!

"#$%" '()*+"
By Baviu Cooliuge
0ctobei 2S, 2u1S

People change a lot of the couise
of a lifetime, paiticulaily
between the ages of 14 anu Su.
Whethei it's to suppoit a loveu
one, ieueem a foimei ieputation,
to puisue new caieeifinancial
oppoitunities, oi embiace a
ieligiousspiiitual awakening,
change happens with oi without
consiueiable effoit, anu an
inuiviuual's past isn't always a
goou inuicatoi of his oi hei
futuie.

This is especially tiue foi what we call "ciiminals," who aie often times ieally just
people who maue a mistake oi weie in the wiong place at the wiong time. Theie's
something in psychology calleu the funuamental attiibution eiioi: we tenu to
mistakenly blame othei people's shoitcomings on theii genes. We think of ex-
convicts as natuially being inclineu to uiugs oi violence, when in fact they only
maue bau choices because they weie in a bau enviionment. When these inuiviuuals
aie given the motive, means, anu oppoitunity to achieve something positive anu
constiuctive, they moie than often uo.

A iecent aiticle in the Chionical of Bighei Euucation quotes a stuuy conuucteu by
Coloiauo School of Public Bealth epiuemiologist Caiol W. Runyan with thiee othei
ieseaicheis. The stuuy, uone on 7,uuu seniois at a laige Southein 0niveisity, founu
that only thiee peicent of stuuents chaigeu with misconuuct in college hau pievious
ciiminal histoiies, anu of the stuuents who uiu entei college with a ciiminal past,
only 9% engageu in misconuuct.

Neanwhile, ovei 6u peicent of colleges consiuei ciiminal histoiies in aumissions
uecisions, but only half of those colleges have foimal policies on how to uo so, anu
only a thiiu of all schools tiain theii staff in inteipieting ciiminal iecoius.

uiven the complexity of the ciiminal justice system, anu the types of things that can
iightly oi wiongly appeai on a iecoiu, ieacting to this infoimation in a ieasonable
way is a uifficult. The last thing colleges shoulu uo is use these iecoius to shut out
stuuents foi whom the college expeiience coulu be beneficial.