When a mentee arranges for his mentor to meet his daughter and his brother,  something good is happening.

When a mentee calls his mentor on the first day of his release to share his happiness and excitement, good things are happening.

When, between visits, a mentee is calling or writing letters to his mentor from prison, good things are happening.

When a mentee is reading and wanting to discuss books his mentor sent to him, good things are happening.

When a mentee is eager to share with his mentor a paper he is writing for a theology course offered by Villanova, a good sharing of ideas is happening. 

 

When a former mentee (now a teacher in an employment skills program for returning citizens) calls his mentor to refer one of his current students, several  very good things are happening. 

 

When a former mentee calls his mentor to say, “Hey, this Thursday will be one year from the date of my release.  Can we get together to talk…. or just  celebrate?”  ….again, something good is happening.

 

When a former mentee texts his mentor to say, “Hey, I got that interview; can I use you as a reference?” or “Hey, I got that job; just wanted to say thanks.”  ….something very good is happening.

When a former mentee says, "Hey, I want to be a mentor.  What do I have to do to get signed up?" ...this is a very, very good thing.

And finally, when the mentors are looking out for one another in the midst of a health crisis or personal problems, a strong and caring team is being built.

 

Mentoring is definitely not for everyone.  A mentor has to be a very good and a very discerning listener.  You need to think about what you are hearing and what it means.  A mentor has to be reliable.  You don’t make promises you don’t keep and you don’t show up for meetings sporadically.  (Mentors must commit to at least a year at a time of at least one meeting per week at state prisons, as much as an hour's commute each way.  Mentors continue to meet with mentees at their request following their release.)

A mentor has to be genuinely caring and genuinely interested, but also unmistakably demanding.  Accountability works both ways.  If a mentee does not seem to have the “right frame of mind”, he or she needs to be told that.  If a mentee is not preparing adequately for an upcoming parole hearing, he or she needs to be told that.  

A mentor has to be resourceful and willing to find information and locate resources he or she does not already possess.  Every returning citizen has different dreams and a different set of needs and skills.  The first few weeks are absolutely vital in giving returning men and women a sense of forward motion,  accomplishment and confidence.   The opportunities and resources for returning citizens are expanding rapidly, but they have to be a good match for those seeking them.  

And finally, a mentor needs to be reality-based.  He or she should not communicate to a mentee goals or expectations that are unrealistic, unattainable or inappropriate.  Failure can be demoralizing.  Mentors must realize how very hard it is to make it in a world that does not welcome you, in a world for which you have been so poorly prepared to succeed, a world which often holds you in very low regard and a world that has only minimal expectations of you.

 

For nearly three years our small band of Prison Society (Philadelphia region) mentors has been gathering each week in the waiting area of two regional  state prisons.  We know one another well and work well together. We take an active interest in one another's experiences and seek one another' s counsel. We deeply appreciate the unique skills and perspectives that our fellow mentors possess. Together, we can say without hesitation that the mentor/mentee relationship is a gift to all of us... mentor and mentee alike.  The relationships that are forged in the process of our work are profoundly meaningful, even transformative, for both the mentee and the mentor.

Mentor Volunteers of F.I.R.S.T. 
(Families and Individuals Reintegrating Successfully Together)
Pa. Prison Society (Philadelphia Region)

The trickiest part of being an OV is staying on good terms with the prison staff and communicating to prisoners that I am not an attorney. But being an OV leads you to many different roads and journeys. There is a massive learning curve. We definitely cannot do this work alone. 

I don't keep track of the people whose lives I may have impacted. This is a constant struggle! It's like a moving target. Like the women I am in contact with I am a work-in-progress. I am told that I am helpful and that people appreciate what I do.  

Photo of Sharon "Peachie" Wiggins, Ellen Melchiondo and  son Michael at SCI Muncy.

Being on the outside when your loved one is on the inside is difficult. But that's an understatement. They're doing time but it’s like your doing time too. Every other month, I get up at 3:00am in the morning to get to where the bus picks me up. The night before I pretty much don't sleep because I'm anxious--thinking about making sure I have everything and that transportation to get to the bus arrives on time--all told it is expensive, too. Between transportation to get to the bus, the bus ride, and the cost of food along the way. The worst part of the day is when it's time to go and you can't take your loved one with you. You go home and wonder what goes on at the jail. You wait for a phone calls because it’s not like you can call them and if they get locked down you don't hear from them at all. The prison isn't always communicative about what's going on. 

