Recently I had a four-and-a-half-day mini-vacation (my first in 15 years) when I was admitted to Grace Hospital in Morganton, North Carolina. Apparently, while doing my best imitation of cross fit, I exerted my muscle, causing the CPK (I have no idea how to spell this) level in my body to spike.
CPK measures muscle breakdown in the body. The CPK level in the human body should be between 200 and 500. The CPK level in my body when I arrived at the hospital was 25,000. Since I overworked my muscles past the breakdown point, muscle protein or enzymes flooded my bloodstream.
The proteins were so hazardous and poisonous to my body that my kidneys were in danger of shutting down. My system had to be flushed of these toxins by multiple bags of IVs and drinking plenty of water.
Anyone who says hospital food is bad, I suggest they try eating prison food for a week. At Grace Hospital, I ate like a king. I literally stuffed myself every day like a pig. I gained 15 pounds in four and a half days. When I left the hospital I felt and looked like a baby blimp.
While in the hospital I enjoyed the kindness of the “eye candy” (beautiful female nurses). And I enjoyed them spoiling me. It felt good to be touched by a woman after being deprived of any female contact for 15 years. The nursing staff and doctors treated me as a human being and not as an inmate or caged animal.
During my stay in the hospital, two officers sat in the tiny room (which was much bigger than my closet-size cell), in the morning and at night.
The officers that sat with me at the hospital were all kind to me. But one of them engaged me in conversation about a seminary program the state offers prisoners. Upon completion of the four-year seminary program, the men are placed at various prisons throughout the state to serve as chaplains.
Some of the men who graduated the seminary program with a BA now reside at the camp where this officer works. And he was not the least bit thrilled about the power they possessed.
The officer said, “I don’t see how this program is going to work. These inmates have no authority overseeing them. They have their own office and computer. When they talk with other inmates, we cannot be in the room. When there’s a Code 3 (inmate movement) they can still move around the prison, while all other inmates are locked in the block, or in their cells.
“If an officer has a personal issue, they can request to speak with these inmates. When I started working in prison, staff never had conversations or interactions with inmates. Now the state will allow staff to pour out their hearts and souls to inmates. If the state is going to allow this, then they need to change their policies.”
The officer’s comments reminded me of how some people love to stay stuck in the stone age. When I expressed to this officer that the use of the words “inmate” and “offender” are used to dehumanize people in prison, he replied, “Well, for a lack of a better word, I use inmate.”
I explained to the officer the effects of mass incarceration and how the criminal justice system uses human bodies as commodities to generate an $80 billion-a-year slave market. I explained how the Department of Corrections (DOC) only considers punishment and imprisonment as a means of correcting behavior. And if the DOC continues to have a prehistoric mindset, then nothing inside the prison system will ever change.
When the officer continued his rant about inmate chaplains having too much power, I sarcastically said, “I believe they should have walkie talkies so they can call officers if there is a disturbance among prisoners.” The look of disgust on the officer’s face, at my words, was “priceless.”
Men in prison need more programs like the seminary school, which happens to be funded by NASCAR owner Joe Gibbs. Joe Gibbs has been advocating for prisoners and prison reform for years.
Men in prison need programs to help them correct behavior, learn trades, get an education and prepare for a successful reentry upon release. Statistics prove that education lowers recidivism.
The time is long overdue for a changing of the guard. Instead of the criminal justice system handing out lengthy sentences to men of color as forms of condemnation and punishment. They should give them a “hand up” to help them get into programs that can and will transform their lives and behavior.
Unfortunately, the old guard which remains controlling and working in prisons refuses to see prisoners as human beings with potential who can make lasting contributions to their communities and society. At the end of the day, those who benefit from a “system” tend not to want to change it.
Johnny Brown #4128123
Marion Correctional Institution
355 Old Glenwood Road
Marion, NC 28752
One Comment
How is the word inmate offensive? What do you want to be called? resident? Any label giving to a person locked up can be “offensive” if one takes it that way. And the one officer you mentioned is right. Why the heck should staff pour their heart out and tell (inmates, prisoners, an incarnated person, or whatever the hell you want to be called) their personal business, which could be used against that staff member. Any staff member who gets involved in that non sense is an idiot. Also inmates should not be counseling other inmates without the presences of a staff member. You sir live in lala land. Prisoners are not to be trusted. You guys are constantly looking for a way to get over. Now I do agree with the prison system providing more trades and education to inmates.