RECONCILIATION Archives - Prison Directory

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN REHABILITATION AND RECONCILIATION

Providing a Safe Framework

“To open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.”
– Isaiah 42:7

We want to differentiate between three different concepts That people usually have problems understanding. They are “The Concept of Reparation, Of Rehabilitation, and Reconciliation. They may seem the same at first, but they have various layers that distinguish them all.
Reparations are about repaying a debt to an individual or society because of a wrong done. It is the act of making amends. Rehabilitation is about reinserting the wrong-doer back into the community.

Reconciliation is the act of bringing the different parts of a conflict together and healing from the wrong done. In all instances, Reconciliation always involves Forgiveness, not only to the other but to ourselves.

We can extrapolate and say that Reconciliation can also be understood as ethnic relations. It is the act of restoring mutual respect between individuals from different cultural backgrounds and walks of life.
To reach Reconciliation, one must start by recognizing the common ground between the parties and working outward; instead of starting with the differences and working inward. It is from this mindset that Forgiveness and Tolerance are born. Why do we do what we do!

But rehabilitation is a belief that can be understood as the combination of all the concepts mentioned above. The understanding and the application of a rehabilitation framework (1) is essentially the process of helping inmates grow and change, allowing them to separate themselves from the environmental factors that made them commit a crime in the first place.

Seven ways to Help Prisoners

Become a pen pal, or even a mentor (learn more about our mentorship program)
Amplify the voices and experiences of people behind bars. Educate others about their lives inside.
Send books, dictionaries (thesaurus), magazines, and postcards.
Send in the news from the outside world.
Become a Volunteer
Participate in a call-in campaign.
Keep track of proposed policies and laws from the Prison System in your area (State).
Raise awareness about Prison issues.

Learn more about being a Prison Volunteering here:

He who opens a school door closes a prison.
Victor Hugo

(1) Lipsey (2019) found that overall participation in adult rehabilitation programs is associated with a statistically significant reduction in recidivism. However, certain types of treatment services were more successful at reducing recidivism than were others.