les Miserables they discuss how when you go to prison you can never return to the rest of the world as a full citizen in this quote from page 91, “I am the unhappy convict. I am the only one who sees clearly here, and I tell you the truth. What I do at this moment, God beholds from on high, and that is sufficient. You can take me, since I am here. Nevertheless, I have done my best. I have disguised myself under another name, I have become rich, I have become a mayor, I have desired to enter again among honest men. It seems that cannot be.” In this quote it shows how JVJ can never get back to being a full citizen. He disguised as a non prison convict and succeeded in life but because he once went to prison he was dragged down back to where he was showing he had been punished even once he got out.

That was France a long time ago in some book that is an old classic. What does that have to do with what's going on in the real world? Well, punishment is still happening today. In penn state's article: Rehabilitation in the Criminal Justice System: Shifting from Punishment to Progress in the starting line it says, “The criminal justice system in the United States has long focused on punishment as the primary response to crime.” then in the Vera institutes article: why punishing people in jail and prison isn't working, “Harsh treatment of incarcerated people goes against the wishes of survivors of crime. A majority of crime survivors prefer that the criminal legal system focus on rehabilitation over punishment, prioritize shorter sentences over long ones, and hold people accountable through alternatives to prison, like drug and mental health treatment, community service, and restorative justice.” This shows even the people hurt by the crimes would like rehabilitation over punishment, but our justice system is still used as a deterrent and a punishment system 158 years after France in Les Miserables.

I think in the question, punishment or rehabilitation, we have a clear answer. I think that even the people hurt by crimes and a classic both have the same take on the issue with our prison system now and 163 years ago. Le mis may be a classic but it has issues that are still relevant today. If the problems in Le mis aren't relevant then how can the book ever become irrelevant.

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Elias Valencia- Why Les Miserables matters today

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Elias Valencia- Why Les Miserables matters today

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Never will there be a more adequate way to explain the multi-layered nature of a piece of     literature, than a direct explanation from the creator themselves. Victor Hugo, author of esteemed novel Les Miserables writes, on the topic of the relevance of his own tale, “So long as there shall exist, by reason of law and custom, a social condemnation, which, in the face of civilisation, artificially creates hells on earth, and complicates a destiny that is divine, with human fatality; so long as the three problems of the age — the degradation of man by poverty, the ruin of woman by starvation, and the dwarfing of childhood by physical and spiritual night — are not solved; so long as, in certain regions, social asphyxia shall be possible; in other words, and from a yet more extended point of view, so long as ignorance and misery remain on earth, books like this cannot be useless.” Social asphyxia, like said by Hugo, remains prominent. Les Miserables explores a heavily historical timeline, far from the present, displaying, oftentimes, how “outdated” the novel may seem. However, this is not the case in the slightest, matter of fact, this piece of work has maintained its relevance in every sense of the phrase. One issue remains prominent throughout the novel as a whole, that is the heinous discrimination against the previously incarcerated, an issue incredibly important to address, even in the present day.

Jean Valjean, the primary protagonist of Les Miserables finds himself, after serving a staggering 19 years in prison, in a predicament, battling his own demons and the harsh oppression in his community. Jean Valjean, now an ex-convict, is freed from his chains of imprisonment only to be met by the inevitable writing on the wall. He has no place to go, no opportunities for work, no family and nobody to rely on but himself. It is when men are this lonesome that they discover the true value of life, and the mask, which keeps them from seeing anything besides materialistic things, is removed. His first attempt at finding a place to stay, only serves to discourage him more, "Stop, no more of that. Shall I tell you your name? Your name is Jean Valjean; now shall I tell you who you are? When I saw you enter, I suspected something. I sent to the mayor's office, and here is the reply. Can you read?" So saying, he held towards him the open paper, which had just come from the mayor.” (Pg. 7) Assumptions are, and always will be one of the most dangerous threats to the safeguarding of our own wellbeing. In this quotation, a man speaking from a discriminatory, one laned mind, makes the frankly, cruel assumption that this man, simply because of his past, is different from him, lesser. Jean Valjean, throughout the novel, becomes a prominent supporter of charity and expresses his own sympathetic, caring and considerate nature. Convicts get a bad reputation, just because of the scarlet letter they are forced to wear after they are finally let go, from under the forceful palm of oppression. A man's worth is not determined by his past but instead by who he is today. This quotation, from nearly two centuries ago, serves as a prime example of Les Miserables everlasting relevance, impact and prominence. Cultural issues that are believed to be too large to explain in words, are somehow explained throughout Les miserables, through an elaborate understanding of the world around us, let it be the world in 1862, or the world now, nearly two centuries later.

The world, from 1862, has changed a great deal, without a doubt. However, one issue, among countless others, still plagues us today. The discrimination against the previously incarcerated remains a dilemma in our nation. We, as a society, have grown accustomed to the assumption that all ex-convicts are dangerous, threatening, scary, needy, greedy or just evil. The Bay State Banner, a local, Boston centered news organization has this to offer to the table, “housing and education opportunities are also limited by the felony label. Public housing agencies and landlords often deny tenancy based on criminal records, leaving many with limited options.” The quote, stated in the previous paragraph, is directly interwoven into this very concept, housing, is incredibly difficult for felons to receive, merely because they were once imprisoned. It still happens today, and as long as it does, this novel remains important! The same news outlet shared more statistics, further proving the point stated, “The effects are palpable. A study by the National Institute of Justice found that 60% of ex-offenders remain unemployed one year after release. In Massachusetts, the jobless rate for formerly incarcerated individuals is a staggering 27.1%, compared to 3.5% for the general population.” Once you enter the criminal justice system, you never really leave it. Although one's label may be changed, and they may be freed from prison, they will forever be a criminal in other people's eyes. You’re thrown into a hole, with a ladder that extends to the top, however, when you finally, through arduous effort and terrific ordeals, reach the top of that ladder, the hole gets deeper and deeper, causing you to have to climb more. This is the life of a convict, no matter what they do, they will never escape being a monster in society's eyes.

