A number of people have asked about our experiences with “lifers” at the prison–what it’s like? can you visit? who are these people? With that in mind Laurie asked one of them to write something that we could put on the blog and have you step inside the mind of someone in prison, take a peek inside the walls.
That said, as you read this you need to recognize that this particular man is quite evolved in his understanding of himself, his past, and his crime. He feels deep regret for the murder he committed and has sought victim-offender reconciliation. There are plenty of men inside of those walls “who should never get out,” is what this man would say. And he would also say that there are others who are not the same people that they were when they first entered through the prison gates.
Read his words. He wrote them for you…for this class. And remember that the world is infinitely more complex than any of us can imagine. This guy never graduated from high school, by the way.
A few years ago, when I was much younger, I saw something that changed my understanding of the world in which I now live. It wasn’t something that I didn’t already know; I just didn’t realize that I knew it. Nor was it something that I didn’t already do; I just didn’t realize how natural it was for me to do it. But seeing it, naked and out in the open in the way it happened, made me realize how amazing this act really was in this environment.
I was sitting on some bleachers with a friend of mine shooting the breeze when I glanced around and noticed two men huddled together. I knew both of these men and it was strange to see that one of them had his arm around the shoulders of the other, who in turn had his head hanging low and appeared to be crying. What made this so unusual was that from what I knew of these men, they hated each other.
I turned to my friend and motioned with my head and asked, “What’s up with those two?” He looked over and replied, “Oh, his son died in a car crash and he can’t get in touch with anyone on the phone.” Without words we both understood why the one man would put aside his hate and provide comfort. It seemed perfectly natural to us.
As we stood up to leave, both of us deliberately chose to walk over to these two men. In passing them, each of us in turn put a hand on the crying man’s shoulder and with a slight squeeze we told him how sorry we were. This, too, was natural for us and didn’t take any thinking in order to make that gesture.
My friend and I are “lifers,” convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to spend the rest of our lives behind bars with no possibility of parole. In fact, you may be surprised to learn that this entire event took place in a prison yard. But to us, it is simply the world in which we live. To us, those two men weren’t strange; the situation wasn’t even that rare. Perhaps unusual to see it so openly, but that just made it more meaningful to us.
Later that night as I lay in my bunk, I couldn’t sleep. I kept seeing those two men and that simple act of compassion made me review my world. How many times have I seen or done similar acts and never really thought about it? You would think that in a place filled with convicted criminals, compassion would be so rare that the sight of it would cause suspicion. But here in this place that most people think is full of “beasts” and “uncaring violent predators,” it is actually rather common.
Here there were two convicts who didn’t like one another sharing this very human moment. One was in pain and the other wasn’t’ going to get anything in return for helping to alleviate his suffering. He was doing something that any thinking, feeling, caring man does for another.
Everyday behind these razor wire topped fences there are little acts of compassion. Sometimes it is stopping to listen to another man complain about his day, even though your day has been just as rotten. Another time it may be letting a man use your phone time so he can speak with his daughter on her birthday. But no matter what the act, it is often done without hesitation and with no expectation of anything in return.
You might not believe men in here are capable of compassion—beneath the surface knowledge of another’s plight…not simple sympathy…but a deep soulful understanding. I’m talking about truly feeling another’s pain and wanting to help. This compassion isn’t reserved for fellow prisoners; it is felt for all who suffer any kind of misfortune anywhere in the world.
I have stood beside men as we discussed with a hitch in our voices, blinking back tears, some horrible disaster in the world. I know how upset and frustrated we all feel that we cannot chip in and help. I’ve stood in line with others to give blood, or helped fill out forms to donate money, even written letters to try and help those in need. It seems that whenever a tragedy occurs there is a rallying of men here to provide whatever we can do.
Even in this dark place of hate and misery, you find compassion. You see human beings helping one another simply because seeing another suffer touches their soul. Such compassion is not a commodity held only for the innocent; it is the heart’s recognition of pain in another and the soul’s demand to provide succor—and to any human being no matter their circumstance.
You may believe prison is filled with the worst of men, and there is some truth to that. But look beyond preconceived ideas and you will find some of the tenets of humanity performed in the most incredibly simply ways and by the most unlikely of individuals for the greatest of reasons – to relieve suffering. And why? Because we all suffer and any relief, no matter how small, is of great relief to us all.
I am thankful for Sam sharing this letter with our class. Even though he is doing life in prison he has realized what he did wrong and is admitting to it and trying to change completely, and I am glad to see that he was able to understand and move on. Some might say that a person who commits murder should never get out of jail and sit there for the rest of there lives in misery. I believe this but I also believe while the inmate is doing time in jail he or her is learning about life; how they can make their life better, others, and there loved ones and what their purpose is in life. I also believe that jail is filled with the worst men, but most of those men have changed due to life changing experiences inside, and outside of jail. The inmate is right by saying compassion is not a commodity held for the innocent. I believe that it can also be held by people who are convicted killers, drug dealers or who ever is in jail. I come from a very gang related area in New York and ive pretty much seen it all. From shootings, prostitutes, gangs, and drugs. I have seen innocent teenagers get convicted of murder and are facing 25 years to life. But then you have the incidents with actual gang violence ect. I am apart of the prison ministry at my church on Long Island that reaches out the community. Our goal is to reach out to convicted killers and gang members, and talk to them about how they are doing on the inside, and what they are going to do differently on the outside if they ever make it out of jail. We also talk to them about how in our religion “God” still loves them no mater what they have done as long as they repent. Being apart of this experience has changed my life for the better. Just knowing that there are so many people behind bars that are willing to change, and that have already changed. I believe jail can change anyone’s life around. Some for the better, some for the worse.
I agree with Professor Richards when he says, "in no way am I a bleeding heart liberal." I would be the first one to tell you that criminals, particularly murderers, pose a threat to our society and our safety and need to be locked up because of it. However, I also believe in change. I believe that everything happens for a reason to either change us or put us on the path we were meant to be on. In this letter, I see a man who underwent both of those transitions. I see a man who is playing with the cards he's been dealt. He murdered somebody. He probably made a stupid decision when he was just a kid, and in return he received a life sentence…a fair deal if you ask me.
This man knows that he has to live the rest of his life behind bars, but he has clearly come to terms with that and is still fighting to make this world a better place. It is apparent through his sincerity that this isn't some bullshit parole board letter. This is a letter to squash all of our preconceived notions about prisoners. I believe that this man deserves a second chance, a second hearing and a second life. Unfortunately, our law cannot grant that to him. However, I believe that in the final hearing, he will be rewarded for his compassion.
To me it is almost amazing to hear such compassion from an inmate with life. If I was sentence to life with no parole, I would feel hopeless. I would feel as if my life had no meaning and was coming to an end. What I envy about this man is that although he was given that sentence, he hasn’t let it affect him for the worst. He is not bitter and miserable like one would expect him to be all the time. Instead he is trying his hardest to make every difference he can behind bars. There is no argument that jail has some bad dudes, but we need to understand that they are still humans who feel emotion. After being sentenced to life, I would feel physically drained and unaffected after awhile and sometimes I believe these men do. Emotions keep them in check.
A big misconception we tend to immediately judge is that his sentence is 100 percent worthy. If you are a stone cold killer, than may God have mercy on your soul. However, if you acted in self-defense and their was a freak accident, who is to blame? If I had a daughter or my sister and if I knew they were harmed physically, such as rape or beaten, I would kill the man. How would a jury view that? I know bad shit happens to good people and I am a firm believer that our prison system heals. Sad as it sounds, sometimes it takes a jail sentence for someone to wake the hell up and realize the damage they’ve done to society. And sometimes they react so positively it almost benefited the people around him, and more importantly the man himself to have served the jail sentence.
I’m not a fan of life without parole. To me that is the ultimate punishment. With all respect, I would rather die. Maybe that is why I envy your logic and thinking. You are turning a shitty situation into hope for you and others. Your finding pleasure in your random acts of kindness. And who knows, because maybe karma will work in your benefit and you might get a chance at parole. I wish you the best.
