The Fear of Redemption: Why They Can’t Let Us Be Human

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By Chaddrick Thomas


They don’t just fear our violence.

They fear our transformation.

Because if people like me can change—can heal, can lead, can build—

then everything they said about us was a lie.


Redemption terrifies the system.

Because it threatens the foundation it stands on:

the belief that some people are permanently broken.

To Keep the Cage Closed, They Have to Keep the Narrative Alive


They call us “violent offenders” long after we’ve served our time.

They write our names in ink, but our charges in bold, capital letters.


They say:

“He may have started a business, but don’t forget what he did.”

“She got a degree? Great. But we can’t erase the past.”

“Sure, he’s mentoring youth now—but he’s still a killer in our eyes.”


What they’re really saying is:

“We need you to stay who you were… so we can feel right about how we treated you.”

Redemption Forces Accountability—And They Don’t Want That


If I can change, then maybe I never needed 91 years.

Maybe I needed counseling.

Maybe I needed opportunity.

Maybe I needed healing—not punishment.


And if that’s true…

then maybe this system isn’t just flawed.

Maybe it’s wrong.

Cruel.

Violent.


And that’s not a conversation the courts, the prisons, or the politicians are ready to have.

They’d Rather Call Me a Liar Than Admit I’m Free


They don’t want to believe I’m running a business from behind bars.

They don’t want to believe I mentor other incarcerated men.

They don’t want to believe I love, reflect, grow, and dream.


Because if I’m fully human, then I never should’ve been thrown away.


So instead, they say:

“He’s manipulating the system.”

“She’s just trying to look good for parole.”

“They’re putting on a show.”


Anything to protect the narrative.

Anything to avoid admitting we are not disposable.

We Scare Them Because We Don’t Stay in the Boxes They Built


They expect us to be violent, bitter, broken.

When we’re not, they don’t know what to do with us.


Because our healing reveals the truth:

This system needs us to fail to prove it works.

But we’re not failing.

We’re rising.

CALL TO ACTION: Choose Redemption Over Revenge

  1. Use people’s names—not their charges.

  2. Tell stories of transformation. Share them loudly. Normalize the idea that people grow.

  3. Fight policies that block second chances based on fear—not facts.

  4. Support system-impacted leaders, entrepreneurs, and creators who’ve done the work.

Next Up: “Violence Is Not the End of the Story”



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