Things change. It’s constant. Things will always change, whether we like it or not, it is out of our control. But just because the circumstances change, that doesn't mean that the issue is erased completely. Discrimination against the formerly incarcerated stands today, and is still egregious to even ponder about. You, the reader, have seen direct evidence to prove that Les Miserables is still relevant today. Now it is your turn, when you read this novel, understand you are a part of something bigger than yourself. It isn't just a story, it’s a commentary on the aggressions, fueled by smothering oppression, that has occurred in our world. People aren’t some kind of danger simply because they were once incarcerated, in fact, like shown by Jean Valjean, they can be a warrior against danger, offering consideration, sympathy and resistance to the overwhelming increase in hate, negative assumptions and overall injustice that has plagued our world. Until this issue is resolved, Les Miserables remains important, putting the imperativeness of this issue being resolved into, not only words, but a story. As we stand today, and as we will stand for many years to come, Les Miserables is impactful, important, prominent, notable, distinguished, and salient, in more ways than one. As I digress, I find it imperative to leave one last thought for you, the reader, to ponder upon, here a quote explains how society views a convict. Remember, you can always change the lens of your glasses without getting a new pair. “I want to look at myself a thousand times to look for one true image. When Miss O'Brien looked at me, after we had won the case, what did she see that caused her to turn away? What did she see?” -Monster, by Walter Dean Myers.

Citations:

"Beyond the scarlet letter: Ending discrimination against former felons in Massachusetts." Bay State Banner, 5 June 2024, baystatebanner.com/2024/06/05/beyond-the-scarlet-letter-ending-discrimination-against-former-felons-in-massachusetts/

Accessed 15 Jan. 2025.

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Eddygaelle.Paul- Why Les Mislerable Matters Today.

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Eddygaelle.Paul- Why Les Mislerable Matters Today.

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Les Mislerabe matters today because, many of the topics and issues that we face in the real world like, child abuse, love, coming of age, war, history, poverty, class inequality and so much more we also see and read about in Les Miserables. It reaches into the depths and hardships of society, placing it into a book that reveals all of those hard topics that we often in the real world try to push away.  I, however, will be using child abuse and neglect as well as how life is often harder for those who are former convicts as an example.

Child Neglect is introduced to us as the reader of Les Miserable through Cossette. After her mom realized that she was unable to properly raise the Cossette. She hands her off to the Thenardiers in hopes that Cossette will live a great life. However, In the text on page 47, we see that Cosette's life ends up being miserable despite the hopes of her mother. the text states. “she became the servant of the house. It was a harrowing sight to see in the winter time that poor child, not yet 6 years old, shivering under the tatters of what was once a calico dress, sweeping the street before daylight with an enormous broom in her little red hands and tears in her large eyes.” We see that after growing up she becomes the maid of the house and is treated horribly. In the New York Time article. On These Apps, the Dark Promise of Mothers Sexually Abusing Children it states.”With a few swipes on their phones, men entered a livestream where they paid $150 to watch the mother sexually abuse the girl for 10 minutes.” This is a very big connection to our world because child abuse either sexual or domestic is still a very big and relevant topic. It has been stated that around 550,000 children are abused each year. However, this doesn’t mean that child abuse is the only topic from Les Mislerabe still relevant today.

Another problem from Les Miserable that we can see in our current world today is how hard and unfair; life can be after being freed from prison. In the book when we first meet Jean Valjean we see that he gets yelled at and shouted at simply for asking to stay at inns, asking for food, or simply a place to sleep. He is sent away because of his yellow passport. Because he is a convict, he is treated harshly and isn't even offered a single bed to sleep on. In the text on page 16, the text states.” When I reached this place this evening I went to an Inn, and they sent me away on account of my yellow passport, which I had shown at the mayor's office, as was necessary. I went to another Inn and they said get out! It was the same with one as with another body will take me. I went to the prison and the turnkey would not let me in. I crept into a dog kennel, and the dog bit me, and drove me away as if he had been a man.‘ This quote shows that even with the proof and the fact he had actual money to offer,  He was pushed away on account of his being a convict. This relates to times for us right now because this is a relevant occurrence that happens daily. In the New York Times article. “For People Just Leaving Prison.” The article states that “ those who have been incarcerated face stigma and significant hurdles in the job market.  They return home without savings or other financial resources and earn around half what their never-incarcerated peers make annually,” This is a prime example of how Les Miserables is still relevant because a book from over a decade ago can still be used to make connections to our times right now.

In conclusion, although it may seem that Les Miserables doesn’t have any relevance to our lives today, they do. These connections, however, can either change for the better or worse. Unlike in the book where Jean Valjean is shouted at and yelled at for being a convict in today's world there are resources for those who are Free prisoners. Child abuse and neglect is still a very prominent thing and although there has been a decrease it is still small in comparison to what can be done. That’s why it’s such an important topic to be talked about and brought up in Les Miserables because the book forever shows that it's still an issue that can be changed for the better and is still relevant to time today.

Citation

New York Times. On These Apps, the Dark Promise of Mothers Sexually Abusing Children. [New Yorks ], 7 Dec. 2024.

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Nathaniel Vo - Why Les Mis Matters Today

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Nathaniel Vo - Why Les Mis Matters Today

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The book Les Miserables is still relevant today, as a recent news article from NPR(National Public Radio) has exposed class inequality, an issue that has been addressed by Les Miserables.

In Les Miserables (Les Mis for short), Jean Valjean is constantly kicked out or denied access to several public inns, simply because he used to be a prisoner, and thus had a yellow passport. For example, on page 6, after he shows the innkeeper his yellow passport, "The host bent down his ear, and said in a voice which made him tremble: Go away!" When he showed the innkeepers the passport, they all turned him away, showing that no one was willing to give him a second chance after being imprisoned for 19 years.