I have no doubt in my mind that this is freedom, and not only freedom; the best kind of freedom. Even in the darkest of places, and the cruelest of people, light still shines in the hearts of men. Nothing is more beautiful than that light, and the glow cast from it; and how, if allowed, it will turn from a flickering flame into a shining star for others to follow. That's the best part, too: that other will follow.
Freedom is a funny thing. We, as the United States, protect it as much as we can, with every weapon conceivable. It is our most treasured possession. But while this is an admirable goal, it shades the truth: freedom cannot be lost. Our freedoms can never be taken away by some foreign power. The only people who can take away and restrict our freedom are ourselves. We can choose to follow the laws of our state and government, or we can choose to disregard them; and while there is a punishment to discourage this, it is our choice and our freedom at the end of the day, and we are to live with what choices we have made.
It seems like the government believes the civilian population are akin to cattle, and that laws are fences to keep us contained and "civilized." And, by and by, they are correct. With Mob-Psychology and Peer-Pressure and the results of the Milgram experiment, among hundreds of other reasons, it seems that we blindly follow the herd, and without guidance, we will abuse our freedoms, or follow those who do.
But I believe in people. I believe that people, ordinary people, will do what's right if left to themselves, much like what happened here, in this article. Freedom can be used to better or worsen life, but I know, and I have seen, that we use it for good.
I am shocked to find out how unselfish they can be and how much some of them do care about others. Many of us don't give people another chance specially after committing such horrible crimes, but after reading this letter, I've realized that everyone DOES deserve another chance. I think that it is great that some of them have turned their energy into a positive one and tried to cope with their convictions in a positive way, by helping others. Many prisoners seem to change so much once they are in jail for such a long time.
I guess that being there with only your thoughts and no pressure from the outside world, does give you the freedom to be the person that you want to be. I know someone that was in jail and while they were in there they had changed a lot from the person that they used to be. This person became more religious and their out look on life was very different than the "wild" person they used to be. Once this person was out of jail though, the pressures that hunted him before ,came back he was doing the same things that he did when he wasn't in jail. While this person was a prisoner he had the right to be whoever he wanted to be without anyone judging his out look on life, but as soon as he was out, he felt that he couldn't fit the mentality that he had in prison, with the one with the outside world. This situation sometimes leads me to wonder whether these prisoners would also change the views that they now have if they were able to go out into the world again.
The most compelling part of the prisoner’s letter was that he found the gestures of the man who was comforting the crying man to be one of the most compassionate acts ever witnessed. It is crazy that the prisoner was able to see such a kindhearted signal in a prison. In a place where you are forced to rethink constantly about past actions and in a place where people suffer from pain and loneliness, it is incredible that compassion is present. For some, prison is just like hell on earth. It is usually known as the place where the lowest, most selfish and most dangerous human beings are found. In most cases, these people truly belong in such a dreadful place because they committed acts of felony. Also, right when they are placed in prison, they possess all these malicious qualities. As years fly by in prison, I believe that prisoners begin to change into completely different people then they were originally. In fact, prisoners have a great deal of time to contemplate and rethink over and over again about their actions. During this time of thought, a prisoner can even transform into a completely different person. It takes time, but in the long run, these prisoners realize that they aren’t evil people at all. Truly, it isn’t until placed in prison until a murderer for example realizes the true meaning of the death they have just performed. They may begin to think about the family members and people close to the victim and feel what they feel. They may even feel closer to death themselves just for killing someone else. It takes a tragedy to occur for a person to change. These prisoners aren’t necessarily bad people anymore. It is unfortunate that they have to live with the pains of their past. It is extremely difficult to look ahead into the future when they know that there is no future for them as well. These little acts of kindness such as the one man comforting the other are just small events that can relieve suffering. Even though the prisoner was a murderer, does not mean he still is. However, this man now has to live with his past and learn to appreciate the minor acts of kindness he witnesses.
After reading this article, I'm not going to lie, I didn't really know what to think. Like everybody else reading this article, I found it touching that this murderer understands acts of compassion in a way probably greater than most people, and found it somewhat surprising that a situation such as this one would actually happen inside of prison walls. However, when reading this article, I could not help but think about the misconstrued views and perceptions that today's society. While I do believe that this is only one side of prison life and that there is still another side in which bad stuff happens, I have an even stronger belief that the media has created an image of prison far off from what it truly looks like.
Looking through the many comments for this, there is a clear trend that most others were, like myself, surprised after reading this. But why were we “surprised” by this? I'm sure most people to comment on this have never been to jail and probably don't even have any first hand experience, so to be surprised about a subject that we know little about just goes to show that our thoughts and actions are even less free than we thought.
The media has a tremendous amount of power over society. Without even noticing, people let the media shape their lives in many different ways from what they wear, what they eat, what they do, how they talk, how they act, how they think, or whatever else. I will even admit that I am not free from this influence, and there will be times where I self consciously let the media make small decisions in my life, even though I feel like these decisions are completely my own. As mentioned many times in Sociology 102 already, no decisions we make are completely our own decision, and I am in complete agreement with this because no matter what choice I make, I can guarantee that the decision was not purely my own.
This letter was truly a shock to me. Normally, prisoners are looked at as big, mean, tough guys who only want to fight with each other in their free time. This letter gives a whole new perspective.
Having to wake up every day with almost nothing to do other than sit in a cell, lined with cement walls and bars on the windows, would sound like torture to even the strongest of people. But people make decisions and have to pay for them in all different ways.
The weirdest part of this whole letter to me was that, without knowing this man previously, he seems like not the kind of person who did not graduate high school or the person who has killed another, but someone who truly cares about the people around him, whomever they may be.
His explanation of the situation in which he is describing was amazing.
With eloquence and understanding that there is more to life than sitting in a prison for every day for the rest of his life, this man truly seems to understand the meaning of not only his life, but the lives of those around him. Ironic isn’t it? That a man who has taken the life of another man, for whatever reason, is so understanding of the true meaning of life and what it means to live.
As we spoke about in class, some of these men in prison know more about life than those who have never seen the inside of a prison. So what’s the difference between them and us? Honestly, it’s the concept of deep thought.
We can go about our everyday lives as those who do not live in prison may; going to work, eating meals with friends, going to school and so on. But really, what are we doing? We are continuously engaging in these monotonous activities, but for what?
The man that’s in prison may get up, if allowed out of his cell, socialize maybe a little, but really nothing more. The rest of his time is spent thinking. Thinking about how he got into prison, thinking about other mistakes he’s made, or maybe thinking about happier, more positive times just to keep his mind occupied.
The man that wrote this letter seems to have spent much of his time really thinking and digging deep inside himself to find the true meaning of his own life. Maybe he doesn’t regret his decision to take another man’s life, or maybe he does. Regardless, he seems to really have learned from it and found the true meaning of what it means to be alive.
To be able to read a letter from an inmate that received life is a really interesting thing to do. You never really get a chance to hear what these people have to say besides through what the media wants to tell us. I never knew that men in prison could contain this type and amount of passion for life while having life. The death penalty can be a little extreme sometimes when the person is not in the normal state of mind. Now I don’t think they should be out on the streets because its hard to just use that excuse for a murder. It is just amazing that I can feel compassion for a person who is locked away in a prison for taking another humans life. I was really blown away by the fact that now I see that all murders are not the same and cold and heartless. There really is a person out there who just made a mistake or let their anger get to them and really turn themselves around in jail. I could never imagine myself in prison or some sort of confinement and know that I am never going to leaves theses grounds for the rest of my life. Reading this letter will really make me take a step back and look at my actions before I do something. Something as stupid as a drunk fight where you just punch someone in the face or drinking a little to much and hitting and killing someone on the way home. Now everyone, as a “murder”, looks you at differently. I am really fortunate that this inmate took the time to write a letter to people that he will never meet in his life. It really gave me a different perspective on life and will really make me want to take advantage of everything around me. Although they will never be able to live life outside of bars again, I am blown away of the way they came really take a bad situation and turn it into something that is not only life changing, but is bettering their lives.