The Prison Society is great if you have issues with the prison and have great staff that works with you. It seems like The Society is privy to information we can't get. They can cut through the red tape to help family members on the outside get information about loved ones on the inside. The Society helps us sort through and maneuver what's going on. They are in the business of keeping families together by providing transportation to get to our loved ones and see them. But they do so much more than provide transportation as well.

These visits give me a chance to support my daughter and she knows her daddy is coming to visit no matter what. I'll do anything to keep that promise. When we get to see each other face to face I can look in her eyes to see she's alright and that she's walking and breathing--it's important. But I kind of keep my emotions to myself (even though my heart is crying on the inside, but I don't let her see it.) 

It's overwhelming for my daughter to be locked up. She had just graduated from school and then her life was turned upside down--its been a roller coaster ride. She's fighting to get back home and visits from her family give her hope that everything is going to be okay.  It's hard leaving though because I know it's going to be a month before I see her again. 

Last month my son went with me. He hadn't seen his sister since she was locked up 5 years ago. There were lots of tears. Seeing her again made my son understand the urgency with which she needs our support. Now he's going to make it part his schedule to visit. 

Besides being able to see my daughter in person, visits helps me understand the process of the system so I can help my daughter make it through and do what she needs to do to get home.

When my husband was transferred to Mercer there was no way to visit him--it was an inmate who told my husband about the Prison Society buses. I've been riding now for about a year. 

I look forward to it because it's quiet and comfortable --there's little tv's and comfortable seats and a bathroom. I call it my relaxing time. I put my earphones and go to sleep.

It's stressful--you're alone. The visits help because I get to see him with my own eyes and touch him  and smell him. Without the bus, it's just a phone call. The seven hours we spend together every other month fly by. We laugh, eat, read and there's stuff that you can't so over the phone--you can say it because right next to each other. 

When I leave, it's hard. It's a bond when we together and then it's... over. The same loneliness comes back. But I'm also exhausted and thankful I can rest on the way home. I'm happy I found the Prison Society.

Connie recently was out of town for over a month and during that time we realized how much of the world she holds up.  We struggled to meet our obligations to people incarcerated at Rockview, we pieced together volunteers to take minutes at our chapter meetings, and we made a big effort to make sure at least one of our members was available to go to the Prison Board meetings.  I need to add that Connie is an important sounding board for me and Mark when we are looking at the long-term future of the chapter.  She has the experience and the intuition to be able to imagine with us what is best.  In this and many other ways, Connie is a role model for all of us.

Even beyond regular visiting, Becky has endlessly pursued her own problem of having false positives from a hand scan, by making numerous contacts to doctors to prover he innocence as well as contacting the proper prison authorities to work out a plan. The Huntingdon county chapter believes that her efforts to doggedly pursue her own needs will benefit other visitors, particularly family members, who may not have the avenues she does to make things right. 
 in more recent years, she has taken on the task of regularly picking up mail that comes to our chapter post office box, checking our records to see what chapter OV has been assigned to that prisoner, and then delivering the mail to the proper OV. That has been a very important, time consuming gift to the total chapter functioning.
 

We wish that we could clone Becky so that we could response even better to the many requests we get from our two local state prisons, and we hope that the appropriate recognition is given to her for all the work she does. 

She is widely respected by staff and inmates. Few inmates know the law as well as Heather and she has been very helpful with inmates in understanding appeal procedures and challenging the system (and she was able to do this without annoying or generating “punishment” from the staff.  Her university degree is in environmental science and I recall times, from 4 or more years ago, when she would describe the time she spent studying the law to help an inmate.

I would think that a key criteria to being inmate of the year is how one has improved as a person, while incarcerated, (in addition to leadership and work to help others). Maybe three or four years ago she shared how, after months of struggle, she was able to write her apology letter. 

In her most recent letter, dated 2-23, she states, “The nun I met with in November as part of my journey to become a Mercy Associate, Sr. Kathleen, runs the Catherine McAuley House in Scranton for homeless women and their children.  I hope someday to be able to go and work with her there, offering mercy to others as I have been so blessed to receive.”  