According to the article from NPR, several cities have begun banning homeless camping, stating that it is "uncomfortable for people to camp outside", stereotypically assuming that homeless people were a threat to society. This also did not do anything to actually fix the problem of homelessness, as stated in the article, and potentially worsened the situation, as now several homeless people no longer had any place to stay.

As inequality continues within today's society, books such as Les Miserables that address these issues are and will continue to be relevant to modern day society, as they serve as both a reminder and an eye opener to the fact that we have not solved these problems.

Ludden, Jennifer. "100 Cities across the U.S. Banned Homeless Camping This Year." National Public Radio, 26 Dec. 2024, www.npr.org/2024/12/26/nx-s1-5199103/homeless-camping-bans-grants-pass#:~:text=100%2B%20cities%20in%20the%20U.S.,But%20will%20it%20work%3F&text=WASHINGTON%20%E2%80%94%20In%20the%20six%20months,have%20nowhere%20else%20to%20go. Accessed 16 Jan. 2025.

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Tony Chen - Why Les Miserables Matters today

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Tony Chen - Why Les Miserables Matters today

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Les Miserables by Victor Hugo was published in 1862 is a famous novel that still matters today because of the universal social issues it addresses. Hugo’s life shown through the characters shows his portrayal of social issues during his time and the modern articles of this continuing problem indicates that it is still relevant. We can compare the article called “We Need a New Global Measure for Poverty” by Max Roser and the novel Les Miserables by Victor Hugo to show that the many forms of poverty continue to be a crucial issue in the time period of Les Miserables and in the modern time. Throughout the novel Les Miserables, poverty may be one of the most significant difficulties that individuals and society have to face even to this day.

An instance in the novel where poverty is shown to be an important issue is when Marius sees the real misery of a man only but and how different it is to their neighbors. An example of this is on pg 205 of “Les Miserables” by Victor Hugo, the texts says “Undoubtedly they seemed very depraved, very corrupt, very vile, very hateful, even, but those are rare who fall without becoming degraded; there is a point, moreover, at which the unfortunate and the infamous are associated and confounded in a single word, a fatal word, Les Miserables; whose fault is it.” This quote from the novel shows the neigbors’s real misery is even worse than Marius who had lived in “poverty” for five years. The Thenardiers appear morally corrupt but perhaps could mean their moral corruption was a creation from their extreme poverty. There are difficult kinds of “real misery” and each misery is different from the rest which show those being labeled with the wretched ones are victims of poverty.

Similarity, another instance is in the article where poverty continues to be a global issue even after two centuries since the global measure for poverty to be at extremely low. An example of this is on paragraph 8 of the article “We Need a New Global Measure for Poverty” by Max Roser, the text says “Three billion people cannot afford a healthy diet. Three and a half billion do not have access to sanitation facilities. Most of them live on more than two or three dollars a day, but they are still living in deep material destitution.” This quote shows that billions of people still are  living in different forms of poverty even if it's above the global measure poverty line of less than $2.15 per day. The article is extremely low and the poverty line should increase to $30 per day which allows better life for billions of people. Poverty is still a global issue that matters today because of its roots and its effects on the people.

In conclusion, by comparing Les Miserables with the article by Max Roser, poverty is still a global issue that people all over the world suffer with for over one and a half a century. Victor Hugo’s novel uses the character Marius to show his perspective of what life of poverty was like during France of the 19 century. Max Roser’s article about the global measure of poverty should be increased to $30 per day rather than the $2.15 per day to help people live a better life and help billions of people to survive the different forms of poverty. Both the novel and the article show us that poverty is a universal issue and not a historical issue. The struggle of poverty in Les Miserables marks it as an essential novel that matters today and even the future.

Works Cited

Roser, Max. "We Need a New Global Measure for Poverty." The New York Times, New York Times, 24 Sept. 2024, www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/09/24/opinion/global-poverty-rates.html. Accessed 16 Jan. 2025.

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The book Les Miserables is still relevant to this day. When we go outside in the city, we can see a bunch of homeless people. In the book Les Miserables by Victor Hugo Marius one of the characters who experience poverty within the book. In real life more than 10 percent of the United States population are considered homeless or poor. Les Miserables portrays the effect of being homeless throughout the book

Since Marious is one of the characters who experience the book talks about her life. On page 205 it says, “For five years Marius had lived in poverty, in privation, in distress even, but he perceived that he never knew real misery.” This quote represents the struggles Marious has experienced in the book.

I looked in the New York Times and I found this article called Why Poverty Persists in America. It was Published March 9, 2023 so it was fairly recent. In the article it talks about how poverty still persists in the world and how it has not changed over the past couple of years. In paragraph 2 it states, “As estimated by the federal government’s poverty line, 12.6 percent of the U.S. population was poor in 1970; two decades later, it was 13.5 percent; in 2010, it was 15.1 percent; and in 2019, it was 10.5 percent. “

In conclusion Les Miserables actually still matters today because people can relate to the things that Victor Hugo has put inside the book. A bunch of people in the world still struggle with feeding their families and just feeding themselves.

Desmond, Matthew. "Why Poverty Persists in America." New York Times, 9 Mar.

2023, www.nytimes.com/2023/03/09/magazine/

poverty-by-america-matthew-desmond.html#:~:text=On%20the%20problem%20of%20poverty

,2019%2C%20it%20was%2010.5%20percent. Accessed 16 Jan. 2025.

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Les Miserables still matters today even though it was created in 1862 because it portrays problems we still face as a society today. The book shows how politics create tension between people, which is still prominent in our communities today because of the recent election.

During the recent elections, arguments over politics had escalated into threats and violence because of people’s strong feelings toward politics. Tensions between political parties often cause people to make irrational decisions, like taking out their anger on fellow civilians. In the article, it states “More than a third of surveyed local election officials have experienced threats, harassment or abuse due to their jobs, according to a new poll released Wednesday.” This connects to how rationally people act when it comes to politics because voters had begun harassing people simply for working at polling centers. Politics is known for making people turn against each other, because people think that their political ideology is the “correct” one.

