Maureen O’Connell, assistant professor of theology at Fordham University, asks about second chances for criminal offenders focusing on NFL player Michael Vick who was sent to prison for participating in illegal dog fighting.
… the Philadelphia Eagles may have offered this high-profile ex-offender the most definitive separator: a second chance. Yes, we can and should question the motives of all involved and the integrity of the deal which has the potential to earn Vick $7 million over the next three years. But given that the shocking number of Americans affected by incarceration is only exacerbated by equally shocking rates of recidivism—conservative estimates by the Bureau of Justice Statistics suggest that 2/3 of prisoners are rearrested within three years of their release—we might do well to lift up the prophetic potential in this situation.
h/t to Cathy Grossman at USAToday who is also running a poll on whether you think he should have this second chance.