Incarceration & Face Masks
Our continuing series of blogs about time spent in quarantine has inspired me to interview my pen-pal Ryan, about face masks and incarceration in Washington State. Ryan is currently the guest of the State of Washington at Monroe Correctional Complex. He spends his day in contemplation of the many absurdities of the justice system. Ryan enjoys the outdoors, reading good books, classical music, and 40 year old Scotch. He also loves dogs.
What has it been like for you to follow the Covid-19 news? What is the source of your news?
The news has been quite surreal. Being in prison, we are used to isolation and lock downs so believe it or not, there was not that much of an adjustment for us. The biggest challenge has been the inconsistencies within the institution, however, this is a new situation that no one expected. All in all they have done a good job dealing with the crisis so far. As for my source of news, I am one of those guys who constantly has the news on. I usually watch Fox or CSPAN, but switch to CNN and MSNBC to try to balance it out. I figure the truth is somewhere in the middle. Mostly, I read my subscription to The Wall Street Journal to really find out what is going on in the World.
Do most incarcerated individuals wear face masks? Do guards wear face masks?
Yes. Both guards and inmates are required to wear face masks at all times when we are in common areas. Because we live in a closed environment, the only way we can get sick is if a guard or volunteer brings the virus in. We all take it very seriously. Some of us believe that Covid has already moved through here, however we can't get tested for antibodies. At the beginning of last year, some type of illness moved through the prison unlike anything we have ever experienced before. It was quite strange. Everyone I know all got sick within two weeks of each other. However, everyone recovered quickly so it may have been something else. One of our favorite guards lost 29 family members in Italy between his and his wife's side. It was heart breaking, but that made most of us take this very seriously.
Do you make your own masks? How many do you have?
There are a group of guys here who make some beautiful quilts which they then donate to different charities. All of the material is donated so they have quite a bit of different fabrics. Once it became mandated that we all wear masks, the administration asked the fellas to start manufacturing masks for the population. They did a wonderful job. All of the masks worn here are different. I personally have four. I usually wear a bandana due to my beard. My buddy made one for me from the donated material. He said I looked ridiculous wearing a normal mask and it offended his sensibilities.
What is the most creative face masks you have seen?
Like I said, there are some really great looking masks. Two of my favorites have a vintage Stars and Stripes theme. A few of the artists here have gotten their hands on white bandanas which they then paint or draw on. You will see anything from zombie faces, wolfish grins, to sports team logos. A group of us had cancer awareness bandanas for a friends mother who just recently passed away from an agressive form of pancreatic cancer. The creativity of some of the men in here boggles the mind.
What is the importance of wearing face masks to you personally?
The transition of wearing a mask every time I walk out of my cell door really showed me how much I used to touch my face. I have a quite a magnificent beard so I was always pulling on it subconsciously when I would be having a conversation. Of course, no one told me I was doing it! So for me, it has made me much more aware of my bad habits.
You mentioned "absurdities in the justice system". Is there anything particular that you would like others to know?
I could write a book on this topic, however to sum it all up in a short paragraph, it all comes down to one fact. There is an abundance of untapped, wasted talent behind these fences. Most of the men I have met while incarcerated have never experienced a win in their entire existence. They have zero frame of reference as to what a successful life looks like. Unfortunately the system is not set up to do any "Correction", or how to steer these guys towards a different pathway. It is set up to warehouse people. Do not get me wrong, there are people who should never see the outsides of these walls because for whatever reason, they are missing the spark of humanity that we all have which makes them extremely dangerous to society. However, those folks are the minority. The rest of the population is fully redeemable. I have been blessed enough to be a part of some peer based programming and a tutor for some college classes that are available here. I cannot tell you how amazing it is to see someone who never graduated high school get their first good grade due to their own effort. Their whole face will light up and the trajectory of their life is forever altered. I have been able to witness this many times over. The big problem is that out of a prison of almost 900 men, a small fraction of the population gets to experience these programs. If you have over seven years to serve on your sentence, you basically have no shot of being able to sign up for these classes.
You mentioned "peer based programming". What exactly is that?
Peer based programs are programs like Men Facilitating Change (MFC), which is a mentoring program, and REACH Resources, which is designed to connect men with community resources upon release. I am a mentor with MFC and currently work with six men on a regular basis. I help them navigate the system here and basically support them in anyway possible. We currently have fifteen mentors spread through the prison. I am a co-founder of REACH Resources which is currently morphing into a nonprofit named ReEntry Link. We are trying to change the culture within the prison system itself. An inmate needs to begin planning for his or her release the day they are sentenced by a judge. Unfortunately this rarely happens. Instead, they are sent to one of 12 prisons in the State and depending on where they are sent, immediately join a gang or try to keep their head down and hope like hell they do not get noticed. Its a classic example of swimming with sharks. Either you become a shark or you are eaten. We are trying to change that mindset by giving these folks hope for their future.
How does ReEntry Link help with internal change?
ReEntry Link empowers the incarcerated individual to be their own change agent. Either the incarcerated individual fills out a needs assessment or has someone who knows them fill it out. Immediately, a list of service organizations are created that is in a printable format. Furthermore, the organizations themselves are notified that they have a new client so they can plan to allocate their resources. Once the individual has a printed list of resources they will need, a release plan is created. This is a "pathway" for the individual to follow. Furthermore, in this institution, we have 27 REACH Resource Facilitators who work one on one with the fellas. In the past two years we have helped over 360 guys find resources and/or write release plans. ReEntry Link is the next logical incarnation of this system. It is pretty exciting stuff.
What are your plans once you get released from prison?
Besides fundraising for ReEntry Link and working within the nonprofit sector, believe it or not I plan to open a Bed and Breakfast! I do a lot of meditation to stay sane in here and one of the meditations I have done is visualizing building a European Manor. I have been "working" on it for years now. I suppose that this sounds strange to most people but I believe in visualization. I owned and operated a successful business for years before I was arrested so I know how important planning actually is. There is a Bee keeping class here that I am waiting to be accepted for and of course, this also has to do with my vision. Having a field of planted Lavender, a few hives of bees, and a European Bed and Breakfast sounds about as close perfection as I can imagine. A small escape from vulgarity that is my current daily existence!
Some of Ryan’s favorite books…
…and classical music artists: George Frideric Handel & Johann Sebastian Bach.
Follow other blog posts by Ryan at www.humanme.org