In Les Miserables, a conflict had risen because two people had conflicting political views. As tensions grew between them, they decided to act quickly and irresponsibly. The grandson had decided to leave his grandfather who had raised him like a father. “It was three years since he had left his grandfather. They remained on the same terms on both sides, without attempting a reconciliation, and without seeking to meet.” Page 185. In this excerpt, after abandoning his grandfather, he had decided to stay no contact. They are both stubborn and think their own political ideology is the acceptable one.

In conclusion, most people are stubborn and un-open minded towards politics because of what they think about their political ideology. In the article, it talks about poll workers being threatened for allowing people to vote for the party they didn't agree with. In Les Miserables, a family had broken up because of their opposing political views. If politics continue to create tension, it will make books like Les Miserables relevant.

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Honor Alexander- Why Les Miserables matters today

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Honor Alexander- Why Les Miserables matters today

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Les Miserables" by Victor Hugo is a book that still holds relevance today with the world's current events of poverty that is still an issue in 2025 and was in the 1800s when the book was written. The Nation and Victor Hugo both talk about the poverty that people face everyday. In “Les Miserables” poverty is an issue addressed through characters such as Fantine, Marius, Jean valjean and more. Poverty today was addressed in a 2024 article by The Nation.

In the book “Les Miserables” by Victor Hugo expresses the common issue of poverty. In the text by Victor Hugo poverty is shown through Jean Valjeans character in the beginning of the text when he is released from the galleys and is left with little to no money and nowhere to live. On page 13 it states,”You cannot find lodging for so little in an inn. But have you tried? You cannot pass the night so. You must be cold and hungry. They should give you lodging for charity.” This quote shows how little money Jean Valjean has because the woman who tries to find him a place to stay informs him that his money that he has saved for 19 years is still a tiny amount of money. Poverty is also shown through the character Fanitine when she is introduced in the book as a poor looking woman and as the book continues we find out that Fantine is so poor and needs work that she needs to give her child Cosette to the Thenardier’s. “As to the mother, she seemed poor and sad; she had the appearance of a working woman who is seeking to return to the life of a peasant.”

In the world currently poverty is an issue that affects many people and is being addressed. In an article by The Nation they discuss the current situation of poverty and how over the years poverty rates have increased. “The number of Americans living in poverty has gone up, even as incomes rose last year, the U.S. Census Bureau announced Tuesday.” Poverty also has been affecting people more specifically Americans in areas such as child care and people struggling with necessities currently. The Nations article states,”More Americans are struggling to afford necessities like rent, child care and medical expenses. That caused the Supplemental Poverty Measure − used by social scientists…”

“Les Miserables" by Victor Hugo is a book that still holds relevance today with the world's current events of poverty that is still an issue in 2025 and was in the 1800s when the book was written. Poverty shows in the text with Fantine not being able to take care of her child and giving her to the Thenarider’s. Poverty is also being shown today with many Americans not being able to take care of their children like Fantine. Poverty also shows with Jean Valjean when he leaves the galleys not having much money to his name and having nowhere to sleep. A lot of Americans can relate to Jean Valjean on this issue because poverty has been affecting Americans being able to afford rent. In conclusion “Les Miserables" by Victor Hugo still matters today because the issues like poverty that the book discussed matters today.

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Ubah Warsame-“Why “les mis” matters today” 

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Ubah Warsame-“Why “les mis” matters today” 

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Social injustice is a growing issue that affects many societies worldwide. It can appear in many forms including racial discrimination, gender bias, economic inequality or systemic oppression. This injustice takes away the freedoms of those oppressed and causes divides between communities. Many marginalized groups continue to experience unequal treatment and are robbed from opportunities because of social injustice. Not only has this issue been prevalent in today's society but has had long lasting effects shown to exist far back in history. In this response, social injustice appeared in Victor Hugo's “Les Miserables" published in 1862, even though it was published over a century ago it still matters today due the amount of problems they deal with that is still relevant and a simple article by the New York Times discusses the social injustice of this day.

In Les Misérables discusses the contemporary issue of injustice. in the article called “Justice Department Finds Brutality and Bias by Phoenix Police” by the New York Times department, they talk about how the police uses discrimination against black, Hispanics, Native American people and arrest them and falsely accusing them for crimes they didn’t commit. They have this injustice and in the article they say, “The Justice Department issued a sweeping rebuke of policing in Phoenix on Thursday, finding severe discrimination against Black, Hispanic and Native American people, routine violations of the rights of homeless people and excessive use of force.” This quote describes how the Phoenix police wrongly accuse the people who are colored. This type of injustice is social injustice because

social injustice occurs when an individual or group treats another individual or group unfairly, resulting in various disadvantages to that individual or group and the article shows this discriminatory treatment, where the individual is arrested due to their social identity, demonstrates how society often marginalized individuals based on arbitrary labels or their perceived past history.

Les Misérables discusses the contemporary issue of injustice. In one of the scenes in les miserable it says “today i have walked 12 leagues. When I reached this place this evening I went to an inn, and they sent me away due to my yellow passport’(pg 17). This scene might be different in terms of social justice but it still resembles the same issues we are dealing with today. Many people rejected jean val jean because he was an ex convict today people judge each other based on race, culture and ethnicity jean val jean will not get any service or help from people unless he isn't a convict which which encouraged him to change his identity and flaws to seeking a normal life.

To conclude “les miserables” still matters today due to the resembles of the problems we have noticed today and the problem we read in Les Miserables which shows that when people get arrested because of their identity and not giving someone service because they are an ex convict are similar because you are excluding them in your big society and adding insecurities to who they really are just by big actions like arresting them and small actions with big meanings like not giving service to them even when they fit the standards of a normal citizens.

