Faces of faded hope

The faces of the men and women pictured above say silently that even though 'hope springs eternal', these imprisoned people also know that 'hope can be a poor friend'. Let's cut quickly and deep. There is little reason to hope because an equitable sentencing philosophy is nonexistent. There is no systematic philosophy of corrections available to help guide administrators, instruct prisoners, and involve loved ones and the greater community.

Well, we're not waiting forever. Throughout our country ordinary people say something like, "Well, those people (in prison) did wrong, but we in this community sure don't want them coming back worse than when they went in!" Exactly.

In late-July the November Coalition will be represented in Atlanta, Georgia at the 27th Annual National Conference of Blacks in Criminal Justice. We're attending at the request of some federal prisoners and free people pictured above. Chaplain Warren H. Dolphus of FCI Manchester has suggested to us that staff and inmates alike are realizing that change must come, and we can craft a philosophy of 'releasability' by working together.

Nora Callahan and Chuck Armsbury look forward to sharing our November Coalition experience with Chaplain Dolphus at his scheduled F.A.I.T.H., Inc. workshop as well as at other planned sessions of this special seven-day gathering of people working in corrections with citizens who are proposing changes in corrections.

We'll include a full report on the Conference in the September/October Razor Wire.