Reply To: Exercise 10: 10 Valuable People

by Evelyn Wallace
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Evelyn Wallace
Participant

Exercise 10: People of High Value

At first, I had an existential meltdown about my whole project, my whole idea, and even the problem I was trying to solve. (See: previous entry.) Then, after the supportive feedback from this Initiative group, I put on my big girl pants and got to work. And then immediately understood why Josh encouraged us to not think about these extra weeks that we have as “extra” at all. Because once I got to work, I learned a few things:
• It’s true, not everyone you reach out to is going to give you the time of day. That’s just going to happen and that’s just part of it. Does it feel fabulous to be told you’re not important enough to respond to? No it does not. Does that matter much? Also no.
• It’s also true that some people who you never thought would answer your call… answer your call
• “People of high value” seemed to me very limiting at first, but expands with just a little effort. If I was implementing a program at Powder River Correctional Facility, isn’t there only one valuable person: the person who has the power to say yeah or nay to the project? But what about other prison reform/ prisoner support advocates? What about people who have also run support groups? What about people who run any kind of group “on the inside”? What about the people who run sustainability leadership workshops? Aren’t these people valuable, too?
• The day Josh and I see eye to eye on “doing the reps,” the heavens will part and the angels will sing. I didn’t get to 10 people but I worked really hard, okay???

Here’s the collective advice I gathered:
• Start with the chaplain of the prison (they are usually in charge of programming)
• Keep curriculum accessible to newcomers, but add enough novelty that it’s not boring for folks who do come every week
• Incorporate leadership skills; in AA, folks come, learn, give back. Embed leadership into the programming.
• Be open to learning from them. The chefs in the kitchens are the inmates, and often take those roles very seriously.
• Consider getting new recruits for the program from prison orientation sessions (new members of the incarcerated community); at intake they often have “programs available” list, so try to get on that list (otherwise how will people know about you?)
• Prepare materials: blurb about myself, why I’m qualified to lead this program
• Connect with folks who have been released and find out post-release barriers: how long did it take them to get food stamps? Would they have an electrical outlet for a pressure cooker? Consider a pressure-cooker drive for recently released folks.
• Be aware that I’m going into a place that already has a culture, a system. Draw a connection between communal group living ON A BUDGET, which they are good at. There’s a million things you can make from the 16 items from commissary.
• Make sure to get buy-in from participants: ask them a lot of questions and continually improve program. (Then can use “this curriculum was designed in part by prisoners” forever)
• Ensure that this is interesting to them; let them say it in their own words. DON’T just come in with “I know something YOU want”
• Enter with HUMANITY and sense of curiosity; remember humanity of officers, too!
• Don’t come in thinking I have all the answers; this is a learning journey and we are all on it
• Do as much reading and research as possible on facility
• Develop curriculum/ use as much material from system-impacted people because it resonates better

Suggested connections:
• Jes Wise (Oxford House)
• “Esther” from Initiative
• Robert Fullilove: “Prison and Parole: when the solution is part of the problem”

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