That was a beautifully written piece that meant a lot to me. I had the opportunity to go to prison with my high school sociology class and it was a really eye-opening experience. As you stated prison has the stereotypes of having the worst, most disgusting people on the planet, but that is obviously not true. You are living proof that is not true. When I was there I met men who had committed murder, or were high end cocaine dealers, and they too were not bad people. In my eyes it comes down to a poor decision. People make poor choices all the time, from engaging in drugs, consuming alcohol underage, or sometimes more serious resulting in jail. Personally I believe there are many flaws in the legal system… as many people would agree. Many inmates I have met were entirely rehabilitated, no longer even deserving to be in prison. Although, this letter does make it more comforting knowing that people behind bars can still find compassion. Men all have emotions, no matter if you are a doctor, a lawyer, or a prison inmate. You're writing has truly made me think a lot. This piece was really interesting as you stated the two men with such hatred were walking together, with one comforting the other. You only hear about hatred and bad things in prison, but this letter shows otherwise. The one man was able to put aside his hatred, because of his emotions. He felt terrible for the other inmate as did you and your friend, it doesn't matter who you are. Unless one is completely insane, he will have emotions. You also mentioned how you find compassion even in such a dark place. This letter really made me think about many things….from the legal system, to the people they put in prison everyday, and those who, despite the wretched acts they have committed, are still good, loving people. I can believe there is a good person in everyone, despite some actions they make or thoughts they believe… and you helped show me that. I wish the best to you and thanks for this piece.
Finding compassion or any other humane emotion inside the walls of a prison would seem bizarre. Over and over you heard the most dramatic story about prisoners and the crimes they committed or the people they hurt, but you never heard about the prisoners themselves. No one ever describes them as the human beings that they are. I appreciate the story the lifer shared about the two prisoners in the yard and how one cared even for the other to lean a kind shoulder. It helped me to remember that prisoners have feelings too. Just because someone is incarcerated for a crime (whether guilty or innocent) does not mean they don’t share the same feelings that “free” individuals do. And I use the word “free” very loosely. The story made me think back to when I went on a tour to a women’s prison in Philadelphia last summer, as part of my duties as an intern at the DA’s office. It was there that I was able to meet a group of women who had been incarnated for 10 years or less. Although these women had been convicted of drug abuse, theft, child endangerment, prostitution, etc., they all spoke with the intelligences of a normal person. They shared their stories and situations with us, like movies on the big screen. These women opened my eyes to see my life in a whole different way. I started thinking about what it is to be human, what it means to make decisions and how those decisions can affect your entire life. As Sam would say, I began looking at these women as people who choose to continue walking down their pre-designated paths. Instead of making the decision to step outside their circumstance and look at life through a different lean. They allowed external forces to lead them in the wrong direction. Taking into account we all have free will, I do recognize these women made their own decisions but those decisions made were not totally their chose. So I felt for them. I saw the feeling of remorse and shame that day last summer, just like I can feel the feeling of compassion as I read the letter from this inmate earlier this week. As much we want to leave people to rot in prison we can’t. To a certain extend we still need to take the time reach out to them cause they still are people, who have feelings.
Reading this blog post has sparked an intense internal debate with myself. A part of me realizes this man has obviously learned the lessons the prison system is supposed to teach convicts, and after reading this I am certain he is not just pretending. Another part of me however must remember that he has murdered and needs to be punished accordingly. He stole somebody's life, and he stole that person from the people who loved him. So my internal conflict is whether he should be released and have the chance to live as a functioning member of our society again. Although his well written piece shows he has the ability to comprehend why we do small acts of kindness, even to our enemies, this does not convince me he will not commit violent crimes when he is released. But what is the purpose of his existence while he is locked away in jail? He has no chance of ever getting out, so the only thing he has to do while locked up in jail is think about what he has done to get him in the situation he is in now. If any of us knew were locked up for life we would all begin noticing things we have never noticed before. In a way, being an inmate would turn us all into observant sociologist. You would need to be in order to survive and not get the crap beat out of you. While observing people's behavior to help decide what your course of actions are going to be, you naturally would begin to start wondering what causes people to do the things they do. You may even begin to go as far as we do in class, and go as far as this man did in comparing what people are doing around you to what people are doing around the world. Once that step is reached you could begin wondering what set of circumstances has formed people to make the decision to be passionate towards others in times of great need. Although I have not reached a concrete conclusion with myself, I am leaning towards giving the man a chance to live life through his new eyes.
This letter from the anonymous “B” inmate does not change my thoughts toward people who kill another human being and the consequence of their actions with a life sentence. As the saying goes “should the punishment fit the crime?” My Catholic faith affirms the sanctity of human life, and I believe our comments and opinions toward this blog is a question of our own morality and beliefs. It is debatable to ask should prisoners who have committed crimes who intentionally killed have a chance of parole or even be excluded from the death penalty? When Cain murdered Abel, God voiced his disapproval of any form of personal vengeance, however I know and understand that our government is obligated to enact laws that protect society and punish criminals. Though giving prisoners life sentences is costly toward the government, I do not agree by playing God with the death penalty because I am a believer that he or she will be judged when their time comes rather if it is by the death penalty or by natural causes. The act of taking another life consciously or unconsciously done should be punished. I know their are inmates like the man who wrote this letter with life sentences who has had time to reflect and now regrets his decision of committing his crime and for those who do not have remorse I would think they would at least regret being caught and “getting life”.
Reading the comments from other students in this class, people argue just because a person has committed a crime does not mean that person does not have feelings. I guess I can agree, but why should I feel sympathy for first time offenders let alone repeat offenders? Consciously or subconsciously their “feelings” that I would like to argue the lack of there of is what got them behind the bars, I believe in retribution more than rehabilitation. For those who believe in rehabilitation more than retribution, look at the repeat offenders in prison. He is being punished with a life sentence, able to live out the rest of his life and not have his life ended and taken by the sentence like the individual he murdered.
This letter from the anonymous “B” inmate does not change my thoughts toward people who kill another human being and the consequence of their actions with a life sentence. As the saying goes “should the punishment fit the crime?” My Catholic faith affirms the sanctity of human life, and I believe our comments and opinions toward this blog is a question of our own morality and beliefs. It is debatable to ask should prisoners who have committed crimes who deliberately and violently killed have a chance of parole or even be excluded from the death penalty? When Cain murdered Abel, God voiced his disapproval of any form of personal vengeance, however I know and understand that our government is obligated to enact laws that protect society and punish criminals. Though giving prisoners life sentences is costly toward the government, I do not agree by playing God with the death penalty because I am a believer that he or she will be judged when their time comes rather if it is by the death penalty or by natural causes. The act of taking another life consciously or unconsciously done should be punished. I know their are inmates like the man who wrote this letter with life sentences who has had time to reflect and now regrets his decision of committing his crime and for those who do not have remorse I would think they would at least regret being caught and “getting life”.
Reading the comments from other students in this class, people argue just because a person has committed a crime does not mean that person does not have feelings. I guess I can agree, but why should I feel sympathy for first time offenders let alone repeat offenders? Consciously or subconsciously their “feelings” that I would like to argue the lack of there of is what got them behind the bars, I believe in retribution more than rehabilitation. For those who believe in rehabilitation more than retribution, look at the repeat offenders in prison. He is being punished with a life sentence, able to live out the rest of his life and not have his life ended and taken by the sentence like the individual he murdered.
