Reimagining Rehabilitation: “A Treasure in the Heart of Every Man”

It’s not often that sitting down to lunch can inspire one to take a completely new look at a compelling social issue of our time. But that’s exactly what happened to Kim Samuel recently when she had lunch at the “The Clink”, a restaurant within Brixton Prison in London, England. It reminded her of the seminal words of a young Winston Churchill spoken 107 years ago today when he challenged the British Parliament on prison reform to have “unfaltering faith that there is a treasure, if you can only find it, in the heart of every man.”

With this inspiration, we are pleased to share Kim’s latest article, Reimagining Rehabilitation: “A Treasure in the Heart of Every Man”. Human beings are social creatures and we all need meaningful relationships to thrive. Just as important, we all need to know that we are seen, that we have worth, and that we belong. And when we take the time to look, we see powerful, successful models of rehabilitation within the prison system. In the article, Kim references examples such as Kwikwèxwelhp Healing Village in Harrison Mills, British Columbia, where roughly 50 inmates work with Elders from the Chehalis First Nation to learn, to grow, and to heal. Programs like these can help us reduce crime, promote the health of our societies, and dramatically reduce the overall costs and impacts of crime on society.

For more articles by Kim Samuel, please visit: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/author/kim-samuel