Well, without further ado, here's Walter's post (or you can click here and read the whole thing on his page. But since you're already here at Req, why not hang out and just read on):
We all make resolutions at the New Year…a chance to start over again and make commitments that the next year will be better than the current one. Each year, hundreds of thousands of inmates are released back into society and their hope is that the New Year will be celebrated with some new meaning and purpose.
There are a lot of people in prison. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 7,225,800 people were on probation, in jail, or on parole in the U.S. during 2009. The United States has 5% of the world’s population and 23.4% of the world’s prison population. Who says we’re not number one anymore?! So let’s look at some positive stories that had their seeds in criminal behavior but have bloomed into something more.
Michael Vick is heading to the Pro Bowl and his Philadelphia Eagles are on their way to the NFL playoffs. Vick, who served a few years in prison for charges related dog fighting, is also doing work in communities around the country speaking out about the unethical treatment of animals. Vick’s positive message is penetrating minority neighborhoods in a way that no other spokesperson could.
A group of inmates at Rikers Island participated in a program to record readings of children’s books. These stories are going to be shared with the family members they left behind. The participation of the inmates is a sign of their own reflection of their wrong-doing and I am certain it will lead to better decisions in the future. The New York Times did an excellent story on this.
Michael Milken did a few years in prison for insider trading, old school insider trading not this new type with Expert Networks stuff. Since his release from prison in 1993 he has been engaged in philanthropic activities. He is co-founder of the Milken Family Foundation, chairman of the Milken Institute, and founder of medical philanthropies funding research into melanoma, cancer and other life-threatening diseases. In a November 2004 cover article, Fortune magazine called him “The Man Who Changed Medicine” for his positive influence on medical research.
In Florida, U.S. district judge Casey Rodgers is leading a movement to help released inmates find their way back into society through counseling, job placement and support. The program, the Robert A. Dennis Re-entry Court, continues to help people make a life for themselves other than one involving crime. Judge Casey is helped by a prosecutor and a probation officer among others.
Happy New Year! 2011 is going to be a good one!
We all make resolutions at the New Year…a chance to start over again and make commitments that the next year will be better than the current one. Each year, hundreds of thousands of inmates are released back into society and their hope is that the New Year will be celebrated with some new meaning and purpose.
There are a lot of people in prison. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 7,225,800 people were on probation, in jail, or on parole in the U.S. during 2009. The United States has 5% of the world’s population and 23.4% of the world’s prison population. Who says we’re not number one anymore?! So let’s look at some positive stories that had their seeds in criminal behavior but have bloomed into something more.
Michael Vick is heading to the Pro Bowl and his Philadelphia Eagles are on their way to the NFL playoffs. Vick, who served a few years in prison for charges related dog fighting, is also doing work in communities around the country speaking out about the unethical treatment of animals. Vick’s positive message is penetrating minority neighborhoods in a way that no other spokesperson could.
A group of inmates at Rikers Island participated in a program to record readings of children’s books. These stories are going to be shared with the family members they left behind. The participation of the inmates is a sign of their own reflection of their wrong-doing and I am certain it will lead to better decisions in the future. The New York Times did an excellent story on this.
Michael Milken did a few years in prison for insider trading, old school insider trading not this new type with Expert Networks stuff. Since his release from prison in 1993 he has been engaged in philanthropic activities. He is co-founder of the Milken Family Foundation, chairman of the Milken Institute, and founder of medical philanthropies funding research into melanoma, cancer and other life-threatening diseases. In a November 2004 cover article, Fortune magazine called him “The Man Who Changed Medicine” for his positive influence on medical research.
In Florida, U.S. district judge Casey Rodgers is leading a movement to help released inmates find their way back into society through counseling, job placement and support. The program, the Robert A. Dennis Re-entry Court, continues to help people make a life for themselves other than one involving crime. Judge Casey is helped by a prosecutor and a probation officer among others.
Happy New Year! 2011 is going to be a good one!
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