What does successful look like for the formerly incarcerated?

Larry, a carpenter working on my parents’ former home, was recently released from a rehabilitation center following a stint in jail. His supervisor cared for him while he was in prison and made sure he had housing after release. Last weekend, we were overjoyed to see Larry back on the job. Standing in a tight circle in the driveway, we prayed together: the carpenter, the supervisor, the customer, and Jesus.

On April 19, Chelsea Friske, Director of Policy and Research for Prison Fellowship, moderated a fascinating discussion on barriers to successful reentry for the 1 in 3 American adults with a criminal record. The panel comprised two formerly incarcerated men who described the many barriers they encountered in trying to reenter society, as well as Matt Martens, author, defense attorney, and former federal prosecutor.  Martens lamented the danger of treating people “as the entirety of … the worst thing they’ve ever done.” Said Martens: “We’ve made a decision in many different ways in our criminal justice system that we don’t want them back, even without regard for the severity of what they have done.” 

Drawing on Augustine’s view of justice – as giving to each and every man his due – Martens argued that, for Christians, what everyone is due is our love (Romans 13:8). To do justice, then, is to love all our neighbors by seeking their good. This can also include punishment, or what Augustine would call a harsh benevolence. “No one is loved by overlooking what they have done and letting them continue down a self-destructive road.” The goal of justice “isn’t to take your eye but for you to stop taking eyes, so that the wrongdoer will come back and be part of the community again.” 

Reforming criminal justice according to the biblical exigencies of neighbor love would place greater effort on “bringing people back” into society. Policymakers have the job of discerning which barriers are unnecessary, if not unjust, and dismantling them. Christian communities have the job of showing love to our neighbors regardless of their past offenses, just as our contractor does for Larry.