by Susan Jiosa

Created on: October 10, 2009   Last Updated: October 11, 2009

Do Prison's reform Criminals? That answer is both yes and no. Being an ex-inmate myself, prison actually saved my life. I made the choice when I got locked up to change the way I was living and leave the drugs and violent relationship behind. The key to rehabilitation in prison is 'wanting' to change more than anything else in the world.

My felonies were for bad checks written to run from a very abusive ex-husband. We were into drugs and I was tired of the way my life was going. I couldn't remember what lie I had told from one day to the next and I nearly died on several occasions from the constant beatings. Before I went to prison, I fell to my knees and begged God to take me out of this situation before I died and by golly, the very next day the state troopers were there to arrest me.

The thought of jail certainly didn't thrill me but on the other hand it was a huge relief too. Once inside, I had many life changing decisions to make and the very first one was 'trust' God. By making up my mind that I 'wanted' to be rehabilitated, things started to rapidly change for the better. My health improved, I got much needed exercise and I actually ate 3 meals a day.

I hadn't done either one in at least 2 years. The prison also offered many classes and opportunities to better myself but it was my 'choice' to do it. The key to any type of rehabilitation, whether it be in prison or out, is something the individual has to decide for themselves. Don't get me wrong, 'no one wants' to be in prison; it's hard, it's mean and it's very lonely but you can make it what 'you' want it to be.

Either choosing to take advantage of all the courses and classes the prison offers or you can choose to drown in self pity and sink into the lowest pit. I found it rather amusing that many inmates, and we are talking hardcore violent people, didnt think that they deserved to be there. Personally, after hearing some of their crimes, I had to wonder why they weren't in the looney bin but none-the-less, none of them were interested in rehabilation because they didn't think they did anything wrong to begin with.

Rehabilation is a personal 'choice'. You can send someone to prison and they may come out worse than when they entered but it isn't because the Prison doesn't offer what they need to succeed. It is the inmate themselves who has to make the decision that they don't want the life that led them there anymore. Yes, Prison can rehabilitate and No, it can't; the choice is up to the inmate.

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