Dr. Kevin H. Abdur-Rahman's life journey took on an unusual evolutionary process from delinquency to adult court, long-term incarceration, rehabilitation, and progressive and productive life. From Pop Warner quarterback to one of the most recognized drug dealers in Philadelphia and one of the most influential people on the campus of one of America's most historic universities.
In his first book, Solving the Riddle, Dr. Abdur-Rahman presented an individual case study of at-risk youth, a convicted felon, and a reformed ex-felon that demonstrated the example that if given healthy information, an individual can transcend negative environmental influences and transform his life into positive and successful outcomes.
In this book, The Eruption of Possible, Dr. Abdur-Rahman transitions from the focus on an individual's transformation to the community of ex-offenders who have to remain hidden because once their past is discovered they are judged by what they did and not who they have become. He vividly suggests that not only is there a correlation between being a former practitioner of crime and the knowledge of how to end the cycle of criminal thought, but successfully transitioned ex-felons also have to become a major part of the equation when it comes to developing strategies and methodologies to reduce crime and gun violence. Dr. Abdur-Rahman indicates that society must let ex-felons write their own narratives and not keep them buried in the dungeons of their own past. "There comes a point when you have to let a butterfly be a butterfly and not keep reminding him that he was once a caterpillar."
Successfully transitioned ex-felons exist in our communities but remain mostly invisible, which makes their presence and their leadership a nonfactor in the war against crime and gun violence. The journeys of these people who have divorced themselves from the criminal justice system and remain free not only from crime but also from criminal thinking must be a part of the intervention narrative. Include them in our conferences and symposiums and let them share their ideas on crime and violence. Let's study the mental framework it took for them to break the cycle and return to their own humanity as well as what inspires them to continue on this path of self-reform.
The Eruption of Possible examines the successfully transitioned ex-felons who are leading exemplary lives after resurrecting themselves from a life of crime. The author puts forth the idea that ending or reducing the epidemic of crime and gun violence among our youth should be put into the hands of former practitioners of crime who have successfully transitioned into positive and productive lives. Creating a National Coalition of Former Inmates (COFI) as a think tank and problem-solving body can lead to a collection of answered questions and solved mysteries.
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