Rejecting Permanent Exclusion and Embracing Redemptive Possibilities

Since recently graduating from college, I've found myself with more time to read. So, I'm re-reading an excellent book that addresses identity, otherness, and reconciliation from a theological perspective. It's Miroslav Volf's "Exclusion and Embrace." 

Although this (difficult) book addresses all kinds of exclusion and otherness and how to pursue reconciliation and healing in these conflicts, I saw an important connection to prisoners and their communities. When someone breaks the law, communities, through law enforcement and the courts, hold that person accountable. The lawbreaker is often isolated from the community (via jail or prison) as a way to reinforce the importance of the community's social norms. The problem is that the lawbreaker isn't simply isolated for a time and then welcomed back. Our American justice system permanently marks a lawbreaker as an outsider. 

A jail or prison sentence is meant to remove the offender for a time from the community in order to protect the community, but also in order to pressure offenders to adopt society's social norms. In other words, to turn offenders into law abiding citizens. The rub is that while asking offenders to naturally develop an affinity for a community's social norms, that same community rejects the offender. This rejection isn't a temporary rejection, though. It is permanent. 

Criminal records keep felons from obtaining housing and jobs, and this permanent outsider status often ostracizes the former offender from the very community that demands they "follow the rules." While many reasons contribute to high re-offense rates, one contributing factor is this permanent outsider status. 

It is unreasonable to expect most prisoners to naturally develop an affinity for the communities and cultures that reject them. Without any solid place to ground themselves, any solid sense of belonging, former offenders cannot be expected to resist what opposes society's norms. They have no incentive to do so, other than avoiding more punishment. 

Psychologists and sociologists tell us that positive reinforcement is much more effective than negative reinforcement (punishment), yet our culture continues to major on the negatives. Michigan, for example, is the ONLY state that offers its prisoners no form of time off for good behavior. So, in addition to branding offenders with a permanent outsider status, Michigan only uses negative reinforcement (long prison sentences) to pursuade offenders to adopt social norms. It's simply an illogical approach. 

Communities need to demand more from the justice system. They need to demand a way back for offenders, a way to remove their outsider status and to belong again. Positive incentives give offenders hope for redemption, not hopeless expection of permanent rejection.