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 Rehabilitation (EDITORIAL)by Patti Sewall, Editor of PEACEKeeper As I type these words on my laptop, I am at home recovering from knee surgery. A procedure, I'm told, that was way overdue, according to the unfavorable description my doctor gave me of the inside of my persistently swollen and aching knee. Now, I'm faced with the inevitable rehab process, including the dreaded physical therapy-- the portion of my elected procedure that when done properly causes the most pain while it brings the most progress. Rehabilitation, as many of you must know, falls into the Necessary Evil category. It is never eagerly anticipated, yet we know it must be endured. On the positive side, what is rehab anyway, if not the process to a better, healthier, stronger you? In fact, my dictionary defines "rehabilitate" as "to put into a previous good state." That makes sense whether you're talking about orthopedic physical therapy, or the intense personal therapy an ex-con goes through to stay out of prison. Interestingly, our cover story this issue is about a parolee's rehabilitation; a rehab process much tougher, longer, and more painful than the one I will experience as I nurse my knee back to health. A retired parole agent, and longtime member, offers the story of one ex-con's path to rehabilitation, and his efforts to help others along the same long, dark road to recovery. Rick Jaramillo's common sense and positive thinking should have kept him away from a life of crime and out of prison when he was a young boy, but they didn't. Now, those characteristics are bringing about change for many in similar situations, and off ering up brighter avenues where once lay ahead only dead-end streets. Rehabilitation can work, but it can't be told when. It isn't always going to happen within the institution before the parole date, as some lawmakers wish. Sometimes it happens when and where you least expect it. People can change-- but only when they want to. People will change-- when they see the need clearer and more painfully than ever before. As I finish this column, I am watching a breaking news story about a parolee-at-large wanted on a murder charge who caused a chase and subsequent accident, and with it an enormous traffic jam, on a busy Sacramento freeway minutes before the evening commute. Clearly, rehab is a hard sell to some. While we may never all agree on the exact description of rehabilitation, or when or where or how it should happen, one thing we should embrace is the importance of recognizing when rehabilitation works. And knowing we'll all be better, healthier, stronger for it.  Print This PageBack to Volume 23, Issue 4 Back to PEACEKeeper Main Page |
