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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Are you friends with or could you be friends with someone who has committed a crime?  Would it depend upon the type of crime?  Unfortunately, this has come up in my life.  Relative by marriage (but someone I see and interact with often socially) is losing a professional license and faces complete loss of income and maybe jail.  Already getting emails and calls to help the family financially, show support, etc.  [/quote]

OP, I think referring to someone in this situation as "a criminal" is a bit overwrought.  Many statutes on the books carry the risk of jail time, including illegally xeroxing a recipe in a magazine.  Or speeding. Your relative may end up regaining his/her license and serving no jail time.  He/she is not "a criminal."  This person made a mistake.  Your point of view is, in my opinion, bizarre and childish.[/quote]

Person in question committed a crime.  A real crime.  Will be going to prison for 10 years.  Well beyond speeding, not paying tickets, xeroxing recipes.[/quote]

I'm the PP who works in corrections.  I was approached by a friend whose family friend is about to get out of prison after serving about 8 years for attempted murder.   Fortunately he's been in a decent correctional system where there are opportunities for both habilitation (because many don't have any social or life skills at all going in) and rehabilitation.   He's ready to get out, find employment, and stay away from the crowd he was running with (he's about 28 I think).  He realizes the huge challenges he will face with employment, having an attempted murder charge on his record.  And that can be overwhelming.   But his family's church is supporting him emotionally and to the extent they can, will be helping him to look for employment.  I am attempting to get him into a transitional program that links former inmates to employment, and if he can find a job (the most critical piece), stay in close contact with his parole officer, and meet the other terms of parole (which include regular counseling), he's got a great shot to be a productive member of society and not reoffend.

I was fortunate to be able to see a one-man performance by Charles S. Dutton last year in a local jail.  He was convicted of murder himself, in Baltimore, and has gone on to be an incredible broadway and film actor.  Even better, he has given back to the community in a variety of ways, not the least of which is reaching out to incarcerated people and showing them there "is" a way to reform, to a better way of life, to success.   He's really brilliant.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_S._Dutton

People can learn.  People do get better.   If your friend is someone with that potential, I wouldn't give up on him.   It is true that some don't.  That their character never improves.  But I wouldn't immediately reject someone because they are doing time.  I'd look at the total picture, the total person.

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