Setting Prisoners Free

Over the past couple years, I've seen a very large number of chronically homeless people move out of their homelessness and into permanent housing!   This success has been remarkable.  This movement has been astonishing...... I emphasis this, because I'm talking about many men and women who've been existing on the streets and in shelters for over a decade or even decades. I speak of this, because many of these people struggle with debilitating mental illnesses, devastating addictive personalities and major health issues. I dwell on this, because jail doors and prison gates frequently rotate these folk in and out, mainly for non-violent offenses and petty crimes. I focus on this, because these men and women face insurmountable obstacles, making their journeys seem impossible. I'm emphasizing all this, because these "successful movements" are modern-day miracles in a society that has labeled these wonderful people "unforgiven" and ...

It was an afternoon full of tears. Real genuine tears. Real emotion! Reggie* entered my office and sat quietly in the chair. I could tell something deep was on his mind. The floodgates suddenly opened, and tears started streaming down his face. He revealed how sorry he was to both God and others for all the wrong he'd done! I've known Reggie for years, he's in his mid 40's and he's survived the rough and hostile streets of Uptown and the Westside for well over 2 decades. He was a known gangster, who'd been in the Joint multiple times. And there he was, blubbering uncontrollably, right in front of me. Within hours of Reggie's emotional outburst, and unaware of what his buddy had just done, Jughead* did almost the identical thing by stumbling into my office and also breaking down in a flood of tears. They were from the same clique and shared similar stories of homelessness, incarceration and addiction. So why all these tears? Both t...