Poll Question:
Be honest: At work, school, or home, do you isolate or judge people with a criminal record—snubbing them, saying they don't deserve a second chance because of their past? What kind of justice does that create?
Yes, I have judged or isolated someone because of their past.
Maybe, I'm not sure but I might have unconsciously.
No, I try to treat everyone equally.
I'm working on being more understanding and open.
I want to learn how to break this cycle of judgment.
#Justice #Healing #BreakTheCycle #SecondChances
A Letter on Real Justice
Dear Community,
Let's be honest with ourselves. When you're at work, at school, or even at home, do you isolate people who have a criminal record? Do you snub your nose at them, judge them, or think they don't deserve anything better—just because they were broken, because they snapped, because they ended up on the other side of the victim coin?
Ask yourself: what kind of justice do we get out of that? All we create is more victims, not justice.
When we judge, isolate, and turn our backs on people who have made mistakes, we are not delivering justice—we are perpetuating pain. We are continuing a cycle where the broken stay broken, and the hurting keep hurting. We create a world where those who have been taken—by circumstance, by trauma, by bad choices—are never given a real chance to come back. And those who have taken, who have hurt others, are never given a chance to explain, to heal, or to make amends.
The Reality of Redemption Programs
Inside jails and prisons, there are programs meant to offer a path to redemption: education, job training, substance abuse treatment, mental health counseling, and life skills classes. Studies show that people who participate in these programs are significantly less likely to return to prison. For example, those who earn a college degree while incarcerated have a recidivism rate as low as 5.6%, compared to the national average of over 65% within three years. Vocational training can cut the risk of reoffending by nearly half.
But here's the truth: these programs are not available to everyone. Many prisons are overcrowded and underfunded, so only a fraction of people get access. Waiting lists are long, and resources are limited. Some programs are little more than a checkbox for parole, lacking real depth or support. And even when someone completes a program, the stigma and barriers they face on the outside—finding a job, a place to live, or acceptance in their community—can be overwhelming.
Why the System Fails
The system claims to offer second chances, but too often it sets people up for failure. Employers and landlords still judge people by their worst mistake. Society still isolates and shames, rather than supports and welcomes. The cycle continues, not because people don't want to change, but because we don't give them a real chance to do so.
Is that the kind of justice we want? A justice that divides, that punishes endlessly, that never allows for redemption? Or do we want a justice that heals, that restores, that recognizes the humanity in everyone—no matter which side of the victim coin they ended up on?
If we keep isolating and judging, we only deepen the wounds and keep the cycle going. Real justice means breaking that cycle, choosing understanding over judgment, and giving people a true chance to heal and rebuild.
Let's stop creating more victims and start building real justice—together.
With hope for change,
The World