Prisons: Who Am I To Judge?
Author: Father Cody Williams, Holy Cross Church
Prisons: Who Am I to Judge?
Father Cody Williams
Holy Cross Church
When we bring up the topic of prisons and prisoners, the most common first reaction is: they are criminals and deserve what they got? Reactions like this, although carry some truth, cloud our judgment and greatly limit our willingness to meet the person and bring healing and forgiveness. Let me give you some examples of the challenges facing prisons and prisoners. The common adage in America is, “innocent until proven guilty.” Yet, where in the system does this apply? When an accused person makes their plea, the person can only say “guilty” or “not guilty,” which already implies guilt. Yet, we only see one side of the system: the trial. Before the trial takes place, many of those incarcerated sit in jail cells meant for quick release. Since jails don’t have the money of prisons, jails tend to have less sanitary conditions, fewer resources, and little to no support for the inmates. On a much more pernicious scale, society is quick to either condemn or acquit a person before the courts have a chance to review the case. This “quick judgment” by society greatly challenges the judicial system in its process of making a good and just decision on the case at hand. Already the person has been convicted or freed from the crime in the eyes of the public without due process.
Prisons are meant to be institutions of reform. Yet, the most common understanding of the purpose of prison is to “lock people up.” We think of prisons like we think of punishments for unruly children. You do something bad, you get a time-out. Convicted criminals take a “time out” from society for the purpose of reform. The ultimate goal is for the person to understand the gravity of their crime and be able to return to society as a reformed and good person. Several problems hinder this process. First, prisons are not designed for true reform. When a person is given one or more life sentences, what value is reform? When prisons are built to make a profit, why bother setting the prisoners free? The expense associated with reform is largely too high for most governments to invest in and elected officials who propose reform for prisoners are viewed negatively for this suggestion. Thus, how is a person going to change? Second, the transition between prison life and life in the world is immensely harsh. Often a person faces underlying reasons that caused their incarceration such as mental health issues and drug abuse. Around 55% of those released, return to prison. Third, the stigma attached to an ex-convict is damaging. For some offenses, like sex crimes, the crime is attached to their record for life. How can we expect the person to reform if we never allow them to be free of their crime?
The largest issue with prisons and prison reform is the attached stigma. I argue that most people are more willing to convict a person they don’t know than to meet a convict and come to know them. Similarly, like with the rest of our judgments on people, our judgment carries its own sentence and ignores the value of the person. We would rather call someone a convict than a person convicted of a crime. We would rather shun them from society than reach out and work for reform. Our judgments greatly impact the level of success of reform and shape the dignity of the person. We have a greater impact on the well-being of society and the success of reform than we realize. Many factors help keep people from returning to prison including family and friend support, people who believe they can make a positive difference, and programs that help resolve their underlying issues.
I encourage everyone to consider the judgments we make on people who are entering the court system or convicted of a crime. What value does that person have? What hope do we have for their well-being? How willing am I to meet that person? How willing am I to set aside judgment and wait for the court’s decision? The answer to all these questions will teach us about our own judgments and the value we place on human life.
On Monday, February 17th we will explore the issues of prisons and prisoners in greater depth with the goal of understanding the underlying problems with prisons and reform of prisoners. All are welcome to join us at Holy Cross Church at 6 pm for dinner, a discussion on prisons, and an activity to bring light to this issue with a positive way to help bring healing and forgiveness.
Fr. Cody
