By: Kara Platt

I think that the United States Criminal Justice System is working. There are a lot of people who committed a crime, got out of prison, and turned their careers around.  One of these people is Martha Stewart.  Martha was convicted of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and two counts of making false statements.  Stewart lied to investigators about a stock sale and was later sentenced to five months in federal prison.  After her release from prison, Stewart launched her comeback.  She returned to television with the “Martha Stewart Show”, released a couple of books, and took on several new projects that helped rebrand her name and reputation.  Another person who turned their life around after prison was Charles Colson.  Colson was pleaded guilty to Watergate-related charges and to obstruction of justice.  He was sentenced to 1 to 2 years in prison, but only served seven months at the federal Maxwell Prison in Alabama.  During his time in prison, Colson made a change for the good.  He converted to Christianity, and became deeply impacted by the people he met there.  Following his release, Colson started Prison Fellowship.  Prison Fellowship is a nation ministry that helps prisoners develop or restore a relationship with Christ.  Colson’s touching program has helped prisoners live a better life and strengthen their spirit.  The last person that I am going to talk about that turned his life around is Tim Allen.  At the beginning of Tim Allen’s career he was arrested at Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport in Michigan for the possession of Cocaine.  Allen had just under 1.5 pounds of Cocaine on him and was charged with drug trafficking.  Since Allen disclosed the names of the other drug dealers, his life sentencing was shorted to three to seven years.  Allen was paroled after serving two years and four months at the Federal Correctional Institute in Sandstone, Minnesota.  The ex-convict quickly turned his life around after prison and became one of America’s favorite comedic actors, starring in many movies like Toy Story and television shows such as Home Improvement.   

As you can see there are many people that have went to prison but then turned their careers around after they were released.  That is why I feel the United States Criminal Justice is working. If the justice system wasn’t working, people who get out of prison would most likely commit another crime, not turn their life around for the good.