It Takes a Village to Correct a Criminal

   If we truly believe love makes a difference in people's lives, and if we realize the effort to turn a criminal's life cannot end just because he leaves prison, we would work on making communities more accepting of the ex-convict.
   Prison reform must be extended to the communities. Everything done in prison will be wasted if the reformation does not continue when the prisoner gets out.
   The desire to be reformed is going to end if the prisoner returns to a cold and unforgiving community. Usually, anyway. It would be good if communities showered their ex-convicts with not only love, but encouragement to stay away from criminal ways. I think of the story in the New Testament of the prodigal son. I think of that father who tossed his son a party.
   I wonder how many times a community has tossed a party for a returning prisoner. Of course, I don't mean a party with drugs and loose women. I mean a party where they do the welcoming in a wholesome manner.
   It takes a village to raise a child, they say, and that is only made more true when the person is wayward. It takes a village to correct a criminal, to guide him away from a life of crime.