Next week, 20 inmates will be released from prison from across the state due to a ruling of the state Supreme Court. Some inmates were serving life prison sentences for murder and rape. The state's high court ruled that, based on the 1970s law that limited the length of life sentences from that era, they have paid their debt to society.

The fuel of fear was flamed with the disclosure of the names of those set to be released in Durham County. The tales of their trials and behavior while incarcerated have many wondering if it is safe to let them go so soon. The gruesome details of murders and rapes leave many wondering if the gas chamber was what the jury had in mind. Did the men and women who found them guilty intend for them ever to be set free?

The passage of time has unveiled a sad truth. Mistakes have been made related to the punishment of people. DNA has proven the innocence of those found guilty. We're left grieving for the victim and the person wrongly imprisoned when we reflect over all those years spent behind bars for no reason. My heart went out to Daryl Hunt after I watched the movie about his struggles to be freed after the evidence failed to prove him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Releasing the innocent is easy. Setting the guilty free is another matter. In one sweep of the judicial pen, the Supreme Court has facilitated a dialogue that takes place among families across the state every day. Every day, people convicted are set free to return to communities where the crime was committed. Every day, families who endured the horror of listening to the testimonies regarding what happened are left to contend with the ache of that person being set free.

The debate over the release of murderers and rapists isn't so much about when they pay that huge debt, but is more about when the pain of what they've done to hurt us goes away. How long does it take to say you have done enough?

The truth is no level of punishment will ever be enough to take the pain away. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth does not return the first eye. There will never be enough tears or time served to satisfy the angst of those left behind.

The release of 20 inmates is no different than what takes place all the time. It does bring to the forefront the need to prepare a community for the return of those who attempted to pay that debt. At issue is how we receive them as neighbors after they have made a horrific mistake. It can't be easy returning to a world where eight-track tapes were replaced by cassette players and cassette players were replaced by CD's and MP3's. The world they knew has changed.

We are also left with the need to support the families of the victims. Each release resurrects those painful memories. It's hard to move on when the payment for that debt hasn't been settled. It never will.