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The Basic Training In Federal
Prison - Page 7
It brought down
the house. The women gave him a standing ovation. Raye, 25,
serving time for murder first, sprang to her feet and jumped
up on the platform to embrace him warmly, and was followed
by a number of others who did likewise. That a former prosecutor
could see the good in them was the greatest gift he could
ever give to these women, so starved for esteem.
In her closing remarks, our assistant
trainer said, "When you walk out of here tonight, that's
when the training really begins. If you are faithful to the
dream you gained here, it will be reflected in your children,
your race, and the people you care most about. You can make
this work for life, not just here, but wherever you go."
We had all made
many friends and we parted tearfully. The sadness dimmed somewhat
by the knowledge we'd be seeing each other again in two weeks
for a brief post-training session.
None of the
outsiders who were there at Pleasanton or at Ft. Grant will
ever again hold the harsh and hostile attitude toward prison
inmates that most of the general public and the personnel
in most prisons have.
All of us know
that inside of each "criminal," no matter what his
or her crime, there is a spark of tenderness and decency waiting
to emerge.
We
know they are lonely human beings longing to love and to be
loved and willing to respond to an offer of an assisting hand
if you just know how to get through their barricade of "grungies."
Lifespring knows how. Its potential in our wretched failure
of a penal system staggers the imagination. If the Lifespring
movement were to be spread throughout our prisons and jails,
to guards and inmates alike, if it were supported by legislatures
and prison administrators, augmented by meaningful vocational
training and educational opportunities, I venture to guess
that at least one half, maybe more, of recidivism (a tendency
to return to criminal habits) could be brought to a halt.
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