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Henry Donaghey- Why Les Miserables Matters Today

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Henry Donaghey- Why Les Miserables Matters Today

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There are many reasons as to why Les Miserables remains important today. One reason is its reflection of real-world issues that are still occurring. An example is how in Les Miserables, Cosette is being abused by the Thenardiers, who are mistreating her along with other weak children for their own benefit and gain. A similar current day issue is how Ann Altman has accused her brother, Sam Altman, of sexually abusing her. If these are true, it really draws direct parallels between the fictional abuse of Cosette and the very real abuse described by Ann Altman. Both involve the mistreatment of small children, one an 8-year-old girl named Cosette and the other a girl who says she was abused from the age of 3 upwards, between the years 1997 and 2006. Events like these emphasize the relevance of Les Miserables and the issue of finding and stopping abuses in all forms.

Ann Altman claims to have been horrifically abused by her brother, Sam, the abuse resulting in serious psychological and physical damage. The article states, “The lawsuit said Ms. Altman had sustained injuries and had “experienced PTSD, severe emotional distress, mental  issues and depression, which is expected to continue into the future.” Like Cosette, Ann also suffered from severe physical abuse from her brother which caused lots of injuries and severe ptsd which will have everlasting effects on her life. The abuse towards Ann Altman had been going on for 9 years. It started when she was 3 years old. “The suit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, said that the abuse occurred in the Altmans’ family home from 1997 to 2006 and started when Ms. Altman was 3 years old.” Sam Altman had been abusing his sister since she was 3 years old. This includes physical, mental, and sexual abuse. The issues of Les Miserables are still affecting us today. Both Ann and Cosette were abused by people close to them-trusted family members who broke that trust and severely abused them, causing permanent, lifelong damage both physically and mentally.

In Les Miserables Cosette was physically abused by the Thenardiers. Cosette was entrusted to the Thenardiers in. The Thenardiers were paid by Fantine in exchange for taking care of their daughter. “It was a harrowing sight to see in the winter time the poor child, not yet six years old, shivering under the taters of what was once a calico dress, sweeping the street before daylight with an enormous broom in her little red hands and tears in her large eyes.”(47)  The Thenardiers put Cosette through tough physical labor. They would make her sweep the streets before daylight in the freezing cold. Another example of this abuse is when Cosette was forced to go get water from the forest at night. The thenardiers were being paid to take care of Cosette but they were treating her like a slave. Anything they didn’t want to do they would make her do and if she didn’t want to they would threaten to get rid of her. This is still a huge issue today. Ann and Cosette were abused by family members who broke their trust and severely hurt them. This left both of them with severe injuries and lifelong ptsd.

There are many reasons why Les Miserables still affect us today. One of the many reasons Les Miserables is still relevant today is because of the connections between Cosette and Ann Altman. Both Ann Altman and Cosette were abused from a young age by trusted adults in their family. Cosette was entrusted to the Thenardiers by her mother because she couldn’t take care of her. Ann Altman’s brother Sam was trusted to take care of her, but he broke this trust and mentally and physically abused Ann. Today we see similar things happening to thousands of kids around the world who are in foster care or other child services. All of this shows that Les Miserables still matters today because a lot of the issues that appeared in the text are still relevant today. Child abuse is just one of the many issues we see throughout the book Les Miserables that are still relevant today.

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Kamsiyochi Dike - Why “les MIs” Matters Today

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Kamsiyochi Dike - Why “les MIs” Matters Today

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Les Misérables, a novel published in 1862 by a French writer, Victor Hugo, still addresses many issues that can be identified in today's society. Issues such as homelessness, poverty, injustice, and corruption in the foster care system/child. When we zoom into the corrupted world of foster care as described in Les Misérables the narrative exposes the harsh realities faced by society's most vulnerable members, children. And the more we read the more we start to realize we still suffer unfortunate realities today even if on a smaller scale. Cosette is just one of many victims of the corrupt foster care system in Les Misérables. In Les Misérables Cosette represents all the unfortunate children who get maltreated and exploited in the foster care system today.

Victor Hugo's Les Misérables criticizes the broken and corrupt foster care system through the heartbreaking tale of Cosette living with the Thenardiers. In the book, it turns out that children in foster care are generally exploited and abused instead of being protected. This is shown through the horrible actions of the Thenardiers, and how they view Cosette, not as a child who should be cared for but as a means to enrich themselves, treating her like a money making machine. “Thanks to Fantine’s fifty-seven francs, Thenardier had been able to avoid a protest and to honor his signature.The next month they were still in need of the money, and the woman carried Cosette’s wardrobe to Paris and pawned it for sixty france. When this sun was spent, the Thenardiers began to look upon the little girl as a child which they sheltered for charity, and treated her as such.” (46). Cosette is exploited through the wicked actions of the Thenardiers and this is only found out later in the book when Cosette gets older. Victor Hugo in Les Misérables exposes the foster care system by showing us how corrupt the Thenardiers and the foster care system is and how it is able to easily exploit children like Cosette who have no mother or father to take after them, thus forcing them into a corrupt foster care system.

Later down the line Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables still stands true to this day as we dive into the world of foster care today. Though rare, foster care abuse and neglect still happens today and many children today are stripped from their parent and put into a foster care system where they get maltreated “ According to DCF's fiscal 2023 annual report, 1.72 percent of children who were removed from their homes and placed in DCF care experienced maltreatment by a care provider, or 214 children out of 12,476. That's up from 1.01 percent, 160 children, in fiscal 2019.” When you do the math the amount of children getting maltreated in 2019 went up 0.71% which may not seem like a lot but that’s 214 kids actively receiving abuse and neglect. That’s not all, some kids suffer in silence and don’t tell DCF. “cited research showing that between 20 percent and 40 percent of adults who had previously been in foster care report maltreatment. “Children are not sharing it because they're scared to share it. … They're not believed," Lerner said.” (Boston Globe). Many children who get abused and neglected aren't recorded on the stats because kids in foster care homes are neglected and not believed by DCF which in turn causes them to just not tell DCF at all. They are also afraid that they may possibly face punishment from their foster care parents. Abusive foster care homes profit off unfortunate children who are abused and maltreated by their parents, and many children are not able to contact help because they are too scared too because of the possible punishment they may face. We see, just like in the book, that we're still facing one of the many issues in our society that Les Misérables covers.

