Thirty Seventh Visit To Taft

Last week I told you about SHU, and I guess some readers of this blog were shocked. I have spent most weeks talking about the prison experience and how well both Ron and I are handling it, but the cold reality is that Taft Camp is a prison, no matter how much freedom the men have within the camp. The bottom line is that the men at Taft, many of them type A personalities, are used to running the show. They now have to learn to take orders. They must learn to bite their tongue and do what they're told. I suppose it's a bit like being in the military. The institution is based on structure and discipline. Without both the place would be mayhem. It's difficult for men who have spent their lives running businesses and being leaders in the community, to all of a sudden keep quiet. But that's what they must do to make their time at Taft go swiftly and smoothly.

Ron has found new ways to be a leader. He is helping young inmates with their accounting courses. He enjoys this very much. Teaching is something he's never had the opportunity to do, and he finds value in the help he is giving these young men. Ron has also taken a leadership role in Toastmasters, a group that meets weekly where men have a chance to speak and hone their public speaking skills. He is secretary of the group. (I'm not sure what that means). Ron also meets informally with a small group of men who discuss their feelings and problems. I think this is a wonderful thing, as there are basically no psychological services available at Taft. Some men just need a good listener, and Ron has become one. He's a problem solver, and he has helped many men get through a difficult time. I think he may come back in another life as a psychiatrist.

Ron also enjoys helping new inmates get acclimated to prison life. Some men walk in so scared and clueless about what they are facing, that without someone to take them by the hand they could end up in trouble before they know it. He remembers his first night at Taft, when he was dropped off there after spending 11 days in SHU. It was raining, he had no clothes, no bed, no towel, no nothing! They dropped him off, and if someone at the camp hadn't helped him find clothes, a mattress and blanket, he would have really struggled. A warm smile and a handshake to a new inmate is golden. This is where Ron shines. He knows how to help, how to make a newcomer not feel so alone, and how to get him through the first few days.

Although Ron's leadership skills are no longer used to run racing stables, accounting businesses, or hotels, he is using his lifelong collection of experiences in a new way. Maybe in the long run, a more important way. What could be more important than helping a newbie feel comfortable in his new home? Nothing.