This Officer's Duties

I'm starting to re-think my philosophy on prison reentry. Some prison inmates are just not ready for Rick Warren quotes on turning their life around.

This Officer's Duties
Standing outside the prison wire.
I am free, but those inside suffer dire situations that cost them
Their lives, families and hopes that oft' tire,

Over time some will adapt.
But some are apt to continue acts of desperation,
That worsen their situation of being trapped.

What's my role of a human with compassion?
To protect, teach and inspire with passion.
Duties of an officer not held in fashion.

But reflect a higher meaning of Care, Custody and Control, which I gave an oath to serve.

Notes To My Inmates

I think I am the only Correctional Officer who does this. If not, like to meet other officers who do, and that have a passion for re-entry.

Everyday when I come into the dorm at 0600, at my first opportunity I leave an inspirational thought for my inmate residents. I jot it down on a piece of scratch paper and tape one copy to one side of the dorm, and another copy to the other side. I also write one more copy of it in my journal. The thoughts come from where ever - literally. Sometimes they are a quote I heard the day before, or they may come from my devotional time that weigh heavy on my heart and mind. I've been doing this ever since I started and I plan on continuing. Even though I am a by-the-book policy and procedure guy, there is no policy on this and inspirational thoughts I'm sure would be approved. The embedded images are some of the notes I get back from my inmates.

Why do I do it? As of June 5, 2016, 63% (92 of 145) of my dormitory residents will be released from their prison sentence by the year 2020. Will they be ready?  Is there anything we can do, indeed something I can do to help them in their successful re-entry back into society to help them be employed, responsible, caring and law-abiding sons, fathers and husbands. That is why I do what I do.

My guideline for notes to inmates is that it must be applicable to all. If it is religious in nature, which my notes sometime are, they must be acceptable to all faiths. The faiths represented in my dorm right now include several Christian denominations, Jewish, Islam, Wicca and Buddhism (that I know of). 

This is what my last note said:

Faith and Family

Faith and family are two things we should hold dear and value the most. What can you do today to strengthen these? A letter? A prayer? A thought? A phone call?  Think about it.

Follows is another note back from one of my inmates...

But, For The Grace of God Go I

The poem I created this morning while waking up...  "But by the grace of God go we.  May light to others may we be. - gus

About twelve years ago (2004) Sandy and I saw Flogging Molly at the Warped Tour and again at the House of Blues in Orlando, and little did I know how their music would have such an impact on me.

Over the last week I've had this song in my head running over and over, all day - all night.  In a way it drives me nuts, but in another way I find it so comforting.  Please read to the end, after the song for its full significance for me.

Grace of God Go I
By Flogging Molly, Swagger, 2000

Lookin down through a tide of no return
Is a field where the crops no longer grow
Parched is the land, strangled an be damned
There for the grace of God go I

Down beside where the riverbed sleeps
Is a man not knowin what he should feel
Mocked by the wave that beats the waters edge
There for the grace of God
There for the grace of God
There for the grace of God go I

If I ever hurt another like Thee again
I would drown myself beneath Your name
Lost was the child, we all once did hide
There for the grace of God
There for the grace of God
There for the grace of God go I

Songwriters: Bridget Regan, David King, Dennis Casey, Robert Anthony Schmidt, Matthew Hensley, Nathen Jeglinski, George Edward Schwindt
Published by: 26f Gellert Hill Music; Twentysixf Music

The original line and (near) title is attributed to John Bradford (1510-1555), an English Protestant theologian and reformer who was burned at the stake for speaking against the Church of England. In the phrase “But for the grace of God Go I.” he is referring to prisoners being executed for the same evil deeds he had committed himself, but not punished for.

Today I shared the lyrics with one of my prison inmate students who has a severe anger management problem, which has at times landed him in solitary confinement.  In my class alone, he's come close to being escorted out in hand-cuffs for his tendency to go to fight at a minor offense of one of his peers.

After an hour or so of pondering the words to this song he came and shared with me some of his childhood issues and how he needs to work on areas of depression, anxiety and anger management. He's going to write a paper on the song for me (G.E.D. preparation) and how the imagery aligns with his life experience.