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44)
and personnel muse recognize rhar che
kcy ro rehabilirarion lies
within
each
inmare. noc chrough exrernal coer–
cion. o maner how good che prison
environmcnr may be, rcform is ulti–
marely in rhe hands of rhe prisoner
himself.
Rchabilirarion is largely an individ–
ual rnatter - no onc can be changcd
who doesn't wanc
ro
be. A criminal
who adamanrly refuses ro change his
own anirude and lawlcss life-scylc
cannor be forced ro do so.
As Joe O'Bricn, San Quenrin's
Jnformarion OfTiccr. rold
me.
"No
prison ever reformed anybody. If a
rnan decides ro change, on his own,
rhen you can help him along." In
orher words. beuer prison condirions
- berrer facilities, personnel. and
rraining - shou ld be urilized as a
mcans roward rhe end of helping
inmates changc, noc as an end
tn
i
rsclf.
One of rhc biggesr
handicap~
ro
dfccring reform is che general lack of
wisdom among prisoners. Most con–
vicrs have never bcc:n raughr how ro
think or acr rcsponsibly. Behind
prison walls, rhe decision-making
power is al! bur complerely rakcn
away from prisoners. One of rhe chief
aims of any rehabilirarion program
should be ceaching men how ro be
responsible and upright - ro learn
thc diffcrcncc becween righr and
wrong.
Of course, inmares also need rhe
rype of work rraining and experience
rhat will enable rhem ro become eco–
nomicalJy self-sufTicienr on rhe our–
side upon releasc. Mosc offenders are
sen r ro prison lacking any normal
work experience. Many have never
known whar ir means ro supporc a
famil~·
or rhernselvcs rhrough sceady
cmploymenr. Abour 85 perccnr of al!
Ll. S. prisoners lack an}' markerablc
skill. Training parolees for jobs on
rhe ourside and gercing rhem inro
sceady employmenr would add
immeasurably ro lascing reform.
Finally. prisons can help success–
fully phase inmares back inro rhcir
46
families. Expanded conjuga! vJSJtS
and increasingly longer periods of
sray ar homc is onc way rhose abour
ro be permanenrly released could be
gradually placed back inro srablc farn–
ily life.
What P risoners Can Do
Bur we shou ld all realize rhar rhe
prisons can only do so much.
As
poinred our before, unless rhe prison–
ers rhemselves are willing ro do rheir
parr. any atremprs ar lasring reform
are bound ro skid ro a hale.
Prison inmares need
ro
recognize
somerhing about themselves: rhar
borh exrernaJ and interna! forces pull
rhem clown che parhs of crime. The
exrernal forces are due to oucside cir–
cumsrances in sociery such as che bro–
ken home, gheno. poor educarion,
poverry. etc. The inrernal forces are
due ro their own human narure rhat
succumbed ro rhese ourside influ–
ences.
In orher word!>, criminals nccd ro
own up ro chcir own pare in che
crimes rhey have commirred. Only hy
understandin,g chis rrurh is real and
lasring rc:habílirario n possible.
Those who desire ro be reformcd
must undersrand what crime has done
ro rhem
personall~ .
Criminal attirudes
and behavior, devdoped over a pcriod
of rime, gnaw away ara man's mind.
personaliry. and characcer jusr likc
cancer. UltimalCI)', crime ends up
desrroying a man's very life if he
doesn't change (as is usually rhe case).
Among our severa! million rcadcrs
are a few rhousand prisoners. lf you
are one of chese prisoners who sub–
scribe
ro
The
Pl.AlN
TRUTH. you need
ro realize rhac
it need
1101
be loo late (or
_you.
There exisrs a wav in which rrue
and permanenr reform is possible. Ir
is a process in which your enrire
mind, characrer, and conscience can
be cleaned up and forever rid of guilt
- a way in which peace of mind.
sacisfacrion. accomplishmenc. and
happiness are readily available -
b111
on!>
i(
)'OII
tm u•illing to complete/¡
change.
Such a change means more rhan
merelv feeli ng sorry for che deeds you
have cornmirred. Not rhar you
shouldn"r fccl som· for them. but rhar
and more.
You should also become
sick of whar crime has done
ro
\'our–
self and orhcrs. You should determine
ro face che fucure never wanrin,g ro
commit anorher cri me ever again.
You should determine ro avoid even
atricudes rhat could evenrualh· lead ro
crime.
Actually. rhis message applics nor
onh· ro prisoncrs bur also
to JfJCÍet¡
as a
whole.
For
all stand guilry of sin
before God unr il forgiven!
True Rehabilication
If you have come ro see che need
for chis kind of lasring
chan~e
in
\ 'Our
life. you need ro bcgin
srudyin~
rhe
pages of rhc Book which is rhc foun–
darion of rrue rchabiliraríon - rhe
Holy Bible.
The Biblc is rhe key nor only ro
prisoner reform bur
w
a nccdcd rora!
change in evcrvone.
Ir
reveals an all–
powcrful, loving. merciful God who
fully undcrstands your own particular
weaknes~c~.
Llndersca nd rhat rhis God
- rhe cruc God -
stand~
rcadv ro
forgive and forger as soon as you are
willing ro change ,·our way of rhink–
ing and your way of life.
In rhc Bible. rhis changc is called
repmlalla'.
Onc repenrs of sin. Whar
is sin? ' 'Sin is rhe rransgression of che
law•· - God's law (1 John 3:4).
Crime is. bv delinirion. che rrans–
gression of man's law. Sin brings a
penalty char musr be paid. Eirhcr rou
pay rhar penalty - erernal dearh
(Romans
6:23) -
or someone muse
pay ir in )'Our sread. Jesus Chrisr will–
ingly paid che full penalty for all
crimes and all sins you and ever\'one
else have ever commirred.
If you would like a decailed expla–
narion of
e
his rehabilitarion proccss
- righr out of rhe pages of your
Bible - wrice for our free booklcr.
lf/hat
ls
F,tith.'
and rhe repri nr arricle
enritled "Whar Is Real Rcpcnrance?"
For address. see inside fronr
cover. O
PLAIN TRUTH September-October 1972