Victor Hugo's Les Misérables points out important social issues relating to corruption within the foster care system, shown through the sad story of Cosette. The book is a great representation of failures in the systems that enable the neglect and exploitation shown by the Thenardiers. Les Misérables presents us with all the issues in our society that journalist still write about up to this day such as children still being maltreated in foster care homes and children in foster care homes not being able to communicate they need help because they are not allowed to ask for it or because they are just ignored by the society. Les Misérables Is a great novel that has more in common with today than we think with all the societal issues we're dealing with.

Editorial Board. “Foster Care: DCF Maltreatment Reports Should Set off Alarms.” BostonGlobe.com, 15 Dec. 2024, www.bostonglobe.com/2024/12/15/opinion/foster-care-dcf-maltreatment-reports/?p1=BGSearch_Overlay_Results.

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Farouk Elhaji - Why Les Miserables matters today

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Farouk Elhaji - Why Les Miserables matters today

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The reason that les Mls matters today is for many reasons. One of them being about the fact that stuff that happens in the real world also happened in les Mls. For example Sam Altman was accused of Sexually abusing his little sister/Ann Altman and Cosette also got abused by the Thenardiers. If Sam Altman was really doing this then that would show that it was a correlation because they both got abused also they were both abused at a very young age, Cosette was being abused at 8 years old as well as Ann Altman. She accuses Sam Altman of sexually abusing her at the age of 3, and that it was going on for many years and she claims that it was happening to her in the years between 1997-2006.

The evidence that shows this is that in the book Les Mls is this “From year to year the child grew, and her misery also. So long as Cosette was very small, she was the scape-goat of the two other children; as soon as she began to grow a little, that is to say, before she was five years old, she became the servant of the house.” This evidence shows that Cosette is being abused at such a young age. Also she was being called a servant adding on to that it says that they were growing in misery.

The evidence from my article is that “Sam Altman's sister, Ann Altman, has filed a lawsuit alleging that he regularly sexually abused her between 1997 and 2006.” This shows that Ann Altman was being sexually abused since she was 3 years old and she and also she was getting abused from the period 1997-2006 which is 9 years also it says that “she alleges that the abuse started when she was three and Mr Altman was 12.” This also shows that she was a toddler at the time and Sam was a pre-teen.

This shows that even though les Mls was written over a century and a half ago it still matters today because stuff and events that happened at the time in the book still happen to this day and are still happening and going to happen in the future because they are still problems in the world and they are not being resolved and these events are still very important in the day to day life because the issues are not being resolved and people today are still going through abuse and starvation and it is important that we take it into account that people aren’t always in the best position.

Altman, Sam. "Sam Altman's Younger Sister Files Lawsuit Claiming He Sexually

Abused Her." Abuse/neglect, edited by Joseph Kahn. The New York Times, A.

G. Sulzberger, 18 Sept. 1851, www.nytimes.com/2025/01/08/technology/

sam-altman-sister-lawsuit.html?searchResultPosition=2. Accessed 17 Jan.

2025. Image.

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I'm not from BLA, please kick me out of this padlet group

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Aoibhe Henry - Why Les Miserables matters (revised)

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Aoibhe Henry - Why Les Miserables matters (revised)

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Les Miserables, the book written by Victor Hugo, published in 1862, has many relevant social issues that occur in our reality as well as in the book’s reality. Les Miserables is set in 1832 during the June rebellion which was a cause of many social issues for that time period. One of the many social issues our main character Jean Valjean faces is mostly inequality. Jean Valjean is faced with homelessness, inequality, identity fraud, and so much more throughout the book which all make out the idea of class inequality. At the start of the book he is freed from jail after spending 19 years in the galleys for stealing bread for his sister's poor family. Many other characters also face similar problems throughout the book. This reflects on our society with many people who faced challenges similar to Jean Valjean after being freed from jail and looked down on as an ex-convict.

In our book Les Miserables, Jean Valjean faces class inequality, people see him as dangerous and an ex-convict. Most of the people that see his yellow passport think this because a yellow passport means you are an ex-convict. He is treated poorly for his yellow passport, although the only reason he was in jail was because he stole bread for his sister's family. In Les Miserables on page 16 it says, “See here! My name is Jean Valjean. I am a convict; I have been 19 years in the galleys. Four days ago I was set free, and started for Pontarlier, which is my destination; during those four days I have walked from Toulon. Today I walked twelve leagues. When I reached this place this evening I went to an inn, and they sent me away on account of my yellow passport, which I had shown at the mayor's office, as was necessary. I went to another inn; they said: ‘Get out!’ It was the same with one as another; nobody would have me. I went to the prison, and the turnkey would not let me in. I crept into a dog kennel, and the dog bit me, and drove me away as if he had been a man;you would have to have said he knew who I was. I went into the fields to sleep beneath the stars: there were no stars; I thought it would rain, and no good God to stop the drops, so I came back to the town to get the shelter of some doorway.” This piece from the text shows the difficulty of finding a place to stay as an ex-convict and how people see him. It shows how his class in their society's social structure treats him, making it inequality.

The reflection of the book to our reality is how many are treated poorly as Jean Valjean was to this day. Many ex-convicts in our society do not have anywhere to go after being freed from jail and often end up on the streets. In an Article published by the Simmons university they state, “When prisoners in the United States are released, they face an environment that is challenging and actively deters them from becoming productive members of society. Within three years of release, 67.8 percent of ex-offenders are rearrested, and within five years, 76.6 percent are rearrested.[1] With more than 2 million people incarcerated in the United States, recidivism harms both the families of inmates and society in general, as taxpayers continue to support a broken system that sets ex-offenders up to fail once they are released.” This textual evidence supports the idea that class inequality is very harsh towards ex-convicts who try to re-enter society as a better version of themselves will most likely fail because of the way society treats them. This connects to Les Miserables by the way no one would let Jean Valjean stay in their inn even though he had the money to pay.

