Daily work on personal growth and strengthening my relationships are key components of being accountable to myself and my family during our time apart. I also believe that true accountability demands that I attempt to make the world around me a better place. The camp at Thomson is not my home, but it is where I live and I have tried to improve it.
One of the main contributions I made was to bring the game of golf to Thomson. I am an avid golf and geek about golf course architecture and history, and I have spread the gospel of the game by getting clubs and balls for the guys, as well as starting a How to Play Golf class in Recreation. While I am proud of making the camp golfier, there is another aspect of the game that I have worked hard to introduce that is much more important in this context–the trade and craft of golf course construction and maintenance.
As a result of networking, travel, and volunteering at my community golf course, Canal Shores in Evanston, IL, I got to know quite a few golf architects and course superintendents. I have great respect for their expertise and creative vision. Bringing a golf course to life and presenting it optimally on a daily basis for players requires a magical blend of art and science in collaboration with nature.
When I arrived at Thomson in 2020, I got a job on the landscaping crew so that I could log time on machines mowing grass and moving dirt. I told my supervisors about my passion for golf courses and they supported my ambition to learn.
After hearing from our Recreation officer that planning was underway with the regional office to create a landscaping program at the camp, I set out to build a golf green. It seemed to me that students in the program would benefit from having an authentic space in which to practice the skills of landscaping and turf management. That first project evolved into a concept for a 3-hole golf course in an unused area of the property, most of which I built myself.
A huge rehabilitative opportunity exists in vocational training in construction, course maintenance, landscaping, and turf management, and I wanted to help guys prepare for success after release. Based on my ongoing conversations with superintendents, if Thomson had a program to expose guys to the work and the game, they would have no problem finding gainful employment almost anywhere in the country when they get out.
For example, I previously received a message from a friend who was the Director of Agronomy at Bob O’Link Golf Club in Highland Park, IL. He wrote:
“It has been increasingly difficult to find people to work on a golf course through the traditional methods (industry job boards, contacting turd programs at colleges), so I have focused on finding non-traditional candidates. Long story short, I was able to hire 3 individuals who already were working toward careers in other things but really wanted to be on a golf course…All three of these guys have one thing in common, they love golf and want to be here. I can teach them a lot, but I can’t teach passion. This has been fun and exciting for me to be able to draw new people into the industry I love.”
Further, given that one of the world’s largest manufacturers of golf course construction and maintenance equipment is headquartered in the area (John Deere) and an annual PGA Tour event is held in nearby Silvis, IL (The John Deere Classic), an even greater opportunity exists for volunteer and employment collaboration that would be rehabilitative for campers, and a PR bonus for both John Deere and the BOP.
Throughout 2022 and 2023, I shared this concept with my supervisors in Landscaping and Recreation, the directors of Recreation and Education, Warden Bergami’s executive staff, and the regional Education director. They expressed interest, but due to the turmoil at Thomson, my timing was less than ideal.
As it stands today part of the course I built has been bulldozed for “security” reasons. The landscaping program that was n discussion in 2021 has not been launched. I will be leaving Thomson in the relatively near future, but I still believe in the potential of this idea and that is why I took one last shot at getting it started.
I sent a letter to BOP Director Peters and copied Regional Director Matevosian, as well as Senators Durbin and Grassley. In the letter I gave Director Peters an overview of my background and what I tried to do for the camp. I enclosed a copy of the story I wrote about the role that golf played in helping me survive my journey through the criminal legal system that was published in The Golfers Journal in 2023. I concluded by making a standing offer to her to bring my experience and industry connections to bear if the prison administration decides to implement the vision for the course and associated programming, even if I am no longer in BOP custody.
Being accountable means making a difference in the lives of the men at Thomson, and our society, if I can. My offer is out there and I am interested to see if the Director and her colleagues take me up on it.
