Prison, Its Harm and The Kings Bay Plowshares 7

I heard yesterday about the release to home confinement of Martha Hennessy, one of Dorothy Day's granddaughters, Catholic Worker, member of the Kings Bay Plowshares 7. Also, within the past 24 hours I received a note from Mark Colville who is currently serving time in prison for his part as another Catholic Worker in the Kings Bay Plowshares 7 action. No story or communication from a prisoner is pleasant in my own experience. But when I hear about people of conscience who are doing time for the things they believe in, I'm torn apart on the inside where my own conscience resides. 

If you don't know about the actions of the Kings Bay Plowshares 7 you can read about them here. My short version is that they are a group of seven people who by their action tried to get the world's attention on the destructiveness and the absolute stupidity of nuclear weapons. 

But right now, as a result of hearing about Martha's release, I'm writing about prison and the harm it does to everyone, the prisoner, the guard, the families of both, and to society as a whole. I write as a former prisoner myself, a prisoner of conscience during the Vietnam war. Fifty Five years after my incarceration I'm still affected by certain triggers, a long term effect of imprisonment. Most likely PTSD, although never formally diagnosed. No one reacts the same to prison experiences. My reactions are perhaps unique to me but I doubt it. I've known and spoken to a lot of people who were formally incarcerated or held by the government for some reason other then criminal or political activity, perhaps due to mental health or an intellectual disability. All I know is that there are many who's feelings, reactions and emotions are similar to mine.

Triggers can be things like a movie, a tv show, an article or a book. Perhaps a conversation, a visit or a letter. Any of these things can begin a process of remembering the impact of losing control of your personal freedom, when it happened, how it happened and the impact it may have had.

The system of incarceration is in its simplest terms, putting a person in a setting where they have little to no control over their personal freedom - how they move, who they see, what they eat. It is the denial of privacy in every form. It includes the control of both physical and emotional freedom and choices. It is as simple as controlling personal space and as complex as controlling emotional stability. How people react to all of this is different based on many things. Most people fight extremely hard to keep some sense of their own freedom and dignity. Sometimes the battles and resistance are more difficult for certain individuals. But the stress factors that are caused by control by others test everyone.

The judicial system and the prison system have some fantasy that they are in fact working together for the good of society as well as the person imprisoned. There is nothing further from the truth. Judges many times believe they are sending people off to be rehabilitated. They are either naive or intellectually challenged. Many judges have never been in a holding cell let alone a prison. These two systems, court and prison, are totally independent of each other and the consequences are harmful. There are people who languish in jails for years who have not been tried, who cannot afford bail.

Few people realize that for every prisoner there is at least one other person impacted by each incarceration. In most cases it's more than one person. Spouses and children are the most obvious people impacted by imprisonment but there are certainly other family members and social relationships. Spouses and children are impacted by all the rules that impact the prisoner relative to letter writing and visits. No physical contact, no tolerance of broken rules by guards or administrators. Spouses and children are impacted by the emotional reactions and outbursts by the person they love that are caused by incarceration. They are the recipients of the reactions in letters or in visiting rooms. After release, spouses and children have to deal with the readjustment of the ex-con to a changed environment as well as their own adjustment to the individual's return, perhaps as a substantially changed person. Now multiply that by the tens of thousands of people incarcerated across our country and the world.

I know these things are true from my own experiences. My wife and son were impacted in all of these ways and more during and after my being in prison. Their experiences were different from mine but no less difficult or important. We were all changed in some way while perhaps thinking and hoping we were the same. Our experiences hurt us along with our relationship in the long term.

Sexual and physical abuse in prison is overstated to a degree but it does exist and every prisoner is on guard relative to the potential threat. Fights occur and factions are part of the social network and culture of prisons. Some prisoners isolate themselves or are isolated by those in charge. Isolation can be a blessing or a curse that does real emotional harm over time.

I had a friend I made in prison who had been involved in drug sales. He had received a 15 year sentence. He was addicted to heroin when he entered prison and basically went cold turkey when he was arrested. After ten years in prison he was being released with time for good behavior, etc. The day and night before his release I watched him go through serious shaking along with beads of sweat pouring from his face and head. It was as if he was reliving the withdrawal symptoms from his addiction all over again. He was released with the expectation that a minimum wage job would solve all of his and society's problems when in reality he could make thousands of dollars in a few days selling drugs. Guess which way that went.

I have tried to communicate with all of the imprisoned Kings Bay Plowshares 7 with spotty success. Letters have been returned because I didn't follow the rules by using lined versus blank white paper or because I put a return label on an envelope rather than writing the address. Post Cards may have gotten delivered but they're also easier for a guard to throw in the trash. 

These are some thoughts and stories about prison. I think about them especially when I see good people trying to do the right thing and then be carried off to a prison setting. I hate prisons. I believe they allow people to abuse power and try to destroy other human beings. The need for power and control of others has existed through the ages. The basic concept of prisons hasn't changed for centuries. 

Yes, I'm glad for Martha, Carmen, Liz and Fr. Steve and I hope Patrick, Clare and Mark are released soon. They've provided witness but they've suffered and have seen the suffering around them. Just remember, there are thousands of other witnesses on both sides of prison walls and fences.