Our reality has many reflections on the society in Les Miserables with social issues. As well as class inequality is a big part of Les Miserables it makes up big events in the story: the battle of anti-monarchist and Parisian republicans and it creates political views that are very meaningful to many characters. In conclusion to this idea of class inequality, most people like Jean Valjean can make a difference in their appearance to the world just the social issues of our society stop them from being able to do it.

Citations

Hugo, Victor. Les Misérables. 1862, p. 16.

“The Challenges of Prisoners’ Reentry into Society.” Simmons University, https://online.simmons.edu/blog/prisoner-reentry/

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When prisoners in the United States are released, they face an environment that is challenging and actively deters them from becoming productive members of society. Within three years of release, 67.8 percent of ex-offenders are rearrested, and within five years, 76.6 percent are rearrested. With more than 2 million people incarcerated in the United States, recidivism harms both the families of inmates and society in general, as taxpayers continue to support a broken system that sets ex-offenders up to fail once they are released.

The Congressional Research Service defines recidivism as "the re-arrest, reconviction, or re-incarceration of an ex-offender within a given time frame." Because of systemic legal and societal barriers, once ex-offenders are released, it is more difficult for them compared to the general populace to find gainful employment, secure a consistent source of housing, and generally function in society. Often viewed as sub-citizens, ex-offenders are perpetually punished for crimes. The causes of these restrictions are systemic and affect ex-offenders at all levels of society.

Interconnected Challenges Contributing to the Cycle of Recidivism

Before diving into where and how ex-offenders are affected, it is important to understand micro, mezzo, and macro levels of analysis. Put simply, micro level of analysis refers to individuals; mezzo level of analysis refers to families or small groups; and macro level of analysis refers to organizations, agencies, communities, and large groups of people, including nations. In almost any social change context, these levels are interconnected and affect one another.

Former prisoners face challenges at every level. These challenges come in many forms, but Ann Jacobs, director of the Prisoner Reentry Institute at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, succinctly summarizes them "A person's successful re-entry into society can be viewed through how adequately they are able to meet six basic life needs: livelihood, residence, family, health, criminal justice compliance, and social connections." Attaining each life need presents unique challenges, many of which are interconnected.

Micro Challenges

Livelihood

While data on post-incarceration employment in relation to recidivism is famously limited,it seems clear that it is much less likely for ex-inmates to find employment than a member of the general population. A 2002 study of more than 200 employers in the Milwaukee area found that formerly incarcerated candidates with nearly identical professional experience as non-offenders were less than half as likely to receive job offers. According to the Bureau of Justice, only 12.5 percent of employers said they would accept an application from an ex-convict. Ironically, getting back to work decreases recidivism, but there are barriers for ex-convicts finding work.

Many prisoners have limited education and work experience, which makes it difficult for them to secure employment after they are released. According to several studies, "about 70 percent of offenders and ex-offenders are high school dropouts." As a result of incarceration and involvement in the criminal justice system, many former prisoners are viewed negatively by former employers or by individuals within their former professional networks, if they previously had one. The combination of a limited professional network and a conspicuous résumé gap can make it very difficult for ex-convicts to get an interview with a prospective employer.

According to the Urban Institute, around 75 percent of formerly incarcerated men have a history of substance abuse, and a significant percentage suffer from physical and mental health issues (i.e., 15 percent to 20 percent report emotional disorders). That limits their employability in that employers may not view them as "job ready."

Many employers worry about being sued for damages resulting from "negligent hiring." An employer can be held liable for exposing the public to a potentially dangerous individual, so many balk at the idea of hiring someone with a criminal record. In 72 percent of negligent hiring cases, employers have lost and faced an average settlement of $1.6 million - powerful disincentive to hire potentially "risky" individuals.

Race is also a factor, particularly when combined with a history of incarceration. In the 2002 study of Milwaukee employers mentioned above, African-American offenders were two-thirds less likely to receive offers, and African-American non-offenders were half as likely as white non-offenders to receive an offer. So African-Americans ex-offenders face a huge double-challenge: Even if they hadn't committed a crime, racism significantly restricts their job opportunities; since they have committed a crime, they must somehow overcome the racism and convince the employer that their ex-con status does not make them a risky hire.

Fortunately for many former inmates, employer interest in an ex-offender rises when they find out that the crime was nonviolent or drug-related. So long as the individual remains drug-free and has gained relevant work experience (either inside or outside of prison), there is more employer interest in hiring.

Mezzo Challenges

Studies have shown that prisoners who maintain consistent contact and connection with their families during their sentences have a lower recidivism rate than those who do not. Over half of incarcerated adults are parents of minor children, which means they may miss out on many of their children's critical and formative years. Unfortunately, there are obstacles to maintaining consistent contact with family, and challenges for ex-offenders once released.

Once ex-offenders return home, they are dependent on family members and must overcome years of limited contact, potential resentment, and a change in the household dynamic. According to the Urban Institute Justice Policy Center, just before release, 82 percent of ex-offenders thought it would be easy to renew family relationships; after returning home, over half reported it was more difficult than expected. Family members often assume a new financial and emotional burden when ex-offenders return home, having to support a dependent adult.

To ease reconnecting with family and lost years of parenting experience, some prisons have programs to improve parenting skills. Although there is evidence that such prison-based programs are effective and beneficial for prisoners and their families, participation in such programs has declined in recent years. It is not completely clear why, but a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services study found many prisoners who couldn't get the other parent to co-participate were less likely to continue participation. That prompted some prisons to create new incentives for prisoner participation, including increased video chat privileges and gas coupons for spouses to encourage more visitation.

Society, Social Connections, and Expectations Upon Release

When ex-offenders are released from prison, they tend to find that their expectations for returning to normal life are not always realistic. This is especially true for prisoners who serve lengthy incarcerations because they are likely to face advances in technologies that are essential in new job markets and lack training that makes them viable candidates.

