Hope For Prisoners Internship

My internship at Hope for Prisoners has given me valuable knowledge and experience in the rehabilitation sector of criminal justice. I have learned the challenges that exist after incarceration that can contribute to recidivism if there is no support for someone to overcome these difficulties. This will benefit me in the future as it will allow me to analyze crime patterns in a different light, as I am able to understand how significant economic factors can impact crime rates. It will continue to benefit me in the sense that my perspective will be able to give insight as to how we can enact better policies to reduce crime rates especially for rehabilitation purposes. My internship ties into my current major of Philosophy with a concentration in Law and Justice. By looking at the concept of law and justice from a philosophical perspective it has helped me to define and understand what law and justice looks like and how it may or may not be present in our justice system. In recognizing that there may be faults in our current system I have been able to see how it affects justice involved individuals. Although I could have been successful in this internship with the basic reading and writing requirements, my background in Philosophy has helped me as well. It has contributed to my critical thinking and problem solving skills to be self-sufficient when needed. While I am not interested in pursuing this particular career field, it would be a second choice. It is very rewarding to help individuals who are eager to reintegrate back into society and want to become a better citizen. However, there are many things that our criminal justice system is lacking in its ability to provide people with the help they need to make a good transition from prison. I am more focused on being able to bring awareness to these challenges that not only individuals are experiencing but also the organizations that are trying to help them. It would be such a great impact if the government were to support this cause for rehabilitation and reintegration for justice involved individuals. One piece of advice I would give to incoming interns is to have an open mind. I say have an open mind because it is important to not judge people by the crimes they have committed when they are trying to turn their lives around. We all make mistakes, what is done in the past is done; it cannot be changed only the present can. Be supportive of a new path as change is not something all are ready to do.

This is a photo of the workshop room where classes are conducted. The walls all have pictures of people of have graduated in the program and have made the commitment to the program so that they can turn their lives around for the better.