Christ_empowered
Member
I went to see my probation officer yesterday. The PO who had been assigned to my case is no longer working there. Well...I didn't meet my new PO; he wasn't in that day (weird), but a nice lady handled the appointment. I was in and out fairly quickly. Only downside: I've been scheduled for another meeting in 2 months, not the 3 months I'd been scheduled for before (misdemeanor, praise God).
Also, a prayer request. At the probation place, everybody waits to be called by his officer in the auditorium of what was once a high school. The people (mostly men, predictably) who were in the auditorium were kinda...scary. And kinda gross, too; one man was wearing a white t shirt with a huge hole in it, and he looked un-bathed. I don't like waiting in the auditorium, because there's so much obvious poverty and desperation, not to mention...well, from what I can observe and overhear, its difficult for a lot of people to straighten out.
So...I ask that you pray for the other people on probation+parole, and the officers handling the cases. Crime plays out on an individual level, but its really a social problem. Poverty, frustration, mental illness, drug abuse, bad family dynamics, bad community dynamics, etc....these things all contribute to crime. Then, once someone has been in the system, the system doesn't want to let them go, especially if they get a Felony. God saw fit to spare me the Felony I was initially charged with, but...I came close to having the "F" on my record. To be a felon is to be made into a part of the underclass, at least for most people.
So...I guess I"m saying...for me, not repeating my mistakes+criminal behavior has been made a lot easier because of Christ. Plus, there's other variables involved....I have good people who take care of me, I get proper treatment for my mental illness, I had an attorney, so I didn't get slammed...on and on it goes. No Christian should judge, and I'm not in any position to judge the men I saw yesterday, but...
...its sad. And I know how the system tends to pull people back in. Its how secular society works, and as all Christians know...the world we live in is largely controlled by the evil one and his values. Plus, anti-social behavior is actually valued, praised, and reinforced while men are in jail and/or prison. Its...well, its a massive waste of human life and public money that could be better spent doing more constructive things.
I've rambled (as usual). I thank you all for your ongoing prayers for my family+me, and I ask that your pray now for people who have made mistakes and who often find themselves labeled and trapped in a cycle of poverty+criminal behavior.
Thanks.
Also, a prayer request. At the probation place, everybody waits to be called by his officer in the auditorium of what was once a high school. The people (mostly men, predictably) who were in the auditorium were kinda...scary. And kinda gross, too; one man was wearing a white t shirt with a huge hole in it, and he looked un-bathed. I don't like waiting in the auditorium, because there's so much obvious poverty and desperation, not to mention...well, from what I can observe and overhear, its difficult for a lot of people to straighten out.
So...I ask that you pray for the other people on probation+parole, and the officers handling the cases. Crime plays out on an individual level, but its really a social problem. Poverty, frustration, mental illness, drug abuse, bad family dynamics, bad community dynamics, etc....these things all contribute to crime. Then, once someone has been in the system, the system doesn't want to let them go, especially if they get a Felony. God saw fit to spare me the Felony I was initially charged with, but...I came close to having the "F" on my record. To be a felon is to be made into a part of the underclass, at least for most people.
So...I guess I"m saying...for me, not repeating my mistakes+criminal behavior has been made a lot easier because of Christ. Plus, there's other variables involved....I have good people who take care of me, I get proper treatment for my mental illness, I had an attorney, so I didn't get slammed...on and on it goes. No Christian should judge, and I'm not in any position to judge the men I saw yesterday, but...
...its sad. And I know how the system tends to pull people back in. Its how secular society works, and as all Christians know...the world we live in is largely controlled by the evil one and his values. Plus, anti-social behavior is actually valued, praised, and reinforced while men are in jail and/or prison. Its...well, its a massive waste of human life and public money that could be better spent doing more constructive things.
I've rambled (as usual). I thank you all for your ongoing prayers for my family+me, and I ask that your pray now for people who have made mistakes and who often find themselves labeled and trapped in a cycle of poverty+criminal behavior.
Thanks.
