Questions for Cathy – Religion in Prison
What are your thoughts about morality and religion as tools for corrections…
They work. I believe that what works depends on the pulse and needs of the people who spent their lives in any environment or community. A good warden is like a good mayor, coach, leader – he/she listens to the those who follow and finds places to use them according to their talents. I think that diversity works – offering something for everyone in a safe and secure way even in restrictive environments causes unbelievable creativity. Morality is important because everyone needs to feel good about themselves and their actions. When release into society stops being an option many find comfort in the ultimate release is upon death and most people in our neck of the woods find that hope in religion and morality. Redemption and forgiveness also are strong themes here and among those who have committed violent crimes like murder and rape.
Posted by Cathy on August 19th, 2009
Blog Talk Radio – Loss and Reintegration
The latest episode of Family Life Behind Bars on Blog Talk Radio deals with the difficulties of reintegrating into family life after coming out of a prison sentence. This is a complicated issue and Dr. Harland Kessaris approaches it with thoughtfulness and care. It is worth listening this podcast.
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Posted by hcdmedia on August 19th, 2009
Questions for Cathy – A funny anecdote
Can you share a funny anecdote from your time at Angola?
Actually, humor keeps us sane!! I always say that Angola has even made me “a better man.” The men seem to appreciate it when “light” comments are made. I did have an offender tell me once when I lost a couple of quarters in a vending machine that “its like a bunch of people here at Angola – its a thief.”. Also I had a Death Row inmate ask a reporter if she was scared to come to Death Row at Angola. She answered no quickly and he replied even faster that she was braver than him because when he heard he was coming he was petrified!!
Posted by Cathy on July 6th, 2009
Raped Beyond a Shadow of Doubt
Raped beyond a Shadow of Doubt was inspired by the films THE FARM and SHADOWS OF DOUBT. Most people that watched the films had already made their minds up, innocent or guilty, but there were those who still had questions. I felt like it was up to me to answer them in the only way I knew how. That was to put it in black and white, but more than the films I wanted to give hope to someone who was struggling with finding peace and hope for their life. I hoped to give someone the strength to face another day.
Was it hard? Oh yeah it was hard. I had to go back and reopen all those old wounds. Some days I couldn’t put the pen down, and some days I couldn’t pick the pen up. It took me three years to write my book. I had to keep reminding myself it wasn’t just about getting my story out, it was about helping someone. I replayed him raping me over and over in my head, long after I had laid the pen down. Was it worth it? If my story helps just one hurting person, then it was worth every sleepless night I spent writing.
Raped Beyond a Shadow of a Doubt can be bought here.
Posted by Karen on July 1st, 2009
Robert Wayne Williams (Executed in Angola 12-14-1983) was my father
Kimberly sent in this personal story:
I was 1 when my dad got in trouble in 1979 and when he was executed in 1983 I was 5. I was the victim for so long until I realized I was the victor. What do you mean Kim? Well, society tells us if you derived from nothing that you will be nothing. That is so not true. I am a well educated female owner of a Ladies Boutique and proud Pastor’s Wife, Mother of 2, and a saved and filled woman of God. My motto is “you don’t know my story or the things that I’ve been through you can’t feel my pain what I had to go through to get here you’ll never understand my praise so don’t try and figure it out because my Worship, my Worship is for real, I’ve been through to much not to worship him”.
My father robbed a local A&P store, and the funny thing is my mother was the getaway driver. When my dad was arrested he told my mom to turn state on him so that I would at least have 1 parent. Well sorry to say I did not have that, she gave me to my grandparents. Don’t get me wrong because I am glad she did, I just never understood the way a person could look at their own seed with hate, and then I met God who told me if your mother and father forsake you there am I to take you up and hide you in the secret of my tabernacle. I am so understanding today and I know that my life would not be if it were not for my parents I also know that when you are affected by crime you have a void that cannot be filled by pressing it down and hiding it you have to face who you are to hopefully improve others.