After reading this letter, I can say that I definitely had a different perception of what prison life might be like. I found myself trying to wrap my head around the idea of not only being in prison, but being in prison for life. Initially I thought, "How free can they really be?". If tomorrow, everything and everyone that I knew was stripped from me and then I was placed in a restricted, foreign environment for life, I can't even begin to fathom how differently life would be. I think that by removing the influences we see and don't see from everyday life truly would enable us to take a deeper look at ourselves. I can't say I have ever been in prison, but as a military veteran I'll never forget what it felt like stepping off the bus the first day of basic training. The compassion these men have for each other is a testament to just how free they are. To put aside hatred and have true compassion for another individual is something that is rarely found today.
After reading this letter, my feeling was filled with complex conflicts. Is it true that people in prison also have compassion- a typically soft emotion of human? If so, why did they do such first degree murders without commiserating the victims in advance? Is it just a victim-offender reconciliation refreshed after they stayed in prison for a long time? How should we define these lifers in prison as good or bad? Apparently, all things appear in a complicated way which can not be easily described in just a few adjectives. Perhaps, people wherever they are, whatever they have done before, can not lose the forever nature of being emotional lives, because people are not just physical, but full of inside world which can never be expressed successfully. In another word, people are easily inclined to do some amazing bad things exceeding morality and ethics, but their inside-hearts are not really as bad as what they did. Maybe these crazy behaviours are beyond rational control, they themselves even haven’t realized why they are doing a murder just with a strong force heading towards. That is why most of the lifters will feel regrettable to rescan their life behind a black wall.
(continue the comment below)Similarly, we, normal people, living a common life without having done any crime before can not promise ourselves being perfectly clean in mind, no consider about any bad things secretly. Anyone who is spending his life in this stressed and complex world can not avoid errors- whether small or big- simply because our controls are significantly limited. What the luckiest thing to us all compared to those in the prison is that we have not faced with some trouble that will lead to our crime beyond our compassion. In my hypothesis, it must represent the same thing as bible said: all human beings are guilty however only the god is the perfect. In my opinion, only the god forgive and care others with real compassions, while people do have these kind of emotions for the most reasons that they want to relieve from sufferings. Lifters in prison may have even much more compassions mostly because they have suffered a lot more than any others- it is a way for them to liberate themselves from their crime and gain a valuable reason continuing their life. That is what I understand about lifters’ unexpected compassions.
Compassion will always need to be present to keep a world running smoothly. Without it the world would be a cold heartless place. It shows a lot that two enemies even in prison can overcome their differences in a time of need and for a short moment have support of one another. This was an interesting article to read because it gives you and inside perspective of a "lifer" , in prison. The person explains to us that not all people in prison are monsters like many think. Letter from an inmate can help people expand their mines and help convince them that not all in prison systems are inherently evil people. I think that the compassion part of this article shows what people are really capable of when it comes down to it. Two strangers should be able to come together in a time of need and support one another. I am not saying that these people should be given a second chance, but they should not be viewed as evil people. They made a mistake at some point in their life that they will have to live with for the rest of their lives, which in some cases could be even worse than life in prison. Maybe some people should show some more compassion for the people in prison because they really have no idea what they have to live through everyday of their lives. The importance of compassion for one another is a crucial part to getting along and creating a livable society.
After reading this, my view on people who commit murder hasn’t changed, and I didn’t expect the inmate to try to change it. In my opinion murder is wrong and those who commit it should be punished. However the inmates’ letter showed me how narrow-minded and naïve our society’s view of prison life is. Just because they are behind bars, and high fences with barbed wire doesn’t mean that they don’t go through the same struggles we do. We think that just because we are on the outside that we are better than they are and that they cant understand us at all. The truth is that I know, regardless of whether I was in prison or not, if someone that I didn’t like had someone close to them die, I wouldn’t just blow them off. I would be there to help them out and try to console, because that is the type of person that I am. And I think many other people would do the same thing, because it is apart of human nature to care for others and to help them out. Now in prison it is not any different, as seen through this letter from the one inmate. Even behind bars, people who society views as dangerous people, are just as caring and compassionate as those not in prison. But society does not see that, they cannot get past the view of them as a convicted criminal, and someone who does bad things, even if they just made a mistake in life. In all reality they are not that different from you or I, and I think this letter really shows and captures that. It is not some made up story, but rather an event that actually happened. It may not change my view on criminals and convicts, but it definitely shows me that we are not too different. I feel like that we need remove the filter that we view convicts and criminals with, and just see them as human beings. We should see them as we see each other, just another person in the world, not someone who is lesser than us or different just because of a crime.
It’s interesting to read a letter from an inmate, especially one that shows true compassion. When we think of prisoners, we tend to use preconceived notions, such as people with no emotion or people unwilling to oblige by the law. However we never consider that these criminals are still human beings, and still have human emotions. After reading this inmate’s letter about the two prisoners crying, I started to think about all types of people that are in jail. While some are there for cold-hearted murders, others are there for more gentle crimes, such as money laundering or tax evasion. However when I think of prisoners, I never separate the different types, yet I always envision them the same, big guys (I say guys because societies portrayal of prisoners tends to be in the form of men) with lots of tattoos, who show no interest in following the laws and other peoples feelings. But when I read this letter, I began to truly see that not all prisoners are alike. Yes, there will always be the violent men who will continue to further the social stereotype, yet its prisoners like this man, who go unseen by the population, someone who’s compassion has changed in light of their crimes.
I believe that the prison system is a just system, and I am completely against the death penalty. I have always believed that no matter how bad the crime committed was, no government should be entitled to sentence a man to death. Though people will argue with my belief, citing examples such as “an eye for an eye”, believing that if one man can take the life of another, then he should lose his own, I don’t think that entitles someone to decide whether or not this man should lose his life. Part of being in prison is the serious time that’s put in, meaning the time that the criminal can spend thinking about what he did. It’s clear that this criminal regrets his choice in committing murder, and I think prison has helped clear his mind. It seems as if this man has evolved from his once “murdering” days. He seems a lot more compassionate than how he was when he went into prison. It was truly interesting to read a letter from a prisoner, because it gave me a perspective that I had never seen, from someone who’s life has been mapped out since the crime.
This is the first time I am reading a letter or a point of view from someone in prison. I am amazed; I always wanted to hear points of view from other perspectives about what is like leaving inside without the opportunities of doing things people outside can. Is true we that have still opportunities we don’t value. Do we need to mega event, terrible events happening in our lives so we can see what really matters and start taking the most out of every moment in our lives and don’t take anything for granted? He first mentions, the “lifer” that when he was younger, so he is showing that he realized so after the reason he was in prison he still have the mind to be able to see the world from a better perspective. I thought it might be because of the murder he committed that he still was not able to see what really life meant for him or his fellow beings until that point. I believe that he was still blind to that moment when he realized how life really would make some sense inside and outside of jail and how important was. He made me think of when there is something you discover about life that you feel you already knew it existed it was just hidden with something and until several situations help you see the main and important message that life wants to give you. It is amazing how I am getting a story of this man who is in jail and has a totally different daily routine than I and I imagine how he went through from understanding the nature of things happening and is living more vividly now than a lot of people who are not in prison. When Sam mentioned that we were going to be able to read some letters from people in prison, I could not wait to read what they had to say. I tried to think what will they be saying being in prison and not having the same opportunity we have being outside of prison. I feel as if he let me see from his writing and let me know a sense of his experience being in prison but from a different perspective. I was eager to see what these people were feeling and what their lives were being in prison without the same opportunities as someone who is living outside. The fact that he said that he saw the two men holding each other if they hate it each other reminded me of small situations which I have seen in my life. The difference was that it was happening in prison when prisoners have not the same environment. This is what is so amazing how in this shut down place the same things can happened and more vividly at different and more naturally. I can guess that we can see this situation of compassion more happening inside of prison than outside because over there life is more appreciated.
