A debt paid. The redemption and rejection of Michelle Jones

When someone fulfills their prison sentence their debt to society is considered paid. Well, I guess it truly depends on who you ask.

 45 year old Michelle Jones was recently  released from an Indiana State prison after completing a 20 year sentence. Ms. Jones was convicted of murdering her 4 year old son Brandon Sims in 1992. Although it is still unclear exactly what happened to the child, authorities believe that she had a mental breakdown steeming from years of domestic violence along with an extremely traumatic childhood. A former friend of Ms. Jones stated during the trial that she had admitted to beating the child and leaving him alone in their apartment, returning later to find him dead. Ms. Jones then admitted to burying her son, but his body has never been recovered.

    What makes this case different is that Ms. Jones has used the past 20 years to inspire herself and do something positive. In many ways her hope is to make something good come out of something so tragic. Ms. Jones was able to complete her Master's degree in American history, She also became a published scholar of American history, produced the Indiana historical society's best research project last year and has written several dance composition and historical plays.

  Although I believe that she has done more than enough to educate and  rehabilitate herself, the administration from Harvard have reversed her original acceptance to their institution to study for her PhD. They have claimed that she downplayed her participation in her son's death in her original application to their institution. Harvard officials have stated" out of concern that her background would cause a backlash among rejected applicants, conservative news outlets or parents of students." (From prison) . Ms. Jones later stated in an interview that "If anyone at Harvard wanted her to elaborate on the criminal case or her preparedness for the Ph.D program, they should have asked. "I just didn't want my crime to be the lens through which everything I've done, and hopes for, was seen." Ms. Jones was accepted to NYU in New York city and hopes that she will also teach in NYU's prison education program. She feels strongly that she has been to the toughest school of all, prison and holds no animosity towards Harvard.

Works cited
Hager,Eli "From prison to Ph.D: The Redemption and rejection of Michelle Jones" The New York Times. 9/13/17, Web,9/14/17