Category: Emergency Response

Addressing Harm and Accountability in Spite of the Carceral State: #2

Questions for Prison Activists

Scenario #2

So, a queer friend here has a bad gambling habit. He gets into debt and into trouble with the people he owes. He moved onto my block, and a guy who is known for targeting white and biracial, smaller prisoners for sex reeled him in. This guy would loan my friend jailhouse currency and offer to cover debts he owed other prisoners. Then, this guy pressures my friend to have sex to resolve the debt. He has done this to him a number of times.

Today, after unsuccessfully searching for over a week for ways to pay off the debt he owes this guy, my friend went inside the guy’s cell and had sex with him. Afterwards, the guy leaves the cell and goes to the yard. My friend was stuck in the cell due to traffic on the block. If he snuck out everyone would see him. Eventually, an officer doing rounds saw him in the cell and confronted him. He was escorted to his cell and locked in. When the other guy returned to the block, he feigned ignorance. Now, guys are talking on the block. They know what happened because the guy has a reputation as a predator.

My friend wants out of the situation. He is still in debt and doesn’t know what to do. He even contemplated physically assaulting the guy. It’s a bad situation. The guy is the type of person who sees nothing wrong with anything he does. We all live on the same block. The officers enable this guy’s behavior. Now, they know what’s up, they are covering their asses. If it is reported, the first question will be how was he able to do this. It falls back on the officers. I don’t know what to do. My first priority is Jerry’s safety. I also want to prevent this from happening again. Reporting it will not really resolve the issue. It would make things worse in some ways.

We definitely need some advice and guidance about this one.

Always,

Stevie

Addressing Harm and Accountability in Spite of the Carceral State: #1

Questions for Prison Activists

Scenario #1

I recently held two meetings with the prisoners enrolled in the Circle Up/restorative justice course. It didn’t go well. I believe I understand the problem. The criminal legal system shields perpetrators of harm from the effects of their behavior. We are punished, but we aren’t held accountable. We rarely consider the harmed party. Preliminary hearings are the only time many of us hear the harmed party’s version of events. The courts are not interested in the impact of our actions upon them, just details. Since most cases end in plea agreements, we rarely hear victim impact statements either. This course is the first time many of us have been confronted with the effects of our choices.

The new readings centered on the work of organizations that provide comfort and support to mothers who have lost their children to gun violence. Many of the men were triggered. Some were paralyzed by guilt and shame. They were unable to work through theiremotions and be present to benefit from the readings. Others were angry. They felt that they too are victims of gun violence. Many prisoners have lost family and friends to gun violence. Some have been shot. They angrily wondered where their support was.

The PA DOC does not require prisoners to consider the impact of their behavior on others, let alone work to remedy it. The only program that requires us to admit we even committed harm is the sex offender program. This is new ground for many men here. They want to do the work, but these unresolved feelings are getting in the way.

I need some guidance on what we can do to provide the infrastructure necessary to do this important work. How can we help the men work through and resolve their feelings of anger over their own losses AND work through the accountability process? How can we help them overcome shame AND still accept responsibility for the harm they’ve committed? We really need advice and suggestions on materials to do this foundational work.

In Solidarity,

Stevie & the Circle Up study group