Life in Prison and a New Beginning?

I was recently thinking about all the prisoners guilty and innocent who do not have a secure future. Well they do have a secured future full of uncertainty and struggle. When we who have never been to jail think of someone in jail we think of them as the worst people ever. We do not want to relate, socialize, or employ them.

Why can't a ex-prisoner be given the chance of a new beginning. We all make mistakes. Think about all your mistakes? Have you encountered any consequences based on your mistakes? How does it feel? What would you like to have changed? What can you change from your past? Nothing because it is in the past.

Prisoners who are released from prison usually end up back behind a jail cell because of lack of opportunities.
Why can't we move past the mistakes and see the positives of this individual?

I understand however that many ex-prisoners are not mentally able to socialize, work, or be around others without harming or endangering the environment of others. In that we do have to analyze the person just to be precautionary.

I do contradict myself however because I believe any prisoner who was sentenced because of sexual abuse and/or any other type of torture to a child, should never be given any opportunity! Children can not defend themselves, and the trauma they will suffer for the rest of their lives is none compared to what this criminal will face.