A Plea to Change the Narrative

by Laura Walsh, FFIMI Member

I have a loved one whom I regularly visit at Old Colony Correctional Center (OCCC), a medium-security prison in Massachusetts. I’m fortunate enough to be one of the 8 pre-approved visitors on his limited list. We are allowed a hug at greeting and departure, must sit 4 feet across from each other in chairs without touching one another, and I can purchase overpriced junk food from vending machines for him to eat. It is not the most fulfilling way to spend time together. But I love this person deeply and so we are thankful for it.

There is an area in the visitor’s room with information about a student prison awareness program that the facility runs. The main goal of prison awareness programs is to deter youth from future criminal behavior by exposing them to realistic depictions of life in prison and the experiences of persons with justice-system involvement. In the middle of a painted mural with mountains and seagulls is a glass-enclosed map pinpointing the many towns that have been served by this program. Painted artistically on the wall above this map are the words:

“We share our experiences with students so they never have to become what we became.” 

Old Colony Correctional Center – Wall Art

These words disturb me on multiple levels. First, my immediate reaction is: How can we throw people away and treat them as if the only purpose they serve is a warning to not become like them? The words “what we became” assume that this is the endpoint for justice-involved individuals. Where is the opportunity for correction, for rehabilitation, for restorative justice in a statement like this? Second, these words perpetuate stigma toward individuals who are incarcerated. Stigma not only affects the way people are treated by others but also how they feel about themselves. If society sees a person as worthless, the person starts to feel and believe that they are worthless too. This can have profound psychological effects on individuals and also make it harder for them to reintegrate into the community if they are released from incarceration.

Third, this sentiment is simplistic and ignores the systemic failures in our mental health and social services systems that so often play a role in a person’s pathway into the carceral system. The majority of people do not end up in prison because they have a glorified view of criminal life. Individuals who are incarcerated have high rates of mental health issues, substance use, and histories of trauma, abuse, and neglect. If we want to deter youth from future criminal behavior we need to invest in preventative mental health services, trauma-informed care, and social support programs for children who experience abuse and neglect.

I looked into the research on prison awareness programs and was further angered to learn that these programs do not affect offending behavior and other outcomes related to delinquency (van der Put et al, 2021), and evidence indicates that they provoke rather than prevent delinquency (Petrosino et al, 2013)! Despite this evidence, these programs are still promoted in the United States.

Society has historically viewed justice-involved persons as less than, worthless, and irredeemable. Sadly, based on the decoratively painted words in the OCCC visitor room, this sentiment is still alive and well in the Massachusetts Department of Corrections. We need to change this perspective. Programs, where individuals who are incarcerated interact with students, should continue but with a shift in focus. These programs could be an opportunity for students to hear the stories of individuals who are incarcerated and open up a dialogue on how we as a society work on a systems level to address issues that lead to incarceration. These types of interactions also help to combat stigma as students get to know the individuals and see them as human beings.

In conclusion, FFIMI requests that Old Colony Correctional Center remove these stigmatizing, degrading words from the wall of the visitation room. We ask OCCC replace them with something that offers hope and inspiration, both for those who are justice-involved and for the students who have the opportunity to interact with them.

OCCC, please join the movement to change the narrative around incarcerated individuals to better reflect their value and the continued opportunities they have to touch lives and make a difference in their communities.

Photo by Magda Ehlers: https://www.pexels.com/photo/white-clouds-2114014/