Journal Entry: Celeste Monette Blair-06/24/2024-When Our Agenda Shifts, Policy Must Follow Suit

Journal Entry

” IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO RAISE A CHILD”

WHEN OUR AGENDA SHIFTS, POLICY MUST FOLLOW SUIT

There was a time, during the pandemic, when I wrote a piece called WASTED and I really became hyper aware of how it looks to be ” warehoused “. Here in the BOP, we have made a slow crawl out of those methods of operandi; America has been slow to return to work- and especially here, we seem to always be short staffed.

The opposite of WASTED is a mentality where we find VALUE in giving a hand -up here instead of the old draconian methods of putting an ex on someone’s back and keeping them down.

All praise to those who, in the midst of staff shortages, absorbing another institution and all their issues, etc., our Captain saw value in exploring new methods to bring opportunities for total wellness to the AIC’s here.

“insanity = same actions new results, not realistic “

Passion and dedication to the cause of RE-Entry minded programs very well may foster change not only here and now but have the ablate to extend future community wellness, safety, prosperity and yes, harmony. Our society is in decline. We must see this mass incarceration as an opportunity to have a positive effect on a large portion of people, who can one day go out and send a ripple of wellness into places where hope, addictive behaviors and lack of vision have become common place. `

It was about a year ago when Captain Mosby saw VALUE in the idea of having a community pilot program in two of the pods,where we simply provided help to the elderly and infirm, in wheelchair and with walkers.

The seed for the need of a creative solution was planted in my head one day when I saw my octogenarian friend carrying her commissary across the compound all alone. I found the Program Statement titled, MANAGEMENT OF AGING OFFENDERS, highlighted the PURPOSE AND SCOPE and presented my ideas as to how I could follow the codes, creating a WIN/WIN for Administration and Aging Population.

Later, I was able to circle back around, having had the AIC’s do a daily check in- to demonstrated the VALUE.

Now, beginning in August, we will be able to GO LIVE, running the program under the newly formed THINK TANK/ PEER SUCCESS TEAM. Another situation where the Captain was able to see the VALUE in finding creative solutions to our issues here. She sends me to Ms. Spicer ( psychology ), Ms. Daniel ( the social worker ) Ms. Knopp ( education ) and just as it was all coming together, in walks a new Assistant Warden of Programs, Ms. Trautman. These women become much like the cogs of the WELLNESS WHEEL where the PEER SUCCESS PROGRAM can only roll along with all of them willing to find value in trying something new even when they are already stretched in their department- they stand willing to help. I believe they all have something in common, a true passion for a real re-entry. They see the value in helping these women become the best version of themselves.

Too often the media hears the bad stuff about staff, the negative reports of what is going on in prison.
The point of my story today is to say that if our agenda has truly changed in the prison systems-
and how could it not, now that we know from years of social studies that if we treat people like wasted savages, this is INEVITABLY who will return to society.

I am a teacher, leader, networker, and yes, organizer. For many years I didn’t understand the responsibility and importance in a BIG, REAL-LIFE WAY to use those skills, gifts, whatever, in a positive and precise way. Sort of like a super hero, I will never play the villain again.