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I Just Dont Get It
April 3, 2010
As do all new employees, I had the good fortune of receiving 8 weeks of orientation before assuming my role as a prison chaplain at Maine State Prison in Warren.
Sprinkled in among the good information was a litany of well-worn horror stories that have become common prison lore. As these stories of guns, blood, feces and urine bore up under repetition, I began to wonder how many years had transpired between these events. It is almost as though working in a prison involves waiting for the next shoe to drop while running through your head what you are supposed to do when it does.
These stories are very familiar to the press, to the legislature and to staff, so much so that when something serious happens, like the hostage-taking incident in the library, the public just yawns, thinking that it is business as usual. You cannot be heard to object to lack of press coverage if you create the impression that every day you go into the prison you take your life in your hands.
The stories are decidedly one-sided. They omit references to the kind of medical and security neglect that led to the death of Prisoner Weinstein and injuries to a parade of others over the years.
Somehow, we have created a fear culture of them vs. us. Fear leads to playing defense instead of offense. Playing defense leads to protecting yourself instead of those you have been hired to protect.
Is it any wonder that morale among guards is rock bottom? They have been indoctrinated with fear and put in uniform on their first day at work only to be coached by others taking great pride in having stayed the course while walking a gauntlet. Does it not seem logical that if you do your job with respect for human dignity, are consistent and fair, are blind to a prisoner’s crime, are willing to listen, you can work miracles while assuring your own safety? The problem is that respect for human dignity, fairness, objectivity and willingness to listen are in short supply from the top down and therefore are not characteristics well respected.
The stories of trouble within school systems that have been making the news lately ... (to continue reading this, please follow the link to Scribd.com)
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