Although different prisons in different places achieve the goal of rehabilitation to varying degrees - some offer the opportunity to get a college degree while others literally offer little more than a striped uniform and bread with cheese and water - the idea still fundamentally exists that in prison, a man or woman has the opportunity to reflect on their mistakes, change their trajectory, and emerge from prison reborn. Whereas in Pennsylvania the authority in charge of prisons and prisoners is called the Department of Corrections, in California it is called the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Prisons are also supposed to serve as a place for rehabilitation, repentance, and change. In at least a partial admission that the three-strikes law isn’t really a deterrent, the statute was amended in 2012 to make the mandatory life sentence for a third strike apply only to those that commit a violent felony. But it also incarcerated thousands of addicts and non-violent offenders and folks who just made bad choices at a down and out stage in their life. The law put away some folks that might otherwise be deemed irredeemable, unwilling to change, and incorrigible. Studies have been unable to show that this three strikes law actually deterred crime in any measurable way. California is now beyond its 25th year in an experiment with a so-called three strikes law, a law that once imposed a mandatory life sentence on criminals who commit a third felony. Although prison is likely some kind of deterrent against illegal behavior, studies suggest that it isn’t nearly as effective in that respect as one might think. Prison is meant to be a deterrent - a way to keep folks with large chunks of morally grey area in their consciences from stealing ipods at target and boosting cars when the opportunity presents itself. Prison is a place for punishment - an experience of the deprivation of freedom and leisure time and comfort meant to exact a toll on a person that will remind them of their ill doings.
They serve as a bulwark of safety and isolation for the rest of society - a place where people deemed too dangerous to live responsibly with their fellow human are sent so that they do not terrorize, disrupt, or destroy the lives of those outside any longer. Prisons and jails of course serve many parallel roles, in theory, for those that are incarcerated there. Even though we can always say we are sorry even though our daily Amidah prayer includes the words סלח לנו אבינו שחטאמו, מחל לנו מלכינו כי פשנו - forgive us father for we have sinned, pardon us sovereign for we have erred - the tradition teaches in the Talmud that the real atonement happens just once, and then we are clean.īut there are places in the world where teshuvah is not a fleeting idea that a person indulges in for one day, but rather is an everyday thing.
This kind of teshuvah is special and exceptional, in that we as Jews are afforded the opportunity to wipe the slate clean but once a year.
#EX CONS SHOCKED AT THE WORLD AFTER LONG PRISON SENTENSES PROFESSIONAL#
If improvement is slow or nonexistent, consider reaching out to a therapist or other professional for additional help.When we think of the concept of teshuvah - repentance, return, change - we think of Yom Kippur, and the idea of reflection and apology. If I keep applying to jobs, I will eventually get one." Reaffirming positive thinking and connecting with others who think positively will eventually change the way your loved one sees the world around them. I am a failure," encourage them to tell themselves something like, "I haven't gotten a job yet. WORK WITH YOUR LOVED ONE ON THEIR SELF-TALKįor example, if you're loved one is prone to think, "I can't get a job. The more success they have, regardless of how small, the more confident and happy they will be.
Encourage them to reward themselves with something small, like take a long walk or enjoy a special meal, when each goal is achieved. If therapy is not an option, there are other steps you and your loved one can take to improve their mental health and happiness. Readjusting to daily life is challenging, and working towards finding a job with a criminal record and gaining financial stability can be frustrating. Resources for Angel Tree ® Church Coordinatorsĭepression after incarceration is very common.Support for Friends and Family of Prisoners.Register your church or group for Angel Tree.
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