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Firstly, I'll start off by saying that I've never been labeled an inmate, i have no convictions nor felonies. When I were 18, I decided that I would become a correctional officer. At 18 I was placed as an officer of a cell block in a level 3 security prison for the South Carolina Department of Corrections. This level 3 prison wasn't like your maximum security prisons seen on television, the prison was open bay like a military boot camp. The vast majority of inmates were in prison for robbery, drugs, domestic abuse, and s*x offender. There were rare cases of murderers. 12-hour shifts, with me being the only officer and approximately 70-100 inmates. This is when I considered myself as a Part-time inmate. They shared stories and I listened. Ages ranged from 18-70 they all had stories and the majority had children. With the particular institution being 92-93% black many of the guys older and younger look to me as a mentor because or big brother because I didn't just label them as inmate. I knew there names and would call them by there names. When the majority of the staff simply called them "inmate" and nothing more. "Inmate pick up this trash" "Inmate go clean the toilet" Inmate, inmate, inmate. The inmates would often ask me "why are you here, or say this isn't a job for you, you care about people. You should be in school." And in all honesty I didn't really know why was there at the time but nevertheless I was there. And I began helping individuals with math and offering possible solutions to problems unawaringly. Walking the cells from 6pm-6am i was a part-time inmate because like them I was locked in the institution until my relief came only difference was they were locked in until there time was up. I posted a blog yesterday titled "The purpose of prisons!" During my short time working with in the Correctional System that inmates were more apt to change there way of thinking and actions when someone listened to them, understood that what they did was wrong, and was willing to offer guidance. At the time I didn't know why I was a Correctional Officer, but now I do.
Posted By: Antre Drummer
Thursday, July 31st 2008 at 12:23PM
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I am honestly scared of anything JAIL like, lol. Ive heard stories of what its like.. and "you never want to go there" blah blah blah.. but I dont think I could ever go in a jail.. and actually work. I feel those people probably do have a lot to say, and are sadly going to be labeled by that one mistake that landed them there. I think we need more.. men? and maybe females.. (BRAVE ONES) to go into jails/prisons and talk to these people about life in jail, getting out of jail, what to do with the remainder of the time they have left and so on and so forth..Everyone truly deserves a second chance.. and if they themselves want it bad enough, they will do right by it.
Thursday, July 31st 2008 at 12:29PM
Chamieka House
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Mozell I commend you on your stand and your change. Speaking out and just havin a truly genuine testimony. Keep up the good work! Chamieka it is scary, I can't even pretend when I first started I was so... scared... but I would poke out my lil chest and walk with my head up high like i was untouchable. Like anyone and anything these people could since if you were scared so you just had to play it straight realizing they were only people.
Thursday, July 31st 2008 at 12:37PM
Antre Drummer
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Wow! That's intense; I commend you for being yourself and allowing, who I would credit it to, which is God, to use you as a vessel in those young mens lives. Honestly, I believe that individuals who make mistakes, as those young men did, do deserve a second chance. It's good that we have individuals such as yourself, and Mozell, to be that person(s) who take the time out to treat young men like them like they are human. That is one thing that I don't understand about some people...if someone makes a mistake, that does not give you the authority to treat them like they are an animal or like they don't deserve to be treated like a real person.
Basically, iron sharpens iron, but charity is the strongest of them all. When we learn how to treat people with godly love, no matter what state that they are in, I believe that change will manifest quickly in those individuals lives.
Colossians 3:12-14
Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
"Charity" is also referred to as love (which is what I believe that you were operating in during your "Prison Experience"); I think that if we as a people begin to put this character qualities in action, then our world would be such a better place. No, its not easy to always love, or always forgive, etc., but that's why our salvation is a daily process...its a never-ending goal, that will always keep us accountable to one another as well as to God.
Smile
CAD
Thursday, July 31st 2008 at 2:06PM
Chasity DeLoney
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CAD you're very deep. That I respect! Don't stop what you're doing!
Thursday, July 31st 2008 at 2:10PM
Antre Drummer
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I commend you for treating people like people. So many of the world thinks that when you go to jail that you become unhuman. These are people that will be back in society one day, so again I thank you for being you.
