Inmates: religion then release?

Jodi, a high school friend, asked me to introduce myself and to be a guest on her blog.  I am Mary Byrd and I identify myself as a wife and mother of three.  I have a bachelor degree–my field of study was psychology, sociology and criminal justice.  Currently, I am employed as a case manager at the Federal Correctional Complex in Beaumont, Texas.  I began my career working with inmates at Arkansas Department of Corrections, a low security facility.   In 2001, I began working for the Federal Bureau of Prisons at the Federal Correctional Complex in Beaumont, Texas.

As the prison population grows, I find myself asking a question…when should inmates be released early?  Due to over-crowding in prisons, new pilot programs are being implemented so inmates may return to society without serving their complete sentence.  Which inmates are appropriate for early release?  Also, should inmates who have had a religious conversion be considered for release?   As Christians, we know God forgives all sinners.  When should we as a society lesson the consequences for their crimes?  Are some criminals’ crimes too horrific?

Recently, a documentary on Phillip Garrido was featured on the Discovery Health Channel.  Phillip Garrido was sentenced to fifty year for abducting and sexually assaulting a young girl.  According to the documentary, the chaplain recommended Phillip Garrido for parole.  The parole was granted,  Phillip Garrido served only ten years when he was released from prison.  After Phillip Garrido was released from prison he abducted an eleven year old girl.  He imprisoned her, in his backyard, for eighteen years.  He also fathered two of her children.  Are sex offenders too dangerous to be released back into society?

Religious conversions are real.  I believe inmates do experience religious conversions.  God has not given me the ability to see into someone’s soul.  I can only judge a person by their past.  I believe Phillip Garrido had a religious conversion.  I also believe he may have been a model inmate. Now, wait…I do not excuse the behavior of Phillip Garrido, but according to the documentary, he was religious even after his release from prison.  He even wrote a religious blog.  His religious views may have been odd or even delusional, but he is religious.

An inmate I worked with had a religious conversion, of sorts, he became a Muslim.  In fact, he became the leader of the Muslims at our facility.  He was useful to the administration because he kept other Muslim inmates in line.  However, years earlier, this inmate while serving time, killed a correctional officer.  It wasn’t because that particular correctional officer had done something wrong.  No, he killed the officer simply because he wanted to kill.  This inmate has been valuable by maintaining peace.  He has de-escalated tension on the yard and prevented many prison disturbances.  The inmate is respected by his peers because he killed an officer.  He is resented by some correctional staff because he killed an officer.  However, he is respected by the administration.  Today, this inmate is obviously not the same man he was thirty years ago, when he killed the officer.  Should he be considered for release?

David Berkowitz, according to an earlier article on Jodi’s blog, also experienced a religious conversion.  Is David Berkowitz a changed man?  Could a serial killer ever be trusted in society?

Religion is an important part of programming in the prison system.  Prison officials have found inmates who are spiritual are typically better behaved inmates.  Inmates are allowed to have religious material, participate in various religious programs, and maintain a religious diet.  In fact, religion is so important, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, has developed the Life Connections Program.  The Life Connections Program is a residential re-entry program, which was implemented by the Religious Services department.  Any federal inmate who wishes to participate in the Life Connections Program must first be eligible and then apply through religious services.  Inmates who complete the Life Connection Program are eligible for time off their prison sentence.

As the prison population grows, we as a society will need to determine who will be eligible for a second opportunity and who will not.  Years ago, prisons were a place of punishment.  Today, prisons are called correctional facilities.  The goal of correctional facilities is not to punish, but to rehabilitate inmates.  Unfortunately, currently prisons are horrible at rehabilitating inmates.

–Fence photo taken from the Bureau of Prisons web page: http://www.bop.gov/locations/index.jsp
–Second photo is of the Beaumont, TX facility, found at http://www.bop.gov/locations/institutions/bmp/index.jsp

Sex, Drugs and Spam

I just emptied my email’s spam folder.  I always look at what is in there before I delete anything to make sure I’m not missing someone/something important.  Today it held nothing special, just the same old junk: get rich quick schemes, security breach scams, access to wonder drugs and illicit sex invites.  The emails vary in content and style, yet they all carry a dull heaviness with them.  They are gray in a world of color; they promise a buzz yet, if given a chance, guarantee sickness of the soul.  Those who venture in, find a snare.

Earlier today I watched a TED video, Misha Glenny investigates global crime networks (if you’ve got about 20 minutes, it is fascinating and shocking, and a bit depressing). 

While listening to this British gent disclose his fascinating findings, I was hit between the eyes with something he said.  Here it is: “It is this Western desire to consume that is the primary driver of international organized crime.” 

To give context: developing countries tend to be the producers of illicit goods and services and developed countries (i.e. European Union, USA and Japan) tend to be the consumers.  Other countries are distributors/traffickers, the middle men (if you will). 

