Friday, October 26, 2012


Train Up the Prisoner in the Way He Should Go, and When He is Out, He Will Not Depart From It

The ways of dealing with children should be the ways of dealing with prisoners.

I think of the adage found in Proverb 22:6. "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Much of the reason that this is true, is that we are what we practice. If we do a thing over and over, it becomes a part of us. Just as a child can develop good habits through practice, so can a prisoner. The prisoner has no chance of developing good habits, though, if he is not taught them.

Having a criminal in prison should be seen as an opportunity to retrain the person. It is not only opportunity to redirect him away from whatever offense he committed, but to retrain him in being a good person, period. In some cases, the criminal never received this training while a child, and this becomes perhaps the only chance society has to go back and provide it after the fact.

So, teach them not to taunt others, not to gossip, and not to lie. In part, do this by monitoring their conversations with their visitors, a thing we do anyway. But, instead of keeping the prisoner on one side of the window and the visitors on the other, search the visitors well, then let them in to work or play or watch a good show with the prisoner. We have considered it part of their punishment that they cannot have such contact. Why not, instead, consider it their punishment that while they can have such interaction, they have to conduct themselves properly while at it? This way, they learn the life skills we want them to have when they get out of prison. Playing, and working, and learning together: They will be taught how to conduct themselves in the same activities they will be involved in once they get out.

And teach them and give them role models. Give them books to read that teach morals, and offer examples of people doing right. Limit their videos and movies to those that teach. If there are things they didn't learn as children, such as how to read, teach them.

We have in our hands a person who often lacks in such skills, and needs to be trained on them. They cannot be trained en for them moment. To some, it may seem we have no right to require a prisoner to do such things as speak kindly to everyone he deals with, at point of punishment. No taunting of others, no gossiping, and no lying allowed. Well, may the correction be given in a loving manner, not with spite. The prisoner is in jail for punishment, and has lost his rights while there
It might be a little much to say, "Train up the prisoner in the way he should go, and when he is out, he will not depart from it." You aren't beginning with a clean slate like you are with a child. You are retraining instead of training for the first time. Still, there is truth in the sentiment. If you get a prisoner doing good while in prison, he will be much more likely to be that person when he gets out.

Teach them and give them role models. Give them books to read that teach morals, and offer examples of people doing right. Limit their videos and movies to those that teach. If there are things they didn't learn as children, such as how to read, teach them those things.

If we really believe they can change, if we really believe they can rehabilitate, then we should be retraining them in the very same arts we train children in.

Not in all cases will this apply, for we deal with a clean slate when we deal with children, but it well might be that we will find it not so untrue to say, "Train up the prisoner in the way he should go, and when he is out, he will not depart from it."

If the process for training children is tried and true, and works, why would we not consider using it? if we are really going to retrain them, is there any other way as effective as how we train children?

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