What Goes Round

That which goes around, comes around.

I usually hear that said when someone gets what is coming to them, when they experience for themselves what they put others through. Revel in the fact, therefore, that God repays evil for evil.

See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all. - 1 Thessalonians 5:15

Oops!

According to Paul, that isn't how we should act.  We should do good to one another regardless of how others treat us.

Not fair, right?  We should be able to have justice in this world.  If someone does evil, he should be punished.

What would we do with all those people in prison if we change our approach to punishment?

According to a 60 Minutes episode that aired in March, Germany's prison system is not at all like ours.  Prisoners live apart from their families, but not in tight quarters with few amenities.  They are treated with respect and dignity.

What?
The article reports, "The U.S. makes up just five percent of the world's population, but incarcerates 25 percent of the world's prisoners." So, us officials have visited Germany to see what could be done to lower the cost and improve the results of prison terms here at home.

When an idea pays off, people pay attention, so perhaps something will come of it.  But do we only seek to do good when it pays?

There are plenty of people who will have problems with rehabilitation rather than punishment.  We like to believe that crime doesn't pay, that people are either good or bad, and bad people need to be put away to keep us safe.

When we make a mistake and lock up the wrong person, though, then we get upset and want justice.  What if we come to see that any system built on judgment and punishment is bound to invite corruption and abuse?  History surely proves that extreme abuses of power are possible, so why not try something different?

It's a tough decision to make and one which will generate backlash, but changing our penal system to a system of restoration and rehabilitation is worth looking into, and that is what some of our governors and legislators are considering.

I know, some will say that Paul's charge to love one another has nothing to do with changing the way we incarcerate criminals, but I wonder if that's true.  Having worked with people who are much closer to the issue, people who have loved ones behind bars, I see a need for more love, and that goes all around.

More to come...