Freed Slaves vs. Freed Criminals

Due to my interest in wanting to figure out the life after being incarcerated, this statement by Michelle Alexander stood out to me. In Chapter 4 of The New Jim Crow Michelle Alexander states, "Today a criminal freed from prison has scarcely more rights, and arguably less respect, than a freed slave or a black person living 'free' in Mississippi at the height of Jim Crow" (141). In this quote Michelle Alexander's compares a freed criminal to a freed slave. I agree with Alexander about a criminal freed from prison has more rights than freed slave. Many people believe that Alexander has no right to make the comparison between the two. I believe Alexander was pretty accurate in comparing the freed slave and the freed prisoner. Also, I would consider Alexander's statement to be very controversial because freed individuals has less of a chance in getting a job that  pays well enough to live a comfortable life. In relation to a freed slave, they are looked down upon, treated unfairly, and do not have equal opportunity. Many people would argue the point that a freed slave is nothing like a freed criminal. A criminal once had rights and made bad choices, which results in punishment. If that means losing rights, then so be it. A freed slave never had an opportunity to have a level playing field, in terms of rights. Therefore, a freed salve can't possibly be compared to a freed criminal. In my opinion both freed slaves and criminals are looked down upon by society and are limited automatically on what they can do. This was for sure one of the most interesting parts in the chapter.