I do not believe that this letter was intended to change people’s view of murderers in particular, but of humans in general. I do not think that this inmate was trying to change anyone’s view of murder because he too even said that there are some people in prison that should never be let out. I took away that there are some basic human drives that do not change even when the subjects involved are hardened criminals. I do believe that this letter succeeded in tearing down the preconceived notions that many Americans have of anyone who is or has been in prison. They are viewed as ravenous savages who do not possess any ounce of emotion in their body aside from hatred and vengeance. We as a “free” society think of ourselves as completely different from men behind bars and that we have absolutely nothing in common besides that we breath, eat, sleep, and die. This letter really exposed how judgmental and just downright wrong people’s view of inmates truly is. I personally would fall into that category as the only real exposure to inmates on television is of violent nature because lets face it, violence sells. Inmates such as the ones shown in this article are really unnoticed by society and the overall image of the average inmate is not shaped by such inmates. These are guys that will never see the free world again, have nothing to lose, and are murderers and compassion is still seen on a daily basis inside the prisons walls. This primal directive of compassion between two people who hate each other really blows my mind. Granted if someone I truly hated suffered a loss I too would comfort them but I doubt I would literally let them cry on my shoulder. I cant even imagine being a formerly violent person and letting someone who I genuinely hated place their sobbing head on my shoulder and seeing that things like this actually happen, I have a newly defined view of humanity. Compassion is in us all no matter our past and it is refreshing to see that humanity can be seen even in one of the most dismal and tense places on earth.
This article was truly an eye-opener for me. There are such heavy stereotypes on people in prison for life and the average person such as myself might hear such a thing quickly and immediately make assumptions, however a letter such as this one allows for a more in depth and real look into the perspective of a person in prison. I feel as if an immediate response to hearing the word murder puts hundreds of thoughts into a persons head such as evil, punishment and dark. I'm very happy to have experienced what this man had to say. It's amazing and so interesting to hear the viewpoint of a person who has committed such an act like this. I'm sure there are many who feel differently than this man in prison, however to stereotype the punishment of life in prison as a whole is wrong after hearing this man's letter. It is absurd to say that just because this man chose to kill that he does not understand the meaning of compassion. It is apparent that life in prison allowed for an opening to something this man never knew about. And although he may have got there for bad reason, this man allowed himself to accept and move on to the bigger picture. His analysis of life and what it is now worth for him is very interesting to me. I almost feel as if it would take someone to be put in the same situation as this man to see what he sees and make a rational reflection on what he had to say. The actuality that this man who committed murder is able to see life in a way that many free people will never experience is to me the most amazing thing this man has to offer through his letter. The necessity to give compassion and to make others feel better, and the instinct to help. This is something the average person would never expect however it is also something truly amazing to understand. This man who never graduated high school absolutely opened my eyes and I hope there are many others who get to experience this letter. Every person is a unique person and this man, although a murderer, allows for generalizations to not be set in stone, and for it to be wrong to judge a person based on their actions alone.
The meaning of freedom is an ambiguous one. Could it mean “the ability to insult your president”, or perhaps “ the opportunity to wake up in the morning and decide what to wear, what to eat, who to see, and where to go”, to quote from the article. Freedom, I think is a combination of these things mixed together with a plethora of other ideas and actions. It also means different things to different people, so my idea of freedom is possibly drastically different from another individuals or perhaps maybe they’re the same. The letter the prisoner wrote gives us an insight on a point of view that none of us share because none of us have had our “freedoms” stripped away from us in a way that they have been for this “lifer”. But, the amazing thing is this prisoner has a unique perspective, which I feel is one of the many definitions of freedom. He first compares freedom to wallpaper, which is an odd thing to compare freedom to, but when you actually sit down and think about what he is saying, it enlightens you to realize that freedom is a very delicate thing. He then goes on to discuss the simple freedoms that many of us overlook on a daily basis that he now lives without for the most part. For example, when was the last time you sat down and actually watched a sunrise, for some out there they may actually have never done that but this man doesn’t have that luxury anymore. It’s just like as we discussed in class with the fish out of water situation, we don’t see the whole definition of freedom until we have been stripped of them and put in a situation where there isn’t many freedoms left. After he runs through his list of different freedoms that he used to enjoy but now can’t, he states the one freedom the can never be stripped from him is the freedom he has in his mind. This for me was the most interesting idea of the whole letter, because it leaves you with a greater sense of what freedom means and that all freedoms cannot to be stripped away from you.
It is so interesting to even consider putting myself in the shoes of a prisoner. I mean, it would humble anyone to be incarcerated, or at least there is a capacity to. But it is interesting. I often consider myself to be pretty empathetic. Whenever someone feels sad, happy, angry, anything, I can feel it. Or at least I like to think that I can. But no matter how much I like to think I can, I can honestly say that I've never had that one to one completely solid connection to another human being. Let's say someone I know has had a death in the family. I can come up to them, say There's nothing I can say, but I'm here for you, and let's say I start to cry. No matter how shitty I feel, I know that I don't feel one-tenth of one percent as shitty as the friend. That's the thing though. I don't have to feel like somebody to help somebody. I don't even have to like somebody to help somebody. As humans, we have the ability to comfort, to save, with a touch on the shoulder and some kind words to our fellow man. Unfortunately, however, I do not feel that most Americans, or even most people in general, understand what such simple gestures mean, or what they are capable of. Why is it that it takes being locked up to see this? Is it because one has so much time to think while behind bars? Is it because the possibly violent acts that the inmates undertook to get into prison caused enough remorse to jar them from being anti-social to incredibly empathetic? Only the prisoners know. I think if we were better able to understand each other, better able to see into each other, America would not have this prison population problem. Unjust laws would be relaxed or eliminated altogether, violent crime would plummet, and so many of society's ills could be completely eradicated. Maybe we should all be lifers. Maybe we all need something drastic in order to see how important the rest of us are.
When we see news reports about criminals, we immediately form opinions about them. We are quick to pass judgment, reacting with disgust or anger. (Of course, crimes should elicit those sorts of response). But, we seem to judge the criminal as equally atrocious as their crime. Those who “get life” are so often confined as something “other,” as if by committing heinous acts they have forfeited their right to be human. At least, I know that’s how I often see them, and I’ll admit I brought those prejudices with me when I approached these blog entries. This post, however profoundly challenged –no, shattered- those prejudices.
First of all, it is brilliantly written, above anything one would expect from a convict who never finished high school. I’m an amateur writer myself, and I hope my writing style eventually holds a candle to this. It wasn’t so much the prose I noticed, but the author’s ability to convey such powerful emotions.
[See the next comment for the rest of my post]
[Continued from above]
I found this to be incredibly moving, and insightful. His account shows that even those who commit the most inhuman acts can still retain their humanity. Underneath the dark preconceptions I’ve forced on convicts, there is still a light of goodness. It seems to be a natural human instinct to impose labels and categories on people. We’re accustomed to labeling some people as “good” or “evil.” But, there are “shades of gray” so to speak. If those we think of as “evil” can show as much (or even more) compassion as those we call “good,” what does that say about us? If most of a lifetime in prison can change a person’s heart, can we still put those labels on them? What would it take for those of us outside the prison yard to apply this way of thinking: “Because we all suffer and any relief, no matter how small, is of great relief to us all.”
I hope to look at prisoners in a new way from now on. When I see the sullen visages of convicts on television, I will remember this testimony, and remember that we humans are far too complex to put into categories that we can judge.
It was definitely enlightening reading what this inmate has to say after having almost all of his freedoms taken away from him. I think one common theme with freedoms is what the inmate touched on in the opening segment of his post. And that is that the average person doesn’t appreciate the freedoms they have until they are gone. The inmate referred to this by saying his everyday freedoms were like wallpaper, and you don’t notice it until all the freedom you have until its gone. This reminds me of the movie shawshank redemption, about a wealthy successful man who has to go to jail. In the movie at first the main character has a hard time dealing with losing his freedoms of everyday life. But eventually, and the character becomes extremely comfortable within the prison system, and begins to enjoy the few freedoms he has. The prisoner at the end of his letter states how he begins to feel freer than he once was before prison. I don’t believe that he feels freer because he has more freedoms, I actually think he feels like he is freer because he has less freedom. The prisoner has the prison system making a lot of the decisions he once made for him, so the prison system takes some of his choices (everyday freedoms) from him, and makes the choices for him that would benefit him as a person. So because the inmate has fewer choices that burden him, the prison system is pulling more of his strings, and he feels freer because he has less of a burden on himself to choose the right thing to do.