So, the age-old commerce pattern even exists in the mafia: the poor produce, the middling sorts transport and the wealthy consume.  Consumers pay, which funds production and transportation.  On a global scale organized crime operates just like legal trade, only on a covert level (of course).

But, back to illegal (mafia) and questionable (i.e. certain spam emails) activities.  What is the draw?  Why is illegal trade 15% of our global economy?  Why do we Westerners consume that which is forbidden?  Are we so desperate for something that will give us a buzz, something that will fill the void we all know is there but try to deny?  Do we really want to live in dark oblivion until we die? 

We, as Westerners, are the consumers.  Without our insatiable appetities for illegal goods and services there wouldn’t be global underground trafficking.  The mafia would have to fold or find other ways to exploit us. 

The worldly ways of trying to contain organized crime are all law enforcement based: beefing up restrictions, investigative techniques, patrols and penalties.  (see noted video for more on this)

Sometimes I wonder what God sees…does He see the genesis of this trade springing forth from the hearts of us, we who are made in His image?  Does He see the cure to such deadly spiritual pollution embodied in His Son, Jesus?  Could the hole we try to fill with illicit drugs, sex and goods be a hole only He can fill?  Many souls have stories saying as much, many lives speak to this.  Dare we turn?  Dare we let go of ways that pollute not just ourselves, but people all over the planet? Dare we, by individually releasing our sick souls into the Hands of the great Healer, discover that pain can be healed and that emptiness is filled with He who fulfills?

I guess we’ll never know until we step into a place of surrender, trust and faith in Him who made us.  We get to choose, He gives us that…

Until then, we consume and consume and consume, pollute, pollute and pollute.  Others will suffer and die because of our choices to acquire that which destroys our soul.  Oh that we could see like He, oh that we could see….Someday we’ll know.  On the otherside of death, we will know all the ramifications of our decisions.  None will be able to stand, yet some will be saved…by their decision to choose Jesus Christ as Savior and void Filler, they will be saved…

(Contemplative prayer update: ok, am doing better.  One night I had some difficulty with a barking dog, but decided after an hour of barking to surrender and invite God into a contemplative dance that included our dear beloved barking Buster–it was lovely.)

Through the Fog

 

Hmmm…so much to ponder today. As the fog hugged our home this morning, I found my mind swimming in a cloud. The poor visibility resonated with my inability to think clearly, thanks to an aweful head/chest cold. Then out of nowhere a couple of snippets pelted me. Phone calls about a friend, the last of which says he is now in hospice dying. A God prompt to blog about CNN’s headline story. While waiting for the page to download, to see what it could be, I figured it would address embryonic cell research and President Obama. To my surprise it was the story about a 27 year old man who walked into an Illinois church during worship yesterday morning and shot the pastor dead, right there in the midst of worship (found at http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/03/09/church.shooting/index.html).

Even though it feels like I’m practically expelling my lungs and sinuses every time I cough or sneeze, I’m trying to see through the fog, I’m praying for perspective. Illness has a way of making one self-centered; it has a way of keeping our world small, very small. Yet, these two snippets call me outside myself–they call me to think of others, to pray for others, to see and do for others–even though.

So, I sit and I pray for Marc and Margaret (Marc is dying, Margaret is his wife). I pray for their children and family. I pray for Terry J. Sedlacek (the gunman). I pray for his family, his mother and father. I pray for Dr. Fred Winter’s wife and children (the pastor’s family). I pray for the congregants of First Baptist Church of Maryville, IL. I pray for the community and all the churches that are rattled to the core with this senseless murder.

Undoubtedly we, as Americans, will keep trying to keep death at bay via medical advances and the installation of security systems. We’ll exhibit how much we value life by instituting proper lock down techniques and emergency plans. Safety in America is highly valued, have you noticed? Most all of our laws are out to protect something/someone from some danger or death. Unfortunately we need protection from ourselves–Americans hurt Americans. We kill each other. We’ve forgotten how to nurture life. We are a sick society and we need healing. Yes, maybe we’re even so sick that we’re dying. Maybe we’re in hospice and don’t even realize it.

If we are so sick, then maybe the remedy is not unlike what my day has been like. Maybe we need to quit being so self-focused, quit being so ‘into’ how sick we are and how we can keep from getting hurt and start moving out, start moving toward God and each other in ways that bring healing. Maybe we can start praying for each other, even those we feel threatened by, even those we wonder at.

I don’t know…even though the fog outside has lifted, I still sit in a haze. Nothing is crystal clear, yet I pray. Yes, that I can do. I pray.

(contemplative prayer update: the sickness feels like I’ve got a heavy metal plate on the top of my head–like there is no ascending going on. Very hard to pray, feels like a big fat “0” is going on)