I have several people that heard of my father and some who even knew him, but I have not met anyone that actually “KNEW” him. I am seeking someone that can tell me what his last moments were like if you know of anyone or if you are that person please feel free to contact me.
If you knew her father – Robert Wayne Williams – or have information you would like to share with her, please reply to this post.
Posted by hcdmedia on June 17th, 2009
No matter how far I think I’ve come…
No matter how far I think I’ve come someone can bring you right back to all those past angers. I was checking my E-mail and there was a letter from a lady who believes Vincent is innocent. I’m okay with that, she is entitled to think what she wants to. What made me angry was I felt like I needed to defend myself all over again for the thousandth time, and what would be the point, in the end she will still believe what she wants to believe. I think the thing that got to me more than the letter is I let it get to me. I let it take me back to that place of anger that I’ve worked so hard to move past, but I thought about it and realized it was okay for me to feel angry, that’s a part of life, It’s just not okay for me to stay there. Sometimes it’s good to visit all those old feelings because it reminds you how for you’ve come.
Posted by Karen on June 17th, 2009
Being a father behind bars
Being a father behind bars was a challenging experience. It was several years before I saw my daughter in person, and those were often depressing times. I used to write her a letter almost every day. I would write her as if I were writing to a young adult. I knew that she couldn’t read, write or understand, but her mother promised to read the letters to her.
As time passed, we had the opportunity to visit and share in each other’s love. I received a lot of letters and photos, and I wrote her letters and sent photos when I was able to take some. I used to give her advice on everything and I enjoyed every opportunity to answer any questions she presented to me. Over the years we developed a very close relationship. She wasn’t only my daughter, she was my friend and we could talk about anything. It made me feel special. During her teenage years she often called me her hero and although I felt pride in the fact that we were so close, I also felt a pain of not being with her and sometimes I was hard on myself for making the decisions that caused me to be confined and not physically in her life. We would talk about all of the things we were going to do when I got out of prison, and lived as if I was going to be released soon. Neither of us knew that it would take many more years before we had the opportunity to spend time together in society.
Posted by Ashanti on June 16th, 2009
Website Created by a Prisoner
Check out T.I.M.E. – Treating Inmates Morally & Ethically. It is an interesting blog created by a prisoner and his wife. This site confronts the problems within the criminal justice system head-on.
Posted by hcdmedia on June 12th, 2009
From Sundance to Angola
In 1998 we premiered THE FARM at the Sundance Film Festival. I couldn’t even sit in the theater, but paced outside on pure nerves, peeking in from time to time to feel the audience response. Ninety minutes later the credits rolled, the applause began, the standing ovation and the energy it inspired were harbingers of good times ahead. Its success (we were Grand Jury Prize winners) shaped my career in ways I can never fully understand.
Last week, on June 3rd, over a decade later, I premiered THE FARM: TEN DOWN in Angola Prison. The setting could not have been further removed from Park City, Utah. Instead of a big screen in a theater, we were watching on a large size television monitor in the visiting room of the prison. Instead of filmmakers, film fanatics, media, festival directors, there were 400 inmates, guards and administrators. Then beyond the visiting room the film was being broadcast on Angola’s closed circuit television station so the other 4500 men in the prison could also watch the film and the Q&A that was to follow.
This time I was a lot more nervous.
Posted by Jonathanstack on June 12th, 2009
Victims – the Unheard
Victims are the voices never heard, the eyes never seen. You turn the T.V. on and every other channel is, Life behind bars. It’s no wonder victims think no one cares, but there are people who care, and do need to hear what you have to say. People need to realize not every one in prison is innocent. For every prisoner there is a victim, and it’s time for victims to stand up and be heard. It is very important for victims to realize that people in prison are people too, and we do have to forgive in order for our hearts and soul to be free and begin to heal, but that doesn’t mean we have to be silent. It’s very important that people know both sides of the issues. The world is big enough for all our voices. I have received a lot of E-mails from victims, and the one thing we all have in common is the hope of healing.
Posted by Karen on June 12th, 2009
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