I also think that the prisoner feels freer because he appreciates the few freedoms he has now, and takes full advantage of those freedoms while in prison. However when he was out of prison he probably didn’t appreciate the freedoms that he had, and took advantage of them; which probably landed him in prison. So really the few freedoms that this inmate has he takes full advantage of now, and that is why he feels freer in prison than outside of prison.
There is always a common stereotype about prisoners, that they are scumbags and deserve to rot in jail. This man, however, has provided a different view into the life of an inmate and shows that some are much more sympathetic then we make them out to be. Serving life, without the possibility of parole is probably the worst thing that anyone would ever have to undertake in their life. Some would decide that calling a 6×9 cell with bars and concrete walls 'home' for the rest of their life would be too much and take their own life. Others, like this man, will push through their sentence and realize that what they did was terrible and that they deserve to be in jail. This piece is very appealing to me, my common perception about prisoners before reading this was that they deserve to be where they are and that most, not all, are terrible people. When watching shows on tv about life inside prison, the media always makes it out to be that prisoners still act uncivilized and should be kept where they are as long as possible. Well, obviously this man has committed the ultimate crime of taking another's life, but it seems to me that jail has changed his outlook on life. Even if he is civilized enough now to become a part of society again, he will never have that chance because he must be held responsible for his terrible acts committed earlier in life.
I posted early that the blog wasn't working so I'm going to send my post in parts
I can imagine the loss of the freedoms that so many of us take for granted does strange things to a person .It forces one to look inward and come face to face with their true self – The self that is no longer hidden by all the random bullshit and distractions that we fill our days with in order to avoid that type of introspection. When you lose so much of your freedom, people cling on to the freedoms that they have left. In the case of this particular inmate, and I’m sure for many other lifers, the freedom of mind is the final frontier. This is the last patch of green grass on a barren desolate wasteland.
part 2
This is just another way we learn and adapt to our ever changing surroundings. These inmates must nurture this last patch of grass or risk losing sanity all together. When put in dire situations the human mind can do some pretty incredible things. This is why I suppose a lot of these lifers don’t fit the lowlife ne’er-do-well image, but are in fact quite intelligent and articulate. The brain adapts out of necessity. It’s as Sam mentioned, you get cool or you drop out. Lifers are faced with a choice that they still have the freedom to make. The choice is how you want to adapt. Do you want to give up and lose all sense of self? Or do you want to enhance the freedoms you do still have, and in the process, potential discover yourself anew.
Part 3
It’s a sad situation no matter which way you look at it. These people did commit crimes against humanity. I’m sure ninety nine percent of them would take it back if they had the chance. I believe that a life in prison definitely changes a person, and in many cases, the person who committed the crime initially is not the same person serving the sentence for that crime. Unfortunately there is no way to determine this, and even if there were it still wouldn’t be social acceptable to those who were unable grasp their personal enlightenment.
It was very interesting to read a letter from an inmate and find out a little bit about his one experience as an inmate. I’ve always had wondered about their life in prison and if they do change. After reading this letter I realized that they do and that they learn to appreciate and understand the simple things of life. I think that a number of people probably would not expect this from people in jail. In a way it is sad that they have to experience something like that inside a jail. At the same time it’s good because they get to understand some of the complexity of something taken as simple. It is true that a number of people might go through their day and not think of something they did. Reading the letter has definitely helped to see a little more about prison than what we are overwhelmed by society. Another thing that I find amazing is how both men come together and forget about their hate. In the end it tells me that even though they did what they did they still have a beating heart. On the other hand there are others who do not believe in this and think that it is some type of escape for the inmates. I think there are different opinions about the idea of compassion, but I guess some don’t realize the large idea behind it. The so called normal people never take the time to think about the simple things in life and throughout our day. And for those that do; some of them are afraid of saying something because of society. Overall, I think that it was a good read that helped changed my idea about prisons and that people can learn to appreciate the simple and complex things like compassion.
First post "correct post"
It was very interesting to read a letter from an inmate and find out a little bit about his one experience as an inmate. I’ve always had wondered about their life in prison and if they do change. After reading this letter I realized that they do and that they learn to appreciate and understand the simple things of life. I think that a number of people probably would not expect this from people in jail. In a way it is sad that they have to experience something like that inside a jail. At the same time it’s good because they get to understand some of the complexity of something taken as simple. It is true that a number of people might go through their day and not think of something they did. Reading the letter has definitely helped to see a little more about prison than what we are overwhelmed by society. Another thing that I find amazing is how both men come together and forget about their hate. In the end it tells me that even though they did what they did they still have a beating heart. On the other hand there are others who do not believe in this and think that it is some type of escape for the inmates. I think there are different opinions about the idea of compassion, but I guess some don’t realize the large idea behind it. The so called normal people never take the time to think about the simple things in life and throughout our day. And for those that do; some of them are afraid of saying something because of society. Overall, I think that it was a good read that helped changed my idea about prisons and that people can learn to appreciate the simple and complex things like compassion.
This lifer’s experience is the exact explanation of the Ying-Yang theory. The best of people that we describe as kind, friendly, warm, affable, and generally good have in them some bad that is prescribed to us as some kind of darkness or evil. Likewise, a bad person has in them some good. Which of these sides dominates, is determined by the sociological environment that people belong to.
As a child is raised, the child learns everything from compassion to hatred. Furthermore, as an adult lives his life, his environment shapes and even controls his actions. In the end, every human has some knowledge of every type of interaction that they can make with others. A man with a wife and kids, a good career, and friends that comfort him, is most likely going to be good with his bad side suppressed. On the other hand, a man that lives alone and jobless with a few friends that simply befriend him for a round of drinks once in a while, is most likely to have an imbalance in his character and may release the bad side more frequently.
Biologically speaking, each human being comes from 23 pairs of chromosomes. We know that the dominant trait from each of these pairs comes out on top and characterizes that person. Just as these traits, qualities, and characteristics dominate one another, a person’s different emotions dominate them. The only difference is that these emotions are not only chosen once in a lifetime like chromosomes; they vary many times a day. A lifer may beat on an inmate in the morning and be comforting him in the afternoon, feeling bad after finding out that his inmate has lost his son or daughter.
The things that we experience shape our lives. Apparently, some of the lifers have taken enough time to take a step back and see their sociological strings. According to a saying, “we have come to this world yesterday to buy a sheet to cover ourselves today and in which we will lie tomorrow,” we live finite lives, which can be seen as a 3-day life. The inmates unknowingly have recognized that there is no point of emanating the bad side of oneself in this 3-day world, and seem to be bringing about the good again.
Reading this letter and reflecting on the words that this convict has written has given me a new way to think about freedom. I was born in Brazil, my parents and family are Brazilian, and I've lived my whole life there (except for my junior and senior years completed in Panama). Living in different places, in different countries, has made me experience freedom in different levels so to speak. It is something very hard to explain when someone has not had the experience. A simple example I have to express this difference in freedom is the legal driving age. In the USA, you can obtain a driver's license when you are 16. In Panama it is similar, when you are 16 you can get a temporary driver's license but you have to obtain a really expensive safety deposit. In Brazil however, the driver's age is at 18 and you are obligated to learn how to drive a manual car, not automatic. Furthermore, if you are under age in Panama (under 18) you cannot drive after 10 pm during weekdays and after 12pm during weekends. This just shows that a freedom in the USA like "I'm going to drive to go buy some cigarettes on the store at 12pm" cannot be lived in Panama for example if you are under age. This is an example of discrepancies in freedom in a very specific sense, but in more broad terms, my experiences in the various countries I have lived in have shown me that freedom, although entitled to all, is not something that is guaranteed or necessarily protected. Those who have lived in the same environment their entire lives may become accustomed to certain liberties and take them for granted, but to experience different settings and be under the rule of different governments have helped to put these freedoms in scope.
