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The word “jail”
literally means, “a small cave or cove in a mountain.” Apparently back in the day “bad people” were
placed in those small caves as a punishment.
All the men at the Newton IFI had been to “jail”.
The word “prison’s”
origin comes from the term for “taken.”
You are “taken” against your will to be confined when you do something
against the law.
All societal response to “law-breaking” throughout most of
human history had been in the form of “punishment.” Beatings, brandings,
stocks, irons, slavery, torture, and death have been practiced and are
practiced still today through out the world.
If you hurt someone, you were hurt in return (the ole’ “eye for an eye”
concept.) Lawbreakers were sent to “penal” colonies to be punished, hence the
term “
penal system.”
In to 1700’s and 1800’s, however, there was a change in
philosophy. The “Pennsylvania System” was incorporated in
America and throughout
Europe.
The term “
Penitentiary” was coined.
The Quakers believed that a Lawbreaker should reflect on his crimes as
well as the status of his life in general and he should “repent” or become
“penitent” hence the term “Penitentiary.” It was believed a convicted criminal
should “spend time alone with God” in a small cell, much like a monk.
He should pray and feel really really sorry.
Then, when he was released, he would regret his crime and want to be a changed
man.
The prisoner was isolated most of
the day with little human interaction.
This was the primary “prison” philosophy up until the 1960’s
and into the 1970’s.
Then the term, “
Corrections” began to be used.
It was believed the Lawbreakers had some
“errors” in their thinking that needed to be “corrected.”
So an educational and medical model crept
into the prison system.
Different
treatments and classes became available such as Alcoholics Anonymous, GED
programs, Counseling, Job Training, Criminal Thinking Classes, Classes about
Victims, Social Training Classes, and Re-entry Classes.
So, here’s the bottom line:
all three approaches (punishment/repentance/correction) have been dismal
failures as far as changing people from Law-breakers to law-abiders.
At least with “punishment” the goal of “you
did
this so
this happens to you” is fulfilled.
But no one can make anyone “feel sorry” or “think correctly” against
that person’s will.
All three of those aspects are “right” in what they can
do.
They all have a place in the
changing of a law-breaker to a law-abider.
The criminal must be punished severely and aversely.
Justice demands it. The criminal must feel
sorry and repent of his ways.
The
criminal must change his way of thinking and learn a new way of living.
The question is not
“what”
must happen, but
“how” can it happen.
I quickly learned how to present IFI to prison/treatment in
a short synopsis that was true, but also was in terminology they could connect
with.
Here is how I presented it (over
and over and over…even under oath):
“At IFI we do not approach crime as
primarily an education problem, cognitive problem, health problem, or societal
problem. We approach crime as primarily
a “heart” problem and a “spiritual” problem.
If a man’s heart changes, his actions will change.”
I remember one time a group of Iowa State Legislators toured
the IFI program. Some of the
Representatives were pro-IFI, but one woman was vehemently against IFI. I kept talking about “men’s hearts” and
“men’s spirits.” The woman could no longer contain herself and she blurted out,
“You know, you keep talking about ‘hearts’ and ‘spirits’ but I don’t believe
people HAVE ‘SPIRITS!’”
That was a telling comment, and a very “Western” comment at
that.
Western thought is that there is
no supernatural.
There is a belief that
only the tangible exists and that only the brain and the body are involved in
the life of a man.
But that in not so in “Eastern” thought. Even Eastern
secular thought believes that there is an “intangible” or “spiritual” world
that affects us.
In “Eastern” thought a
man has three paths within him, his mind or thoughts, his will and emotions,
and his spirit.
At the place where all
three of these paths intersect is a chair or a throne. And in that chair or
throne sits a man’s “Heart” who rules all three paths. Remember, Jesus was a
Middle-Eastern man and he spoke of “the heart” often.
Everyone who is not saved has the
Prince of the Rulers of the Air seated on that throne in their
lives.
The spirit of the World, The very spirit of
LAWLESSNESS rules in that place in the heart of the unbeliever (I
didn’t say that to the treatment people) and until he is thrown down and
replaced by the Good and Just King, LAWLESSNESS will continue.
That was our compelling reality and something we couldn’t
cause to happen. God himself had to move upon a man and the man had to say
“yes” to Him.
All we could do was tend the environment for that to happen.
And it did happen…often.
chris
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