 Over the years she has shared how she organized and/or was the key force in a memorial service for a forty year old inmate who died from cancer, a special surprise celebration for the Catholic chaplain for his 20th or 25th anniversary of being ordained, and she made arrangements for some ten fellow Catholic inmates to meet with the Bucknell University student a few days before his graduation from the university and his entrance into seminary training to become a Jesuit priest. 

I have seen Superintendent McGinley do some truly noteworthy things. One that will always stay in my memory was toward a young woman and child waiting to get in to see the girl's father. They had been told to leave by the desk staff because the mother had brought the child's birth certificate, but not a second form of ID for her little girl. (The policy had recently changed, and she had not been made aware of it in time.)

In any event, the woman and her little girl left the prison crying for the return 2 1/2-hour trip to Philadelphia. But they were only out the door a couple minutes when Superintendent McGinley walked into the lobby and I explained to him what had happened. No sooner had I gotten the words out then he rushed out the door without a coat in the inclement weather. A few minutes later, he walked back into the lobby with the now happy mom and child. Never before had I seen a superintendent go the extra mile like he did. Later he explained to me that "rules are important but so is human compassion." He explained the rules to her and told her next time she would need both forms of ID. She has gladly complied with that. 

There are so many more reasons my husband and I wish to nominate this man, but I hope that example will suffice to show what kind of an individual he is. He can be tough when he needs to be, but he is always fair and treats everyone with respect. At the Day of Responsibility, his speech to the inmates was almost a motivational speech. I looked around the room and saw many of the men sitting up straighter, surprised that his tone conveyed not censure, but an encouragement to be the best men they could be. 

It is an absolute honor to "work" with someone like him who truly believes that anyone who puts his or her mind to it, can change for the better. He is very encouraging to me and my husband, and to many of the inmates as well.  Superintendent McGinley has also started, for the first time at Coal Township, a lifer's honor block and a mentoring program where long-termers and lifers mentor younger inmates.  He has also expressed a willingness to work with more people on the outside who are interested in mentoring. We are currently trying to get interest in our local community and get people trained. Superintendent McGinley said he would be entirely open to them doing this at his prison. 

Danielle has been an employee at Centre County Correctional Facility for 13 years, where she is a counselor.  Besides meeting with inmates individually, she has started several programs for inmates and serves on many committees.  Some of her work includes:

-       Helping start a Re-entry support group that meets weekly.

-       Helping to start Building Hope Mentoring Program which pairs mentors with inmates before they are released.

-       Member of the Centre County Re-Entry Coalition.

-       Teaches Choices and Pride classes at the Centre County Correctional Facility.

-       Sits on the HOPE (Heron & Opioid Prevention Education) Initiative.

-       Serves on the Life Skills subcommittee of the Re-Entry Coalition.

-       Was instrumental in producing a Re-Entry Resource Guide.

Again, this list does not do justice to Danielle because it does not adequately portray her strong belief in helping individuals who are incarcerated.  Danielle truly is deserving of the Pennsylvania Prison Society Correctional Employee of the Year Award.

Although there are other re-entry programs available, Malik stuck with the Prison Society where he knew he would receive hands on help. Seeing his mentor, Joseph Robinson, one-on-one and hearing from him during his frequent check-ins made all the difference for Malik. Before returning home, Malik didn’t know much about preparing a resume or how to look for jobs, nor what to expect during the process when he started. Gaining a Prison Society mentor gave him insight that he lacked, which was the greatest help for him. Malik says that some people don't really want to help themselves, but if you really do, then The Prison Society is there to help you do it.

Within two weeks of being home, Jack found a job with the help of his mentors. Even after finding a job, he knows that his relationship with his mentor will last a lifetime. Jack often gets calls from his mentors checking up on him, asking about his life, teaching him about saving money, and hashing out what his next steps are. Whether your goals are to go to school without ruining your finances or to start a business someday, they want to support you and help you achieve them. It also makes a difference for Jack to be mentored by people who have been incarcerated themselves, because they understand what he is going through on a level that others do not. They really know what it is like to be in the same situation and circumstances that he faces. 