People in prisons are no different from anyone else that has made a mistake in their lives, it's just that their mistakes ended up costing them much.
Ingrained into the minds of most people are the thoughts of inmates as being violent and unworthy of any respect from the rest of society. Freedom is an amazing thing to have, to be able to choose to go to class or to sleep in, to be able to choose to pick which class to go into, what college, what job, etc.
Freedom is the greatest thing that anyone can have and at the same time the least noticed.
The irony of this is that a person who is facing life in prison has the potential to become the best sort of citizen in society. He would be a man that knows what it is like to have freedom taken from him, he will make every moment count, unlike most of society that chooses to simply do as the TV, magazine, speaker, or computer says.
Someone could cynically say that if released he could just do his best to not get caught or hide better.
However someday in the future if we could somehow prob the mind of an inmate and after 10-20 years of repentance he has truly reformed into a model citizen, he should be released.
In a way we are all criminals in that we kill time here and there, we slowly kill the Earth through our usage of fossil fuels, we encourage all the shitty media and even shittier food industry by actively contributing to the corrupt system, refusing to read books and prefering to watch tv, I could go on,
but the point is that while most of us are not behind bars, we sure as hell don't act like we deserve the freedom we have.
I think the biggest thing people have forgotten is that prison inmates are still human. It can't be easy, going through life with so much less than what you started with, but it's so good to see that there's always a chance to begin again. I believe strongly in karma and the existence of a conscience, and these little acts of humanity are what start to make amends.
That being said, the depth of emotion and literary power in this piece is moving. It is impossible for me to think of this man as a killer, or a convict, or anything other than a human being with family, friends, relationships, jobs, etc. This is a man who donates blood and writes to sociology classes- how can such a person be anything but human, and a compassionate one at that?
People are quick to judge and quick to hate. I am often guilty of this as well. The truth is, no one ever knows the whole story. A man now is not the same as the boy he was twenty years ago. We assume that a prison yard is full of the worst dredges of society, all picking fights and choosing “bitches” every other day. It's good to hear an account of the compassion that is apparent and inherent.
It is impossible to go through life without giving in to the natural urge to behave generously or perform a duty with honor. Being evil will doubtlessly get extremely exhausting after a while. In such a condition as a prison, people will revert to their inherently compassionate nature, as this man has seen and attested to.
It is unfortunate that this man should have realized this side to his character after his sentence was already decreed, but the reality is, life has a way of going against you. I commend him on his ability to look forward and make the best of his situation now. The most important message I saw in this piece was that humanity exists and can be found even in a place where no one is looking for it.
This article gave me a whole new perspective on people in prison. It shows how blind, judgmental, and stereotypical a lot of people are. Granted, some prisoners are your typical bad person who committed a crime and will never change, but then again there are some that so change completely and turn their views on life around and become better people. This article is great example of how even though someone has committed a horrible crime, for example murder, can change and find compassion in their heart and become a good-hearted person who sincerely care about people. The article explains how you would think that in a prison full of bad people you would not see compassionate and kind acts occurring, yet alone on a daily basis. It shows how people surroundings and even invisible strings that you can not see can shape a persons view on life and how they should treat others. This prisoner explains how he stood in line to give blood, helped fill out forms to donate money, wrote letters to try and help those in need. Some people who arent in prisoner and are out in the world living elaborate and free lives wouldnt even take the time and do this stuff for others. The prisoner explains how it seems that whenever a tragedy occurs there is a rallying of men here to provide whatever we can do. This is heart warming to see how the fact that some prisoners lost some freedoms and had time to reflect on their lives, that they change their life perspectives and look out for others and have turned into compassionate people. This article has taught me to not judge people and to have an open mind about people. To not jump to conclusions and make assumptions about people you dont know. It has made me realize that prisoners are still human beings and some can be changed so much by their experiences in prison that they can turn into nicer people than people outside of prison walls. I learned that even though these people are prisoners we can all still relate to each other and go through some of the same experiences.
Every year at my high school there was an assembly where a group of 3 to 4 prisoners from the county jail would come to my school to speak to us. Even before the prisoners even began to talk, just looking at them sitting on the stage dressed in their full jumpsuit and prison regulated boots intimidated me. Each of them would tell their story of what happened to get them into the place where they are today. Far from what I had expected, these people were emotional, sensitive and extremely remorseful. They all had just made a series of mistakes or just one mistake to get them into that position. As they spoke, some would cry while recounting the incident that got them into prison. This shocked me because of their tough domineer.
However, after reading the letter from the prisoner, I realize that it was wrong to just assume what kind of person is behind bars. Yes, many people in jail could be considered “monsters” that feel no remorse for their crimes; however that is not safe to say for all of them. We often forget that these people leave behind families and friends whom most of them will never see or hear from again. The story about the man whose son died in the car crash touched me because I could not even imagine the deep sadness the man must feel that he cannot be there with his family to mourn his child. I honestly have to say though that I was surprised that any of the other prisoners in the yard would even care to console him. As the man who wrote the letter said however, they all went up to him without even thinking, without asking anything in return.
Why is it so easy for these men who are considered to be “beasts” or even “evil” to show each other compassion but for the rest of us, we often go through our days only worrying about ourselves and our own problems while rarely taking the time to even listen to anyone else. I believe it is because for these prisoners who are stuck on the inside, they all share this deep understanding for others who are feeling pain and truly just want to help relieve that pain even if only for a short while. For those who are “lifers” I can imagine that is easy to feel a sense of hopelessness and no reason to live. But it is the moments like this, where a man can put his arm around another and feel that deep human connection we all so desperately need that may make getting up every day easier.
From reading these letters from “lifers”, I have truly gained a greater outlook on what it is to be human. Every individual has some understanding of what they believe it means to be human, to feel emotion and act accordingly. For these inmates it is no different and that is what a large majority of the world does not realize. Whether it is at the age of 14 when an individual begins to perceive the adult world from a youth’s perspective, or at age 40 where the understanding of freedom and morality truly sets in, it is within one’s mind that the world of reality is shaped.
The letters from lifers were very moving and I feel that their insight into the concept of freedom surpasses any of our own. This is because from having been a free man to now one with much greater restrictions and no hope to regain the freedoms of the past, the lifers are ones who fully understand the concept of being a prisoner. One of the inmates focused the majority of his letter on the physical freedoms, which he no longer can obtain: petting a dog, swimming in a pool, taking a bath, etc. And in the end what he has come to realize is that he, and all of us alike, will forever posses the freedom within his mind. Freedom of thought.
It seems that while trapped in their prison cells, the lifers have come to appreciate the pieces of freedom that they still posses. From exploring the human mind, the capacity of thought, one understands human nature and unbiased morality. To be alive stretches beyond the solid facets of life such as material goods and wealth. It comes down to understanding your own freedom and what it is to be human. The main point that stuck out to me is the humanity within these convicted criminals. While sheltered from the life that could have been, their experiences of human compassion, selflessness, and hope differs little from the life I find myself in.
Having known someone who committed suicide, I understand his own mental entrapment. He formed a prison within his own mind, which he could not break free of. From reading what the lifers had to say I have come to recognize how powerful the mind can be in not only bringing us down in times of strife, but also overcoming pain and striving for a better future. What I will take from the things I learned today is the ability to look around at all the pain and suffering there is in the world and realize that I will forever be one person: me. And so I must strive to overcome difficult times while helping others with theirs.
