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Reflection from August 21 Prison Dialogue

Responding to requests from Groveland prison staff to extend programming beyond our annual Season for Nonviolence efforts, we have just begun an occasional series of dialogues between community people and men incarcerated at Groveland.

More than 20 community members spent the day in conversation with men who are about to be released from prison.  This initial dialogue was planned and moderated by Shannon Richmond and by our Institute’s founder, Arun Gandhi.

Friday was my first exposure to our prison system here in New York State.  Thank you to Arun Gandhi, Gandhi Institute associate director Shannon Richmond and Groveland Warden Cronin for organizing this opportunity.   It was a very interesting experience, one that I still am processing.  The most important reflection I have at this time is the pure fact that inmates are human just like the rest of us on the outside of the prison walls.  They eat, sleep, smile, frown, laugh, cry and all the above.  The one difference is they made a mistake and got caught. 

Too often I find that I put up a mental wall and don’t ever really think about inmates.  I cast them aside mentally and pretty much forget about them.  After this experience, I no longer want to continue with that mind set.  I am concerned about the transition support we have in place for inmates upon release.  How can we as a community do a better job of supporting our newly released brothers and sisters?  What can we do to empower and support them in their effort to acclimate back into our community?  Is there a better way?  What resources are there currently?  Is their a funding shortfall for transition services?  What are other communities doing?

These are all questions that I hope we can address within the Rochester community in the near term!

by Justin Sansone

 

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