Amid all the sound and fury emanating from Cleveland and the Republican National Convention this week, a smaller gathering took place, focusing on some of the successes taking place in criminal justice reform on the state level. And while it might not have drawn the same attention as what was occurring on the convention floor, the positive stories of rehabilitation coming from that forum offer hope for the future and the promise of better things to come.
The discussion, hosted by the U.S. Justice Action Network, featured three Republican Governors—Nathan Deal of Georgia, Matt Bevin of Kentucky, and Mary Fallin of Oklahoma. Each described steps that have been taken in their states to make corrections both more effective and more efficient.
The highlight of the program was the premiere of the short film, “Changing Laws, Changing Lives,” focusing the story of three individuals—one from each of the states represented on the panel—and their personal stories of redemption.
“America was founded by many people who were coming here for a second chance,” Governor Bevin says in the video. “It’s in our DNA. It’s in who we are as a society.”
“I believe in redemption. I believe in opportunity,” he says.
“Crime, in many parts of the country, is generational,” Governor Beal adds. “Children have grown up in families where their parents are addicts, where parents are in and out of jail, in and out of prison. For many of them, that is an accepted way of life. But if you break that cycle, to show them that there is a different way, then you not only save money in the short run, you save lives in the short term, and you cause generational changes.”
“These are people—they’re people like us,” Bevin says. “They too wake up in the morning and want to be better versions of themselves. What can we do to come alongside people like that?”
During the panel discussion, Governor Fallin addressed some of the difficulties that politicians face when attempting to enact justice reforms. “I think one of the biggest challenges is changing the attitude that it’s not a Democrat or a Republican issue, it’s one that affects every American family.”
“We need to give people the opportunity for rehabilitation,” Bevin added, “because if you rob an individual of dignity … you take away their humanity. A person who has been robbed of their humanity makes inhumane decisions. … And people who make inhumane decisions are of no value to themselves, their families, their communities, and society as a whole. We, I believe, owe better than that to each of them, and to ourselves as a result.”
