“And let him who would lash the offender look unto the spirit of the offended. And if any of you would punish in the name of righteousness and lay the ax unto the evil tree, let him see to its roots.” – From “The Prophet” by Kahlil Gibran

It is clear to anyone who spends a few hours reading up on our prison system that it is broken. Instead of reforming people and giving them greater opportunities to turn their lives around, in many cases we are creating super criminals.

Criminals come out of our prisons, stronger, smarter, and more well connected then when they entered prison. Instead of reforming criminals, we enable them greater opportunities to be better at crime. Hatred, anger, and fear, have found new breeding grounds within the prison system. Prison gives birth to the powerful agent of indifference, without which human beings could not commit atrocious acts.

The problem is, no one wants to spend money in reforming these people. Once a person is labeled a criminal, (especially a felon), they are stuck with that label for the rest of their life. Instead of being considered human beings, they are then considered numbers, and something almost sub-human.

I think it is important to consider the fact that social injustice is a large cause of our criminal population. There are a disproportionate number of minorities in prison, in comparison to their representation in the governmental system. Minorities often have difficulty receiving quality education, and equal opportunities. Thus there is often social pressure to turn to criminal activities. This is the root of a large body of problems with the system.

I would mostly like to tackle the issue of reform here. As I stated above, in general, people do not want to put money into the prison system beyond more cells, and security. We have a current tendency to throw away the key once someone has been convicted.

I have read about yoga programs moving into jails in Mexico, only to find an amazing change in attitude of the prisoners, and a higher level of reform rate. I have also read about programs that involve team building, and implementing courses that teach specific skill sets, so that work would be more readily available once the convict is released.

But these programs are few and far between. Despite the show of success, it seems that we still want prison to be a place where people sit and rot. I once encountered a girl who worked in a courthouse with me, who believed that punishment should be much harsher then it is. She said that in countries were crime was punished in harsh ways (such as chopping off one’s hands for stealing) crime was significantly lower. I pointed out the fact that all the countries that employ these methods, also have very little rights for women, and are usually run by dictators. Often the people who are punished in this way do not receive fair trials, and punishment is at the whim of the totalitarian government.

Human beings make mistakes. Obviously the severity of the mistake differs, but either way, many people deserve another chance. Sometimes all people need for a second chance is for someone to open the door, and teach them the resources that are available to them. Often people return to prison time and again, serving many years and many sentences. Shouldn’t we focus on eliminating this problem instead of focusing on building more prisons?

Part of the reason they return to criminal activities, is because after prison, people are blackballed. Often they are unable to find a decent job with a fair wage. The moment someone has to talk about there past transgressions, the employer often will immediately dismiss them in their mind. Once convicted, it becomes very difficult to find a good job.

Showing others kindness can dissolve anger, and hatred. Compassion can dissolve fear. Honesty without judgment can help us to begin to move forward. In many people’s minds, once guilty = forever guilty. This is an attitude that must be changed.

We have a prison system that cripples people, and prevents them from changing. I believe that in people’s hearts they want to find a positive way to live. It is simply that no one has ever opened a door for them. No one has ever sat down with them and tried to help them find a way out of the mess that their life has become.

We must all be that person. When someone messes up we must learn to forgive, and to begin to move forward, this of coarse applies to all situations and not just to those in prison. We must help those who have forgotten themselves. Everyone deserves a second chance, because everyone is a living-breathing creature. Our compassion should extend to them, in the same way that we extend it to our own children.

If your child injured or killed someone else, would you not want to help him or her to move forward? Would you condemn them for all time, or would you find a way to help them make it through the difficult times? If your child were stealing, would you not want to find out why? If your child fell into drugs, would you want to lock them up for a mandatory minimum sentence, or would you want them to go to rehab?

Meditation can be a powerful tool both to empower people, and to help them find peace in their past transgressions. I think it could be a useful tool in the prison system and I myself hope one day soon to work within the prison system. Everyone needs a chance, and everyone needs someone to extend a hand to them.

The only way we can achieve peace in this world is to take an honest look at our own social structures and find the flaws that are in dire need of repair. The current prison system is one such structure.

Many of the current prisoners would easily find reform, if only helping hands were extended to them. Of coarse there are some, that after a lifetime of hatred, may never be willing to change their ways, but shouldn’t that be the minority of prisoners, instead of the majority?

It is clear that something must be done, like all other major issues affecting us we ignore them until they cannot be ignored. The prisons system is already over populated. Perhaps we should begin to address this issue before it has reached a critical point.


Michael Kilman
www.SpiritualAlchemyCoach.com
(720) 732-9085

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