Jurists, lawyers, and legal experts are constantly debating between the merits of rehabilitation versus imprisonment. For those in favor of rehabilitation, one methodology being explored is Changing Lives Through Literature.
Mitchell Rouse joined the program after he was tried and convicted for two counts of drug possession in Houston, TX. He was sentenced to 60-years in prison, but an odd turn of events allowed for him to serve his punishment with probation and mandatory reading.
The Guardian reports: “Rouse is one of thousands of offenders across the US who, as an alternative to prison, are placed on a rehabilitation programme called Changing Lives Through Literature (CLTL). Repeat offenders of serious crimes such as armed robbery, assault or drug dealing are made to attend a reading group where they discuss literary classics such as To Kill a Mockingbird, The Bell Jar and Of Mice and Men.”
The program has a few positives. First, it is a better fiscal choice. Lifetime imprisonment costs $30,000 annually, while reading has one-time price tag of $500. Secondly, of the convicts who entered this program, only 6% have had their probation reinstated or were sent back to jail. The program inspired Rouse to pursue a PhD in philosophy.