Monica Wang

Brescia University College

Sociology 1020

December 10, 2020

Dr. H. Cummins

Rehabilitating Former Inmates Back Into Society

Introducing former inmates back into our society is a challenging mission that many

struggle to do successfully. According to the Recidivism Centre, approximately 9 million

offenders return to prison annually due to not enough support to help former inmates stay out of

the correctional system (Piitaro, 2018). To end the stigma surrounding former inmates, Brandon

Edwin Chrostowski opened a world-class French restaurant to assist former inmates to re-enter

society and stay out of prison. Edwin, a former inmate himself, wanted to educate ex-inmates in

the culinary and hospitality industry while giving them a job, and a community to support them.

Given the opportunity, I would open a restaurant with the same goal as Edwins. This paper will

discuss my reasoning on why I would open a restaurant to rehabilitate former inmates. To start,

this job allows former inmates to follow our societies’ rules and norms. Furthermore, the former

inmates have a chance to end the stigma surrounding them and rejoin society. Finally,

surrounding these former inmates with role models continuously can positively influence their

future actions.

Firstly, Edwin Chrostowski’s restaurant was created to motivate former inmates to

adhere to society’s standards and rules and provide them with a second chance. Travis Hirschi,

an American sociologist developed the Social Control Theory of Crime which suggests crime is

the result of an individual's attachment to society being weakened (Thompson, 2016). The theory
proposes that individuals do not want others in society to view them negatively nor to lose bonds

gained throughout their life. Edwins restaurant creates powerful bonds for the former inmates,

allowing them to feel part of a community which deters them from wanting to violate laws in the

future. By keeping them busy and giving them the motivation to rejoin society, this job keeps

them from re-offending. The restaurant is explicitly made up of roles, helping the workers

rehabilitate back into society. Hirschi’s Social Control Theory explains that people avoid

situations that include deviant behavior if they have a role in society. So, providing former

inmates with a role in a restaurant deters them from violating social norms and rules. The

purpose and meaning behind Chrostowski’s idea of opening his restaurant have already made

such an impact by influencing others to follow his example. Personally, I would try my best to

rehabilitate former prisoners back into our society by opening a restaurant. Not only does this job

provide a motivating start for inmates after release, but it also aids in rehabilitating them back

into society's values. Sociologists have done an immense amount of research proving that jobs

encourage people to stay within society's norms and reduce the risk of incarceration.

Secondly, one explanation for Chrostowski's decision to open such a restaurant

was to attempt to wipe out the stigma surrounding former inmates and to prove to the society

they have a good future, regardless of what their past held. A stigma can be found in any

circumstance; it is described as a negative label on an individual, which creates a bad reputation

and view within their social identity (Macionis & Gerber, 2018, 9.3). Stigmatization occurs when

an individual is given a status that overpowers other various aspects of one's social identity

(Macionis and Gerber, 2018, 9.3). One of the most well-known stigmas is towards previous jail

prisoners and being violent or useless to society. Stigmas can affect oneself in multiple ways like

psychological, feelings of hopelessness, isolation, etc. When individuals are criticized, it can
increase the chances of them taking an interest in deviant behavior, therefore breaking society's

norms (Macionis and Gerber, 2018, 9.3). When an inmate is newly released from jail and

immediately seeks to better themselves, such as looking for work, it demonstrates to society that

a mistake does not define who they are. This is the reason Chrostowski chose to open his

restaurant; to further spread the message of ending this stigma towards former inmates. Through

his restaurant, he has helped rehabilitate numerous former inmates back into society. Around 200

students have graduated with a hopeful future since Chrostowski’s first class began in November

2013 (McMahan, 2018). Edwin's restaurant and the personal story behind it had an incredible

impact on ending the stigma surrounding former inmates and continues doing so every day. This

is a great representation of the power of positive behavior, and following society's standards and

rules reduces the stigma society has set on these ex-prisoners.

Lastly, Milgram's Shock Experience demonstrated that groups can majorly affect others'

behaviors and their actions (Macionis and Gerber, 2018, 9.3). In the 1960s, Stanley Milgram a

Yale University psychologist conducted a series of obedience experiments that led to some

interesting results to do with the power of authority and obedience (Cherry, 2019). According to

Milgram, "The social psychology of this century reveals a major lesson: often it is not so much

the kind of person a man is as the kind of situation in which he finds himself that determines how

he will act" (Cherry, 2019, p. 2). This demonstrates that making such a community within a

restaurant encompassed by individuals who need to better their lives can impact the individuals

around them who strive for the same goals. Because of how a restaurant works, there is very

limited opportunity for a former inmate to be deviant which builds up an ability to have some

self-control. In a restaurant setting, the former inmates are constantly socializing and surrounded

by individuals. By doing this, it challenges them to create a better way of life and keep society's
standards and rules. Social Control Theory is another aiding factor and is described as a society

helping control and regulate people's thoughts and how they act in society (Macionis and Gerber,

2018, 9.3). Former inmates have a sense of community and purpose when they are provided with

a strict set of rules and roles. Chrostowski frequently says that all former inmates deserve a

second chance in life as Chrostowski himself was. Through proving to society that with their

support and guidance, they can be valuable members of society. Many theories and research

methods prove former inmates can create a new life through being surrounded by a group of

people with high morals.

To conclude, it is proven that former inmates can become valuable members of society

through giving former inmates a second chance to re-enter society, ending the stigma placed on

them, and giving them a community from which they can learn from. If I had the opportunity, I

would most certainly open a restaurant like Edwin Chrostowski’s restaurant. I believe that

everyone deserves a second chance to prove themselves and one mistake should not define a

person as a whole. We as a society can do better at keeping people from being re-incarcerated if

we support them and be examples of how members of a society should behave.

 Bibliography

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https://www.esquire.com/food-drink/restaurants/a13161623/edwins-cleveland-restaurant/

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