The Prison Society’s mentoring program has helped Jack in achieving his own goals of moving forward to not go back to prison. Jack has seen that the Prison Society is there for you because they actually want to help, that they are there in a different capacity than guards and other people you interact with while in prison, because they just want to help you. 

I decided to reach out to Joseph Robinson, one of the mentors with the Prison Society who I had met previously, and quickly learned that the Prison Society provides a vast amount of information and resources that can help those who have been incarcerated. With the support and guidance of my mentor, I now have two part time jobs, and one of them particularly aligns with my interests and skills. On top of that, I have also registered for school. Without the Prison Society, I don't know where I would be or what my situation would be. "I don’t want to say that I would not have gotten a job, but I just really don’t see it happening."

The follow-up was just as impactful as the direct support that I received from my mentor. I know that I can call or text my mentor at any time, who is still in touch with me often. I feel that having a network for individuals in situations like my own has made a monumental impact, and the program helps to relay the message that although people who have been incarcerated may have some bruises and hit some bumps, they are still employable and valuable. 

I realized that there are many resources available for people who have been incarcerated that people just don’t know about, and I am happy that I found the real deal with the Prison Society, where my mentor went above and beyond to help me and to create a plan that was tailored to my needs. 

Dave now visits Graterford every Monday night to mentor men as they prepare for their last day in prison. Dave also connects with two men who were released about two months ago as they try to get their lives on track and started again. His ultimate goal is to help them think through what they need to do to be successful. He coaches them on how to do things like getting a driver's license, encourages them while they apply to jobs, and will soon introduce have conversations with them about budgeting and spending money. 

Dave has found that one of the biggest components of mentoring is helping people who have been incarcerated for a while to understand that things are different today than they probably were when they first went to prison. Dave was once describing to someone that you can now deposit a check with a cell phone, and it completely baffled them. Someone else tried to explain what it is like to walk around while everyone is staring at their hands because people are so attached to their phones now.

Over the past 15 years, Dave went from working with people in Massachusetts, Oregon, and Pennsylvania where people were locked up for a myriad of reasons. Now, Dave feels that he is less judgemental because he has a much better understanding of the fact that sometimes people make mistakes then tend to pay for it for a long time, and our society is not very good at forgiving people. 

His 15 years involved in helping people who have been incarcerated have made a true difference. While in Oregon, Dave was able to offer  someone who did not have an ID, job, or a place to live support by being there for him. A few years later Dave received a text message from him showing off his new license and got a call from him the other day sharing news that he would be a father and that he is the manager of a leather goods store.

As a Christian, Dave takes it pretty seriously when the Bible says that you should do what you can to help the poor, sick, elderly, and the prisoner. As a Prison Society mentor he is able to hold true to these convictions and strives to help people who have been incarcerated to cope with life since many of them do not have a strong support system. “The Prison Society helps those that the world forgot about, and that’s a pretty great thing to do. It works with people that the rest of the world doesn’t want to deal with.”

Two and a half years after being home, Shinoa has his own place, a job, and even just paid off his student loans. Although Shinoa stopped taking classes in light of his work schedule, being able to attend for two semesters was impactful. He is still in contact with Joe, who he says has become his friend, and knows that the Prison Society is always there to guide him in making decisions and finding resources. 

Shinoa was drawn to the Prison Society just by its name, because even reading it gave him the inclination that they were really there to help, and he was right. He found that the Prison Society will make a true effort to connect you with the right people and resources. He felt that once he was released, other organizations shunned him, but the Prison Society was there. Shinoa says he got help from the Society for everything, from clothes to vouchers and even getting a TransPass to go to school. He also feels that he is a responsible, productive member of society today thanks to the Prison Society assisting him with getting started in life and really finding his way.

Darnell is now taking strides to attain his commercial driver’s license and feels inspired to more forward and change his life, knowing that he always has his mentor to reach out to if he ever has any problems or questions. Having a mentor has gone a long way for Darnell, and being able to add his mentor to his resume is significant to him. His mentor calls him often to check in to make sure he is still on the right track and doing the right things, and Darnell points out that sometimes you really need this kind of accountability. He commends his mentor for helping him, which has put Darnell in the position to be able to tell his own story. 

