MIDDLESEX COUNTY PRISON COORDINATING COMMITTEE NEWSLETTER
MCPCC met Dec. 14, 2005 in West
Newton. Present were Mary Ann Donaldson, Beverly Wilkins, Tom Crowther,
Elizabeth Woodbridge, Judy Lustig, Bill Bergquist, Dorothy Weitzman, Nancy
Gaulin, Marjorie Moerschner and Dottie Harris from the Concord Prison Outreach,
who has worked with our guest speaker on Houses of Healing and Alternatives to
Violence programs; and we welcomed back our guest speaker, Carol Peters.
Carol thanked MCPCC for its
support, and said the Houses of Healing (Emotional Awareness) programs were
going smoothly at Billerica. These programs are based on the book by Robin
Casarjian who spent 5 years working with prisoners. The programs consist of one
2-hour session each week for 10 weeks, with 15 men in
each group. They are given several times a year
and Carol leads two separate programs each
time; she works with about 100 inmates a year. Carol volunteers her time, and
also does a lot of recruiting and training of volunteers.
Many of the men attending the
sessions at Billerica are psychologically numb and have not learned emotional
skills. They need to learn how to respond wisely to feelings of anger, and to
build skills of introspection and empathy, which will help to create a moral
foundation.
Carol starts her programs in a
structured way to get the men talking. She uses exercises such as asking them
to finish sentences and to comment on pictures cut from magazines and
calendars. She stresses the importance of listening. Meditation also plays a
part. By the end of the program most are comfortable with talking about their
feelings. They feel more hopeful and empowered, have better impulse control and
understand their own reactions better. They can see another's point of view,
and can talk to their spouses without starting a fight.
Each
inmate gets a copy of Casarjian's book, to keep and take home with him, and has
assigned reading each week. Lela Hall recently arranged for Billerica to
purchase a large stock of the books, as well as videos to use in class.
The course tries to separate
behavior from self, to get at the core self, which is the best of self, and to
develop strategies to protect this core self, the good self. Behavior patterns
can be changed. The course makes the men feel safe, and after safety they can
be challenged.
The men in these programs do not
get good time. They are there because they want to be. All of the men in the
program are in one of the two special treatment facilites, not in the general
population. The special treatment programs last 90 days, and are for men with
substance abuse and violence, especially domestic violence, issues.
Carol and Dottie also give these
courses at the Community Corrections Center in Lowell. Lowell Center serves men
with drug and rehab problems who are mandated by the courts to attend the
center, which provides drug couseling, GED programs etc., as an alternative to
prison. Men can't leave the program until they get a job. The HoH program at
Lowell is rather different from the Billerica program, since the men at Lowell
are still struggling with avoiding street drugs.
Carol wants to start a research
project, with the sheriff's permission, aimed at finding how the men who have
gone through the Emotional Awareness course are doing in several measurable
ways, a year or more after leaving prison, compared to those who didn't take
the program. This would be very valuable information and an exciting project!
The DOC now has more interest in prison volunteers
and is more relaxed about post release contact.
The state DOC has several
regional reentry centers for leaving prisoners, including one in Lawrence and
one in Framingham; there are two in greater Boston. Commissioner Denehy wants
to get away from total emphasis on prison security and increase interest in
rehabilitation and reentry. Nationally, though, the Bush budget has cut money
for reentry programs.
Scott Harshbarger recently resigned from his
commission because the its recommendations are not being implemented.
We thank Carol and
Dottie for coming to visit us, and for their mission!
Business Meeting.
Tom
gave the treasurer's report. MCPCC has received generous gifts from the
Fullertons and from Louise Kitteridge. Many thanks!
The prisoners art show will be
in the spring at the Lowell Community Correction Center, a good location which
will also showcase the new center. Sheriff DiPaola enthusiastically supports
about the show. The art will not be for sale.
The Church of the Advent has started a program to
mentor a child with a parent in prison, an idea other churches could follow.
Beverly talked to an art
teacher, who thinks prisoners would rather work on their own than have lessons.
She suggests that colored pencils would be a good medium.
Susannah Sheffer's book “In a Dark Time” is now used
in prisons.
NEXT MEETING: WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2006