Trump Grants a Pardon Retroactively to a Changed Convict

Gary North - September 01, 2020

President Trump last week granted a pardon to an ex-con.

The ex-con's story is a remarkable one. The President describes it.

I have done prison evangelism. Outsiders can see transformations like this.

The fact that Trump stayed longer than scheduled at the meeting of these prisoners testifies to just how amazing it is. Outsiders just don't get everyday opportunities to see anything like this.

We need prison reform. What we need is a substitution for economical restitution to the victims by the criminals. It would be better to let the criminals stay in the workforce and pay off the victims. Then the victims would not be taxed anywhere from $25,000 a year to $50,000 a year per inmate. But that's a bigger reform than the country is ready for.

When a criminal who has served his time and who is on parole gets an opportunity to earn a living, even as an entry-level job, that makes a big difference. It's that transition back into society that is crucial for keeping down the re-entry rate.

I understand why employers don't want to employ recently released criminals. But if there is a transition agency of ex-cons that monitors their performance, and if the program involves some kind of religious training, then these people should be considered as potential employees. They can be hired at low wages. They are high-risk people. But they can be restored to the community. I have seen it done.

I am happy that Trump understands that it can be done.

Here is the website of the organization, Hope for Prisoners.

HFP has served nearly 3,000 clients since its inception in 2010 and boasts a 6% rate of recidivism. Jon Ponder states “Our mission is to create a society of people who have come home from prison, who have not reoffended and who are living levels of life that most people only dream of – when we accomplish this, the people we have served can turn around and provide help to the next person facing the challenges of reentry”.

This Los Angeles TV interview was posted on June 30, 2020.

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