According to an Urban Institute study of Baltimore-area prisoners, offenders who re-enter the prison system tend to come from a concentrated set of communities, which have "above-average rates for unemployment, percent female-headed households, and percent of families living below the poverty level." Ex-offenders face massive obstacles when searching for employment anywhere, so to return with this disadvantage to an area that likely has low job prospects increases the likelihood of unemployment.

The same Urban Institute study also found that 54 percent of prisoners about to be released thought that they would be able to rely on their own jobs for financial support, and 82 percent expected that their parole officers would help in their transition home. After release, 51 percent reported that they relied on their families to a much greater extent than expected, and only about half reported that their parole officers were helpful during their transitions.

According to the study, it is not clear why parole officers were not considered helpful post-release (they were often given high marks for professionalism and accuracy of shared information, but still not considered "useful"). The data suggests that many prisoners who received parole supervision did not expect it and may have entered the relationship with their parole officers with pre-engendered negative feelings toward them.

They also may need to learn new ways of living. One of the most unexpected adjustments can be learning new technologies that replaced traditional systems. For example, prisoners with medium- or long-term sentences may have never used a smartphone or metro card.These may seem like minor adjustments to most of us since we experienced these changes gradually, but to learn them all at once, and to have them replace old routines, can be both difficult and disorienting.

Macro Challenges

Collateral Consequences

Collateral consequences are legal restrictions unrelated to the original crime that apply to ex-offenders after their release from prison. This includes thing like a lack of access to food stamps and an inability to vote.

At the time of this writing, The American Bar Association's National Inventory of the Collateral Consequences of Conviction lists 47,442 collateral consequences of incarceration. This statistic highlights the tens of thousands of legal restrictions imposed on ex-offenders that they didn't face before their convictions. Some are explicit and permanent, such as an inability to apply for federal grants. Others are vaguely worded, and administrators often assume the strictest interpretation. For example, ex-offenders are not banned from public housing, although housing administrators can use a criminal record as cause to reject a candidate. Many housing administrators incorrectly think that they are required to turn down applicants with a criminal record, creating a widespread de facto ban on public housing. (For more of such myths, see the Reentry Councils Reentry MythBusters fact sheets).

In theory, parole gives offenders a chance to prove that they can re-enter society without serving their maximum sentences. Paradoxically, parole conditions can create extra, unintended readjustment challenges for ex-offenders. For example, one common collateral consequence is difficulty in re-obtaining a driver's license. Many ex-offenders are not given a new driver's license simply because of their criminal record, but yet must drive to work, or drive to see their parole officers. They receive fines for driving without a license, which contributes to their debt and complicates their access to a license. Many such examples exist, with little or no evidence that these restrictions deter crime.

What Can Be Done

Systemic Changes

Many of the challenges facing ex-offenders are systemic and require policy changes and a shift away from the attitude of some that punishment should continue after sentences have been served. " Ban the Box" is a national campaign against continued punishment in hiring that calls for employers to remove the box on job applications that requires applicants to disclose criminal records. In a November 2015 speech at Rutgers University, President Barack Obama called on the federal government to support the campaign:

"[The federal government] should not use criminal history to screen out applicants before we even look at their qualifications ... . It is relevant to find out whether somebody has a criminal record. We're not suggesting ignore it. What we are suggesting is that when it comes to the application, give folks a chance to get through the door. Give them a chance to get in there so they can make their case."

Grassroots Changes

In addition to lobbying for policy changes, many nongovernmental organizations are leading grassroots efforts to help ex-offenders with recidivism. Programs like The Prison University Project help inmates earn college degrees while incarcerated. A 2013 National Criminal Justice Reference Service study found that when inmates complete degrees before re-entering society, recidivism rates substantially decrease.

The " Ride Home Program" in California employs ex-offenders to pick up inmates on the day of their release so they can get them home, but also help facilitate their transition to life on the outside. A new startup, Pigeon.ly, makes it significantly cheaper and easier for inmates to stay in contact with loved ones - an important part of decreasing the chances of returning to prison once released.

Conclusion

In the United States, after serving time in prison, ex-offenders are released with significant and ongoing economic and societal obstacles that often prevent them from thriving, thus indirectly pushing them back to crime, and back into the prison system. Many employers refuse to hire ex-cons, and systemic collateral consequences restrict tens of thousands of ex-offenders' legal rights, which essentially extends their punishment and inhibits their ability to function as normal citizens. While there are many organizations working to remove these obstacles, revisions in policy must occur before ex-offenders can have real opportunities that promote success and help to reduce recidivism. There are few systems in the United States that are more broken than the post-prison environment that ex-offenders face. With a major election this year, there is a perfect opportunity for social workers, advocates, politicians, and citizens to push for the necessary policy-level changes.

James, Nathan. Offender Reentry: Correctional Statistics, Reintegration into the Community, and Recidivism. Rep. no. 7-5700. N.p., 12 Jan. 2015. Web. 14 Jan. 2016.

Pager, Devah. NCJRS Abstract. Rep. no. NCJ 198320. National Institute of Justice, 2002. Web. 14 Jan. 2016.

Holzer, Harry J., Steven Raphael, and Michael A. Stoll. "Employment Barriers Facing Ex-Offenders." PsycEXTRA Dataset (n.d.): n. pag. Urban.org. New York University Law School, 20 May 2003. Web. 14 Jan. 2016.

Visher, Chreisty, Nancy Lavigne, and Jeremy Travis. "Returning Home: Understanding the Challenges of Prisoner Reentry: Maryland Pilot Study: Findings from Baltimore." PsycEXTRA Dataset (n.d.): n. pag. Urban.org. Urban Institute, Jan. 2004. Web. 14 Jan. 2016.

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The Challenges of Prisoner Re-Entry Into Society

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When prisoners in the United States are released, they face an environment that is challenging and actively deters them from becoming productive members of society. Often viewed as sub-citizens, ex-offenders are perpetually punished for crimes. The causes of these restrictions are systemic and affect ex-offenders at all levels of society.