It's impossible to harm anyone when we are empathizing with them. When we place ourselves in their shoes and experience their pain in our hearts. When a person cuts off empathy like I did, we open a door that allows us to harm people and their property.
In prison I learned how to turn my empathy and compassion back on until it became a natural expression of who I am today. I went 21 years with no write ups, 3 years parole with no violations, passed 36 drug/alcohol tests/and June 10 marks 22 years sober.
Sadly, the system doesn't fund Restorative Justice or Victim's Impact programs! They still don't get it! I did attend three Victim's Impact workshops and they helped me more than anything with the exception of the unconditional love of God and My Mom.
250 of us sat in a gym and listened to 5 mothers who all had sons murdered in gang violence. They told their stories and turned our empathy back on. How crime impacted them physically, emotionally, spiritually, etc. Not a dry eye in the place that day. No harm that day, only LOVE
P.S. My incarcerated friends invited them in and worked tirelessly with the administration to get them approved. I'm grateful to the Warden for letting them in, but make no mistake, neither the Wardens or the system fund these programs in their 3% a year rehabilitative budgets!
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