Self Reform: Possible?

I was recently thinking about the concept of reform. We often think and talk about introspection, self-reflection, and growth, but I haven’t heard many people refer to the concept of self-reform.

When considering the mistakes we make in life, the pain we cause others intentionally or unintentionally, and even crimes people commit I can’t help but wonder if egregious insults on our fellow man are ever absolved without the forced reform of justice. As a society, we impose punishments on people who commit crimes either through fines or imprisonment. We impose a cost we feel adequately recompenses victims of crimes or wrong-doings.

I wonder about the purpose of fines and imprisonment. I’m curious if we impose justice as a way to punish or to reform. We want to believe reformation is the goal of justice. We want people to be able to rejoin society as productive members after “learning their lesson.” 

I find the justice system very impersonal however. I believe we do our best. I believe there must be a system. I believe victims deserve justice. However, I also believe we don’t have a way of knowing what is actually sufficient to reform a person. I believe reform can only be the result of introspection and self-reflection.

It is feasible that offenders of heinous crimes can immediately be overwhelmed with a sense of guilt. I suggest the evidence supporting this idea is presented by criminals who later commit suicide after their crime. A sense of guilt can be incredibly strong and potentially impact someone enough they completely change their behavior and thought processes. I want to believe this is true.

I’m curious however, if most people would ever actually accept the idea of self-reformation.

If a neighbor we’ve had a good relationship with for 20 years is suddenly arrested for a crime they commited 30 years prior, can we continue to view them as we always have or will our opinion be shaped by their now known past? If we believe this person to have felt remorse and guilt for their crimes, if we believe they are now leading a “good life,” is it still necessary that our neighbor be imprisoned? Can we accept that our neighbor has been self-reformed? Is self-reform even possible?

These are some profound questions we would need to answer on a case-by-case basis, but I don’t believe our justice system accounts for such things. Is a minimum sentence in a penitentiary a true measure of reform? Are we punishing in an effort to reform or punish? Are reform and punishment exclusive or related? 

I definitely find myself asking more questions than offering answers as I think through this. I can’t answer any of them, nor have I done the research to try. Most of what I know about society’s justice system is through hearsay as I have no personal experience. I want to believe man is capable of reforming himself. I want to believe a previous crime would not alter my opinion of someone. I want to know we can all forgive people and move forward.