Correct Post*****
Having just had a friend been charged with murder ,thoughts provoking this letter to be written have come to cross my mind. Potentially facing thirty five or more years i wonder to myself how horrible his life is going to be being caged up with, media portrayed, animals. It was reassuring to me to read that not everyone he will come in contact with is a monster. And that the world he will be spending his future in is not completely dark and cold. I like to see that there is hope for rehabilitation for my friend who desperately needs to look over his life. And that there will be others in there to look guide him back into good graces.
Getting back on track it is remarkable how people in literally in the lowest of situations can still see light in the world. That even though they have no future find something to live for, care for and hold onto. How they realize they have wronged and try to right themselves in an environment where no one is there to care for them. I cant imagine having hope when the rest of my days are going to spent behind bars.
Ive always been fascinated with shows, movies and documentaries on spending your life in prison. They are portrayed as a free for all environment. Survival of the fittest. But what i know is what i see not what i am told by someone who knows. It was not until it hit close to home that i realized a place like that is no joke. Its another world. Different rules to live by under complete lock down at all times. How does that change a person. Me, always enjoying the more adventurous movies, pictured it as a life in the wrong til the end. I did not think people had revelations. Becoming at peace with the world and their past lives and just abide by the holy bible. I wish there were more i knew to obtain a better grip on the reality that prison inmates live through every day.
Don’t judge a book by its cover, a phrase that seems irrelevant but at the same time speaks volumes. This is the quote that comes into my head when I read an article like Letter From an Inmate because it truly applies to it. How often do you hear people talk about inmates in a kind way, especially ones who have committed the worst crime of all, murder. People think automatically they must be some kind of corrupted soul that just wants to see the world burn; this isn’t entirely true for every inmate. The man who wrote this letter alone seems more in touch with himself than most people outside of those prison walls. The ignorance that some people have spreads like a disease in our population causing most to make inmates out as terrible human beings. Sometimes in life you are put in situations that the only things you can do are wrong, and then some decisions are already made for you. These inmates may have chosen to commit the act they did (they had to) but in a sense you have to recall all of the other outlying factors, the invisible strings that may have brought them to take that decision.
We all make decisions in our life that we may not want to take, and after making it feel sick on the inside because we regret it. The level of pain we inflict depends on what the bad decision we made was, for instance you calling someone you don’t like a few vulgar words isn’t nearly as hurtful as killing someone’s brother or sister, but the fact of the matter is all of us have made decisions that weren’t the right ones. There is always resolution though; we need to find peace with ourselves at the end because it is human nature to try to find peace with yourself. Some people find it by forgetting the incident or by the acceptance of their apology by the person or persons they wrong. What difference is it to an inmate who made a horrible decision but still has seen the wrong he’s done and come to an understanding with himself and has reached peace with himself.
He isn’t different from the rest of us, we have a lot in common with these people and I believe if others read articles like this one or gave them more of a chance to show themselves they would change the way they think as I did. Maybe it takes something as drastic as life in prison for us to truly dig deep within ourselves and ask why? In the end that is the only way you could not only survive but progress with a sentence in jail for life. Whatever the situation is coming to be in unison with oneself is truly one of life’s most beautiful but most difficult acts. Another act which people may find difficult to believe that inmates do it is showing compassion. Showing compassion isn’t an act someone evil does, it is a sign of understanding and sympathy it is something these inmates do for each other day in and day out. It makes you think, maybe they really aren’t what we think of them as maybe they’re not monsters; they are just humans like you and me.
I have to agree with what a bunch of people are saying in this blog. Maybe it takes some people Life in prison to realize who they truly are. Some people go soul searching, but that is of course at the latter end of life for most people not incarcerated. But if you have been in prison for as long as most of the lifers in this blog, than what else do you have to think about besides some of the most philosophical questions humanity has to offer? Not speaking from experience at all, just assumption, but Lifers are probably the world’s best philosophers. Well of course not all of them, but the select few who are mentally stable and have that spark of regret which represents the humanity in them. Of course I am just going solely off of assumptions, but reading all of the letters in this section of the blog lead me to assume that these men are generally, morally good people. Some of the citizens I have encountered in my life seem to be more rotten and inhumane than all of the men in these letter. Though the people in my life have not committed any major crimes, their attitude towards the rest of humanity should instantly put them in jail for life. Unlike the people I have experienced who are sometimes cold hearted to the core the people in prison seem like the can have hearts of solid gold. When he mentioned the compassion that was showed in prison when one man’s son died in a car accident, even when the one man hated the other, it touched me. It made me cry a little bit knowing, as he himself said, even in the deepest and assumedly most evil places in the country, human compassion and spirit is strong enough to breach the hate that blocks it out for most of the time. This blog was very deep, and it has shown me that there is light everywhere in the world. You may have to search hard for the right person, and also dig deep into their soul, but eventually when you crack their outer shell, that light that is all the good will come bursting out…
This post just gave me the chills. That is the first thing I have to say. I have always been a firm believer in the death penalty. If you put someone through pain, you deserve to receive the same. After reading this, I have realized that a lot of my preconceptions were very "Old Testament" style, so to speak. Perhaps, an eye for an eye is not the way to go concerning the human life. We make murderers or the other people on death row out to be heartless, cold, and inhumane. Yet, we respond by giving them the same punishment that they were incarcerated for in the first place. They are people. They bleed and they hurt. They would not commit crime, if they did not have the capability of emotion. You need a passion to commit crime. It is unfortunate, though.
We need law. We need order. Unfortunately, the system is flawed in a number of ways. Many people have been put to death that were actually innocent. DNA evidence has freed many people just a few days away from the offender's date of death. Now, who's conscience does that rest on? Sleeping at night will not be as easy if I think about the death of someone who writes something like this. I cannot even imagine being in that state in mind. Death is imminent and we are all headed in that direction. However, can you imagine knowing when your death will be down to the very minute. It is unfortunate, that many people who are put on death row are not well defended and it is much more common to be persecuted as someone who is not "white." What does this mean for our system? We are creating a cycle that is putting a gap between the classes. That means our own country is creating an environment that breeds crime in certain areas where the socioeconomic status is low. Yes, this man deserves to be punished. The crime has been committed. Somewhere out there, there is a hurt mother or father, siblings, or significant other. Yet, the murderer is aware. He is trying to make an impact in a positive way for someone else. If anything, that is all we can ask for. He did something wrong. Now, until his death he is in a type of repentance towards society. The system is flawed, but who can fix it? What is the answer? I am left with more questions than answers, because now I have developed a sort of sympathy for the criminal.
The idea of freedom is such an interesting topic when hearing it from an inmate in jail. It is almost like it is an oxymoron however in this case you can clearly tell that this person realizes what he now has. He has the ability to give himself freedom even if everything else was stripped from him. His letter allows us to see that even when a person is behind bars they still has a mind, they can still make his choices, and they can even realize things that they once could not. It is so true that people don't realize that they have freedom. Every little thing we do is a freedom that is taken advantage of. I feel as if the only true way to realize what freedom is, is to have it stripped from you. It is to lose it and sit and think about what you've lost just like the list in this man's letter
Freedom is just something that today is not put into the perspective of every person but is rather something that is given. Today, from the moment a person is born they are given so many freedoms and for this reason you do not develop the understanding that these freedoms could not be there. There is no effort to gain freedom and therefore, it is taken advantage of.__Life today is such a gift that people truly will not understand unless it is taken from them. Unless there is a feeling of desperation for freedom, a feeling of losing it and only being able to think about what you once had. For a person such as myself I can say that I definitely do not realize what I'm given. It fascinates me to read such a letter and try to understand more fully what I am given.
Try to understand how lucky I am and how much I should respect what is given to me. Because if I didn't have these freedoms I don't know who or what I would be today. I have grown full respect for the men in prison who will be there for the rest of their lives. Not all of them but ones such as these that make the best of it. Use their minds to make discoveries they may not have been able to make if they did not have their freedoms taken from them. This letter was very interesting and I feel lucky to be able to experience the words of a man who will be behind bars for the rest of his life.