"brokenness"

Karen Brown at her arraignment in Fayette Co District Court on Feb. 10, 1986. A shattered image with a brokenness that provided a transformation to wholeness.

I want to talk about brokenness. I got to thinking about that word. I realize that ownership of my wrongs led me to a brokenness that I can't really describe to you. I attempted suicide in jail on January 27, 1987. When I woke up from taking those pills, I almost instantly knew that I was blessed to have the opportunity and the chance of being broken that much. I pray that many incarcerated and even free people can relate to that depth. I responded to that brokenness with the rehabilitation of my character like if I were meant to do in life. This brings us to a measure of wholeness some never achieve, if we reach that level of brokenness. Then I got to thinking that brokenness, forgiveness, and wholeness and they seem to be buried treasures today. We can all be broken but how do we use it in our life journey? I think we all ask for forgiveness but there’s a lot of people who don’t choose to give it! Forgiveness cost Christ everything. Yet, it only costs us some pride and humility.

April is, I’ve talked about before, second chance month and I think if forgiveness could bring second chances to a lot of families, the courts, schools, friendships, workplaces and even prisons. If you’re listening, we’re asking for your forgiveness.

Wholeness, that last word I thought about is that’s a sharing of a higher good beyond our personal comfort or even our positions in life. Leaders, if you’re listening, I’d like to say that leadership must meet the moral challenges of today. Mass incarceration and second chances are two of these challenges.

Many of us in here understand abandonment and judgement. I think the only justification for either of those is for leaders to stop and pick us up. Everybody? No, but if we have earned it...yes! It gets dark in here sometimes, but I know governors across our great nation can bring light to a lot of lives with second chances. Giving us a second chance restores families, and it also restores communities.

This is Karen, and I’m really sharing something real...

Karen Brown M.Ed. has been incarcerated since February 1986. She is currently a correspondent for PrisonRadio.org. Her commentary "brokenness" was posted to their podcast on 4/24/2026.