Redemption and the Prison System with Ramadan Shabazz and Richard Parker, MD
There are many kinds of high-control environments. You might think first of a cult compound or perhaps the house of an abusive family. One of the most controlled places is omnipresent in American culture, joked about and mulled over in personal conversations and politics. I’m talking, of course, about the United States prison system. After incarceration, a person receives a number. They wear uniforms and eat inexpensive food. Their identities must be changed to fit rigid rules and regulations. Likewise, the prisoner’s identity must conform or be punished. The trauma of the environment and (the BITE Model) threatens their ability to exist as functioning members of society once they walk free. Ramadan Shabazz is a rare success story, having emerged (with the assistance of former Governor Charlie Baker and the parole board) from incarceration more stable than before. Ramadan Shabazz and my friend, Dr. Richard Parker, joined me on the Influence Continuum podcast this week to discuss his life journey and the phenomenal effort to help him be a free man today.