Spending Time in Prison

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/21/00 5:44:24 AM, kvy9 writes:

>A "better" retreat than prison, enabling one to "discipline" the mind,

>to learn equanimity, to meditate and contemplate, is hardly possible. Not

>seeing it perhaps has to do with the fact that without the illusion of

>"free choice" such insight won't dawn. Anyway, your new job is quite a

>challenge.. Surely there will be inmates, able to see "no choice" and make

>the best out of their stay...

>

>Love,

>Jan

 

Hi Jan-

 

Yes, in the relatively short time that I have been working in the prison

I have come across a couple of people who seem to be accepting of their

position and making the most of their time. I have come across these

people inadvertently, so to speak, as they certainly weren't seeking out

psychiatric help (as the cute saying says, "Coincidence is Latin for God.")

One was a Native American, and another a practicing Wiccan (sp?)

 

It has been really interesting to me to see how this job has been blowing

my stereotypes out of the water (hurray!). Before I see an inmate I read

his chart, and this includes his arrest record and sentences. I will read

about a murderer/rapist/child-abusing repeat felon and get a certain

preconception in my mind. Then, I meet the actual person and am

confronted with a genuine, interesting, pleasant person. I love it!

 

Having been in recovery from drug and alcohol dependence for a couple of

years I would have thought that I would have learned not to pigeonhole

people, but I observe that my mind's need to classify and stereotype

people runs deep (likely because it usually gives me a sense of

superiority, or control of some sort).

 

So yes, the job has been really good for me. If anyone out there has some

experience with working in corrections (or similar settings) I would

certainly welcome the input.

 

Take care, and be peaceful-

 

Mike

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/21/00 7:15:52 PM Mountain Standard Time,

UnbrknCh8n writes:

 

<< So yes, the job has been really good for me. If anyone out there has some

experience with working in corrections (or similar settings) I would

certainly welcome the input. >>

 

I volunteered at a jail for awhile. The experience left me in awe of the

resilience, adaptability, terrible beauty and sometimes sheer bone-headedness

of the human spirit. As everywhere, the greatest facilitator of love was

group energy, but, in a different form, group energy also fostered

alienation, rigidity and paranoia. We've been having a lot of prison

uprisings at some of the privately-run institutions here in New Mexico. I

can only imagine how the choices made based on profit margin are abrading the

souls of these men. Love, Holly

[Guest guest]

Holly~~~>>>

i'm a lurker on and the K-list but this struck a chord.

A close friend is in prison in Hobbs, NM whose backgound is street punk

and wiccan, and has firm belief in chaos theory. He also has problems

dealing with authority... frequently fights to defend his point of view,

resulting in solitarity confinement. He says, "It's ALL good". Gives

him an opportunity to meditate and contemplate. He truely amazes me.

Such surrender!?

Love,Charles

 

O! Thou Both End and Origin, Thou without and Thou within, from every

eye Thou hidest well, and yet in every eye dost dwell.

~Rumi

[Guest guest]

Your friend sounds like an incredible teacher! Now that I think of it, a lot

of big souls have spent time in jail -- Gandhi, Sadat, MLK, Mandela, Malcom X

-- and not a few have written about how important the time was. I can see

how big souls would get into trouble (!) but I also worry that the correction

institutions are worse, in a way, than they ever were. God bless your friend

-- and you! Love, Holly