Visiting the prisoners

This August marks the yearly activity of Make a Difference in the school where my son is attending. It is a two series part. The other one is going to be in November. What made this one special is that they will interact with the prisoners. It will be the first time for the students to participate in such activity. As parents, we were allowed to accompany our sons. Since none of my immediate family or any of my relatives ever gotten trouble with the law, this will be the first time for mother & son to visit a prison. Aside from that, I was also curious about how they become offenders of the law, how they are coping and what are the reforms they embraced while living inside the prison.
With so much apprehension and not to mention some valid fears from the parents regarding this activity, we were oriented first as to what to expect once there, some minor what to do and not to do and we were given some backgrounds on the inmates that we will be encountering. The orientation was conducted by Dr. Emil. He had been ministering inside the prison for 20 years. He discussed that the inmates that were assigned to us are students also. They have an alternative learning system that allows inmates to finish their elementary, high school and college if ever they opted to choose this while inside the prison. All of them are situated in medium security compound. Some have finished college and some are still studying. Dr. Emil is one of their professors.

In the orientation, Dr. Emil emphasizes with much pride the reforms that the prisoners have gotten over the years he has been with them. It was a complete reform of their physical, emotional and spiritual life they have extended to the prisoners with the hope that once they have served their sentences and discharge from the prison they will be given a second chance to live a reformed life. But the reality is harsh for these ex-convicts. Even their own family have disowned them. Dr. Emil then concluded that he wishes society will also reform itself for these men who at one point have committed crimes, repented and have served their time in prison and are now slowly standing up to rebuild the lost self. With this activity, he wished that we will see the good and the positive side of the prisoners who were once lost and now have found their way back to regain themselves once more. But my mind was asking, is society really ready to embrace, forgive and accept them back? The stigma still remains widespread for these convicts. And will the reformed prisoners be ready to face again the society that they once offended without the demand for forgiveness and understanding from them? It’s the cross that they have to carry for the rest of their lives.

The travel from school to prison was smooth and traffic less. It was a hot and humid day. The students were in good spirit and were joking about what they will ask the inmates. The overall mood inside our van was pretty much calm and I can see that the boys were pretty much excited also to this new adventure. Upon disembarking from our van, the boys readily grab the foods and the gifts we bought and prepared. The entrance for the girls was different from the boys. We were ushered to the right side gate from the main entrance while the boys were led to the main entrance gate itself. We were frisked by the security guards upon entering. Once we were inside the compound, we were welcomed by inmates who acted as marshals for us. The place was spacious. This is far from the prison that I knew or watched on television. Here, the inmates can freely roam inside the compound. To my surprise there were no barriers that separate them from the visitors or a walkway that the visitors can take to shield if, heaven forbids, a riot happens. According to one marshal, inmates are allowed to roam around the vicinity from 7 am to 4 pm after which they will be returned to their respective cells which as I noticed was a building that houses prisoners. The walk from the entrance gate to the actual venue that we were supposed to hold the activity was a few meters away. As we walked, I noticed that all eyes were on our group. They were looking at us as if we were from another planet. There were men playing billiards and basketball. Some were talking to each other while some group was just hanging around. One of the marshals told us that the inmates are just not used to having visitors around. It is considered a big deal for them.

Upon entering the narrow hallway leading to the venue there was a canteen on the way and the smell of newly baked cakes and bread were so inviting. Finally, we reached the room where we will be holding our activity. A group of inmates, the College Guilds as they call their group, welcomed us and performed for all of us. It was very entertaining and they are much willing to showcase their talents for us. Needless to say, we were all amazed by their performances. After that, we were asked to sit face to face and interact one on one with the inmates. I must admit that it was a new experience that we were undertaking. The inmates were ready to tell their stories. They were the one who opened up even before a question was asked. I guess they also need an outlet to let their stories be heard. These are the voices of once lost souls. They’ve found the path for redemption and are determined to stay on it until the day that the true redemption will come their way.
What lessons did we learn from this activity? My son told me that he didn’t ask anything regarding the past life of the inmate he interacted with as not to offend him. Rather, it was the inmate who told him his own story and discussed to him with enthusiasm how he met the Lord while in prison. It gave my son an insight that no matter how grave the sin is, there is always forgiveness. As for me, I touched the sensitive topic to the inmate I spoke with and that’s family. He got separated from his family slowly and painfully. A not so unfamiliar situation for most of the inmates there. I learn that a person will never be complete unless he has his family around through good and bad times.
A question still runs in my mind. If these inmates are willing to change and work hard to find their place again in society, then can society be willing to embrace their change? I guess only a person with a reformed heart as well can give an answer to this question. For all the different discrimination that society gives in this world, only a person with a contrite heart can embrace that change for them with no judgment only acceptance. And for the reformed inmates, this is a challenge that they have to face…a cross that they have to carry for the rest of their lives.
Originally published at https://medium.com on August 23, 2017.
