street roots
13
February 6, 2009
■
Voices from inside the Oregon State Prison
F | ^he writing/poetry class at Oregon
I State Prison in Salem has become
JL one of my best teachers. I learn a
great deal each time I meet with the class,
and thought I'd share some material with
you. The class focused on techniques for
writing interviews. We explored the Q & A
style. I asked about six questions and let
the class choose which
one they wanted to
answer. The following
FROM THE
answers were not
DESK OF
rewritten or cut, and I
only used names when
Ruth Kovacs
permission was given
by the writer. I am
proud to work with a
Ruth Kovacs is a Portland activist and farmtr teacher and
host of Prison Pipeline on KBOO radio, 90.5 She writes
group that has skill and
regularly about the issues surrounding the millions of
enthusiasm.
individuals and families affected by the U.S prison system.
Fortunately, my work
with prisoners has
provided me with some real insights about
how it feels to be in lockdown. Most of us
can only guess how we would handle
loneliness and the oppression of being
incarcerated. So, at every opportunity, I
ask prisoners, “What's life in the
penitentiary setting really like?”
Change
Dan Symonds: “Change is not
something that I like to do as a rule.
Especially if someone else is trying to be
the instigator of that change. ‘Don't push
me’ is my immediate response. ‘Hold
firmly to the status quo’ is my motto. But
this stubborn reaction can lead to trouble.
Change is necessary and unavoidable. To
embrace change requires a surrender to
the possibility that greater good could
come about as the result of a new course
of action. And for any one who reads the
paper, watches TV, or sticks their head
out the window, this requires a leap of
faith. In fact, change is a positive force
because it causes us to grow as an
individual. Being taken out of your comfort
zone develops character and perseverance.
It puts you face to face with the creative
force that drives the universe. Change
brings you closer to where you need to be.
So go ahead and push - but don't push too
hard.”
Have I changed since my incarceration?
Socrates Ladner: “This is debatable.
Have I changed or just modified my
behavior? I have changed how I perceive
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21 linfa
Get Connected. Get Answers.
others as well as respond to people and
situations. For example: Judging: Before
working on my flaws, I would judge the
behavior of others instead of examining
my own shortcomings. If someone would
cut in front of me in line, I would yell at
them, thus, creating a negative situation.
It would have been better if I would have
thought the situation through, the
perceived offense, and understood that it
was not directed at me. My response
nowadays, is to view someone cutting in
line as a minor inconvenience that will
only delay me for a few seconds or
minutes. This is minor. The positive part
is that I can improve my patience.
“Breathe in, Breathe out Let it go. I
once viewed negative behavior in others as
a personal attack. The reality is that this
was egotistic feelings I didn't even know I
had, and a need to control others, due to
my low self-worth. Fortunately, I am now
aware of these flaws and I practice
replacing them. It's not about me. Its
about what positive contribution my
behavior leaves behind. I'm the only one I
can control. Nowadays I practice the
Serenity plan. Practice leads to evidence.”
What have you done to change your
criminal behavior this year?
Socrates Ladner: “It's not just this year
or any one year. It's throughout my entire
incarceration set. In 1995, after being in
and out of segregation, I woke up. I hated
segregation and still do, so I started my
life's journey to change for positive
growth. I did and still do all the programs
I can get myself into such as Pathfinders,
Breaking Barriers, Toastmasters
International, AA, 7th Step, and I get
involved rather than just being a shadow in
the chair.”
When was the last time you cried?
Kenneth Lloyd Huddleston: “What time
is it? I'm a crybaby sometimes, sad songs,
sad movies, and the news (no need to add
sad to that one) but most of all when I
think of my past life's choices and the
crime I committed hurts the most And
that is more punishment than any physical
prison can ever do. If ever there was a
hell, it’s trapped in my heart”
Do prison reform groups make a
difference?
Anonymous: “For reform to take place
there must be a change in what the hearts
Street Roots would
like to thank all the
great folks at Peet's
Coffee & Tea for
supporting the
organization in
2008!
From your
cell phone dial
503-222-5555.
How has writing influenced my life
behind bars?
Wallace E. High: “The stimulation to
produce something of value, while held in
confinement with limited opinions, has
been especially rewarding to me and, I
trust, to the many with which I correspond
routinely. Before entering this institution,
I had suffered a severe
stroke which reduced
my mental capacity in
the areas of short-term
Defuse resentment.
memory, focus and
comprehension. Also
my emotions of sadness
were totally unshielded
so that I would cry at
Walk in peace through the hostile
This is real courage.
”
— Wallace E. High
the drop of a hat, much
like a 5-year-old child.
“Fortunately, I was soon under the care
of Dr. Ruthven, OSP's psychiatrist who
diagnosed my condition and prescribed
appropriate medication sufficient to make
me able to function in a nearly-normal
state of activity. His astute perspective
salvaged my abilities and encouraged me
to use more efficiently the 60 percent
brain function left to me.
“Accordingly, I set about writing with a
vengeance poetry, short stories, haiku,
letters to editors, essays and general
correspondence. I believe the art of
*
writing has compensated me immensely.
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and minds feel and think about
incarceration in the public at large. And
how much does the public think about
prison? Probably not very much unless it
is when they are watching reality TV
shows about prison life on MSNBC or the
like. These shows like to dramatize the
violent aspect of life behind bars, probably
because that is what the public wants to
see. But the real story that could lead to
reform is the wasted potential that lives
here. The prisoners who are forced to face
their demons and find new direction for
their lives; the inmates who choose not to
buy into the gangster mentality of prison
that is glamorized on TV shows and
bravely make changes in their psyche that
lead to positive change. For this change to
take place requires grace in a prisoner’s
life. For prison reform to make a
difference in the public requires that the
public somehow learns about grace as
well. The question is whether they can be
pulled away from their TV sets long
enough for that to happen.
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