Joe is a dedicated mentor because he really wants people to do right. With family and friends who have been incarcerated, and being incarcerated himself, Joe knows that life can be tough but you can always turn it around. He also recognizes that many of the people he mentors do not have a good support system, but he has the chance to give them that support. 

Joe is able to do such meaningful work with an organization that he feels is very helpful, shows passion, and will always help those in need to achieve their goals to the best of their abilities. The Prison Society aims to achieve the best results possible for those who need their help, and everyone gives their best effort. 

First story

I shall reflect on the very first patient/inmate who I witnessed released to a Hospice Care facility. And the joy Brother Abdul displayed when it came time for him to sign out of Graterford Prison. His new abode was at the Old Saint Agnes Burn Center which had been converted into a full time hospice care facility. Upon arrival his family had been waiting with some real classy pajamas and bath robe. Brother Abdul immediately sent us some pictures of his room with a view from the balcony with overnight accommodations for his family. Brother Abdul didn’t focus on how many days he had left in this realm, but in the beauty found in the quality of life, in the joyous moment.

As a hospice care provider going on 14 years now, there hasn’t been a “Compassionate Release” witnessed by or for any other patient that was smooth and trouble free for all parties involved. This is the compassionate release policy we need to have reinstated. (H.H. SCI Phoenix)

Second Story Hospice Team SCI Phoenix

As a hospice volunteer worker, when we think about Compassionate Release, I believe a prisoner should be able to die with dignity along-side their family members.  The last person I remember was Mr. Frank R . I can remember Frank like it was yesterday. Frank was a person that was thankful for each day and for everything that was done for him. He got the chance to get out on compassionate release and the next day he passed away, his family by his side. God Bless his Soul. Most of us don’t want to die in prison. So for that reason I am so happy that compassionate release exists. (A.W. SCI Phoenix)

Third Story Hospice Team SCI Phoenix

Compassionate release is important to me because being terminally ill in prison isn’t only a slow, depressed and lonely death to the prisoner, but it is also a heavy burden on the prisoner’s family as well.

Let’s be real. Everyone knows that prisoners don’t get the best medical treatment. Although there are a lot of nurses to help here and they do care and do everything they can to assist the terminal patient, but they can only do as much as the head doctor’s and Superintendent’s allow. Everything is very limited. For example, Frankie was one of our hospice patients. He wanted to eat but couldn’t stomach the prison food. He loved eating scrambled eggs and he could stomach that. But special meals were not approved. Despite his family visiting him, they could only visit him two people at a time which put a burden on the family. If he had been released, the family could have been by his side at his final moments and made him more comfortable. There wouldn’t be any limits during the dying process. I believe everyone deserves to die with dignity and be with their family while going through the end of life process. This is why compassionate release is important to me. (J.D.C. SCI Phoenix)

Fourth Story Hospice Team SCI Phoenix

The last and only person that I know who received compassionate release was Mr. Frank “Frankie” Rodriguez. It gave me hope that there are people with authority who have a heart. I was overjoyed with emotions when I found out Frankie was granted compassionate release. I remember clinching a victory fist with the arm pump closing my eyes and saying “Yes!” I was so happy for Frankie. But waiting for that answer for compassionate release I was so nervous for him because I knew they didn’t really grant compassionate release in Pennsylvania. However, I also knew Frankie was determined because he told me he wasn’t going to die in prison, and he didn’t. The process was so long and drawn out. I was getting upset because it was taking months and Frankie only had days to live. Frankie inspired me so much because of his mental strength. Despite having days to life he held on for those months and was eventually granted compassionate release. He left the prison on a Friday around 4 PM and passed away Sunday morning around 4-5 AM.

I relay wish there would be a way to get sick patients out faster. I believe when a person is diagnosed with a disease that could be terminal that the family/attorney should be able to file the paperwork in advance. This way everything would be completed while the patient is going through treatment. This way everything would be ready if the patient is deemed terminal. Once give the diagnoses of being terminal and given less than a year to live, the proper authority would be notified and the patient released within 24 hours. If the patient recovery goes into remission the pre-compassionate release papers would become void and destroyed. Most patients in prison die within a couple of days of being diagnosed as terminal. They don’t have a chance at compassionate release. (J.D.C. SCI Phoenix)