So I listen to them, each one in turn, in the usual prison commotion. Naturally, Alain, the oldest amongst us, is our speaker. Everyone turns towards him with every question and reflection. It is as if they are seeking approval to express their point of view. But the important thing is that we share our opinions without letting them separate us.
We are all aware of one thing: prison is dehumanizing, lonely, but even worse, prison treats us like children.
Dylan, Kevin, and Morgan agree with me that we lose our dignity when we are almost-systematically strip searched. For four hours a day, we become a dad, a man, a friend, a co-worker, and even someone to confide in, but then these four hours of being “human” are swept away by five minutes of re-admission strip searches.
Once again, we talk about our living conditions. Everyone adds his personal touch. It is as if we must not forget anything nor let anything slip by. We live in an unhealthy and run-down area with old furniture corroded by the dampness. The shower room has mouldy walls and is nearly inaccessible. We cannot even access the cafeteria to improve our daily lives.
But first and foremost, there is no respect for our schedules. Frequent delays mess things up on the outside and even result in job losses.
Yes, part of us is a person on the outside with problems and obligations. A person …not just an inmate number…oh how great it is to be able to write that!
There is so much to write, but I’ll cite again the founder of Secours Catholique who once said “The symbol of justice is an exact scale. There is no scale for charity. No one is weighed. But all of us will be weighed on charity on our last day.”
We must mention that our freedom was taken away from us. We are not expecting charity from justice.
Accordez-nous notre dignité d’homme. Rien ne justifie une décision inhumaine ou dégradante. But please grant us our human dignity. There is no excuse for an inhumane or degrading ruling. This makes me think of Fabrice, a former parolee, who was denied changes to his schedule, so that he could return home to help his very sick mother.
Our disappointments, doubts, and anger toward injustice could have turned into hate, contempt, and violence. However, there is none of that. Thank you to all the decision makers out there. Because of you, we have the best gift: “living together”!