Monday, August 4th 2008 at 3:52PM
nina shoe
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Hi Antre,
I too have a prison experience. I've worked at a correctional facility prior to Hurricane Katrina. I worked in the Educational Department as a GED Instructor. Yes, the men are hurting, and some truly look for guidance and a way out. The program that I taught in was also a boot camp low security program, with disciplinary actions military style. I worked inconjuction with the Substance Abuse Counselors. Their focus was mainly addictive disorder. In addictive disorder it is believed that the drug user and drug dealer are on the same wave length. Just as addictive it is for the drug user to buy drugs for use, it is just as addictive for the drug dealer to sell the drugs for money. Their structure was community based. Each tier represented a community/family. If one inmate on the tier messed up everyone suffered. This strategy was to teach them that the decisions you make in your life not only affects you, but it affects your community/family. Of course at some point, It was up to the family to get who ever was causing problems in order, and there was a strategic way to do it. This was to prevent one individual making selfish decisions that had negative consequences for everyone.
I taught in an all male facility. My first two years I taught small classes in an area called the interlock. This was a separate room located adjacent to the tiers. My last three years, I taught on the tier. The only personal weapon I had was a piece of chalk to write on the board, and GOD's grace and wisdom. I too learned their names, and specifically addressed it with Mr. in front. I wanted them to learn that despite of their behavior, they are still human beings that deserve respect. The law had already judged, God will judge them, and that just wasn't my place to do so.
There were a lot of things I had to change in order to respect the time they were serving. Little things I never noticed as being a woman became a distraction in the classroom. I stopped wearing lipstick, perfume, and scented lotions. Whatever soap they used, I bought and used myself. I always dressed professional in pant suits, but removed any belts that accented my figure. My jackets were worn mid thigh length, and I never ever.....ever.....ever...ever wore open toe shoes. My polish of choice was clear, and went to the hair dresser on Fridays after work so on Monday there was no "just came from the salon" smell. The men understood what I was doing and respected me for it.
There were some who were not trying to change and was seen as the prison became a revolving door for them. I remember asking a student of mine, "Why can't you just do right?" His words were, " All we know is wrong". For some this lifestyle was a "family business", or rather a generational curse.
I did connect with a local community college for those individuals that received their GED or already had a high school diploma. I wanted them to know that the options to be a productive citizen was still there; they just needed to accept it.
I can go on and on about stories there good and bad. Most of all they respected me, and any prisoner that disrepected me was dealt with not by the correctional officer but other prisoners. They surely know who is fake and who isn't. They can smell a phony a mile away. I hope that I impacted at least one life while I was there.
Saturday, August 16th 2008 at 5:38PM
Carol Williams
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Mr. Drummer you are a very positive young man! I was touched by your comments and the responses it provoked!! keep doing what you are doing, it is certainly working!!
Saturday, October 11th 2008 at 11:52AM
Bettina Coley
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Mozell,take a good look at your talking about being a felon. You said "I"!!!!! Now take a good look at this site even...notice, how often do you see people not being able to even own the description "I"?I did..I take credit...I have total confidence/ total control of what "I" do or "I" do not do!!!,etc.
"I" am so very,very proud of you. Remember what I say my mom told me about the definition of "FRIEND"???
Thursday, April 10th 2014 at 6:47PM
ROBINSON IRMA
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I wonder if there are any ministry in prison trying to get 'freedom of religion' in prisons? Or are we still at the 'mine is the only correct one' which to me is exclusion and there in lies the major problem. Why These religious conversions in side does not help their lives out sidefor many reasons. One of these reasons is the reality of survival of the fittest!!!.
Out side they need food, cloth. shelter, jobs, medical care, money, you know all of those things that is the first law/instinct...to survive...
No offensive but there are those who would be better off trying to rob for food when starving to death even thought I believe that this is the only sure way to get into heaven is by way of dying????Or do you open your home for the sick, homeless, poor or even someone of not your religious choice? Or have you even been to all of the different faith worship places in just your neighborhoods or your close friends/family members, co-workers/class mates???or are all of these with out SIN?????
Thursday, April 10th 2014 at 6:47PM
ROBINSON IRMA
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