When Someone Dies in Prison - What then?
Truly it is a world that I have not considered. I think that most Canadians have not considered this either – or even know about it. It is a world of deep sorrow that few people would know exists.
Okay what are you talking about Murray? The answer is death and dieing inside of prison and how it is dealt with.
Yes I know that we all think of death from time to time. Even if it is only for a small amount of time or in small ways – we think about dieing. We think about it when we buy Life Insurance. We consider it when we get home mortgages and what might happen to our investments if one of us were to die. We don’t want our spouse or families to lose the equity that we built up over the years. Then as soon as the mechanism of insurance is in place we move to a more pleasant thought of living forever and good health.
But most of us do not or have not thought about men inside of prison dieing – and then as an extension to that – what happens to their families on the outside. How and when do the families find out about their son inside – who has just lost his life? How does a wife on the outside find out about her husband that died in a jail cell early this morning? How do you tell the kids?
“Who cares?” is the response of some… “He deserved it – he was a criminal wasn’t he?” But did the family deserve it? What did they do so wrong?
Prison is about ‘penal stuff’ in many people’s mindsets. It is about punishment and keeping these monsters away from the rest of us. But it is also about families and the way that we deal with or don’t deal with the emotions of those that are left.
This week I sat in an extensive seminar that dealt with this very topic. I admit that I have not considered what the men and women that deal with prisoners go through. The Prison Chaplains in our Prison system face untold stories of tragedy and heartache as they have to tell the families of men in prison – that their loved one is dead.
Together in the seminar we listened to two Correctional Officers, Tim and Ben from Britain, talk about what they are now doing in their country to make some changes to their system. That was one of the eye openers for a starter – let alone the main eye opener of how our own Canadian Chaplains have to deal with this under the present guidelines and policies.
Presently and in an average situation…
When a man dies in prison the Chaplain is called. He or she then becomes responsible to contact the man’s next of kin to let them know what has happened. Usually this is accomplished by a telephone call to the family as soon as it can be done. If the body is found late at night the call is made. The ‘system’ has wanted this done as soon as it can be done.
One can only begin to imagine what might take place in the community outside of prison, in some small town, or some quite home when that tragic news arrives by telephone. The years of anguish of following their son, husband, dad, uncle, grandpa, or whoever it is through the justice system – is suddenly over with a cold telephone call. No matter how hard a Chaplain tries to put on a soft voice and compose a carefully worded announcement.
The questions that scream their way into the minds of the family are like these following. How did he die? Was it a natural death? Was it suicide? Was it murder? Was he alone? What happened? I don’t believe it – it can’t be! We just saw him last month and he was fine and so excited about his release day coming so soon… how can this happen inside of prison? How? Why? When? Where? What will we do now? We can’t afford a funeral and he had no insurance that we know of … what now? You mean we can’t see him? How do we get the body?
Now add to this developing scenario the fact that the one receiving the call may be an elderly person – or a couple with little means. What if the wife is living with her children on a government assistance program and they are depending on Food Bank services to just eat – because after dad went to prison their lives fell apart completely? Just about anything is possible on the other end of the telephone when that horrible call is made.
In one of sessions in the seminar I listened to story after story of anguish that Chaplains have gone through as they made the call. I admire the men and women that have to deal with this. I am unable to find words or the support that I need to give to these people on a front line – that we never even knew about. My heart goes out to them. There isn’t space here to tell all of the accounts that were shared. It was almost overwhelming.
So what can be done….?
Tim and Ben shared the reasons that a change was made in Britain’s HMPS – “Her Majesty’s Prison System”
Men and women in the Prison system are being trained as ‘FLOs’ – “Family Liaison Officers”. These men and women are actually active, serving Correctional Officers that are trained to take the responsibility to contact the family in person. When a death takes place they leave the prison and go directly to the home of the family connected to the inmate – and tell them in person. To share the entire program would take to long in this article – but summing it up I can say it is amazing.
It has happened in a short length of time and has been operating over the past two and half years. There are now 200 FLOs working in the HMPS. There are 80,000 men and women in the four different levels of prison in Britain. The system is very different than that of Canada – one system not the two that we have with Provincial and Federal levels of incarceration.
I suspect that the Correctional Services Canada, that look after the prisoners in Canada, are considering this as an alternative or addition to our system as well. When the question was asked and answer it was suggested that it may be considered at some levels now.
The Chaplains taking part in this day were encouraged with what they heard. So was I.
My compassion and humanity was touched deeply as I was involved with this group. My love goes out to the Chaplains as they do what they do so faithfully. My life has been rearranged to have to consider the difficulties and then look for answers to deal with dieing prisoners in a better way – and specially their families on the outside.
Have you ever thanked a Chaplain for what they do? Have you taken time to give your encouragement to them? Do we love our troops?
~ Pastor Murray Lincoln ~
Okay what are you talking about Murray? The answer is death and dieing inside of prison and how it is dealt with.
Yes I know that we all think of death from time to time. Even if it is only for a small amount of time or in small ways – we think about dieing. We think about it when we buy Life Insurance. We consider it when we get home mortgages and what might happen to our investments if one of us were to die. We don’t want our spouse or families to lose the equity that we built up over the years. Then as soon as the mechanism of insurance is in place we move to a more pleasant thought of living forever and good health.
But most of us do not or have not thought about men inside of prison dieing – and then as an extension to that – what happens to their families on the outside. How and when do the families find out about their son inside – who has just lost his life? How does a wife on the outside find out about her husband that died in a jail cell early this morning? How do you tell the kids?
“Who cares?” is the response of some… “He deserved it – he was a criminal wasn’t he?” But did the family deserve it? What did they do so wrong?
Prison is about ‘penal stuff’ in many people’s mindsets. It is about punishment and keeping these monsters away from the rest of us. But it is also about families and the way that we deal with or don’t deal with the emotions of those that are left.
This week I sat in an extensive seminar that dealt with this very topic. I admit that I have not considered what the men and women that deal with prisoners go through. The Prison Chaplains in our Prison system face untold stories of tragedy and heartache as they have to tell the families of men in prison – that their loved one is dead.
Together in the seminar we listened to two Correctional Officers, Tim and Ben from Britain, talk about what they are now doing in their country to make some changes to their system. That was one of the eye openers for a starter – let alone the main eye opener of how our own Canadian Chaplains have to deal with this under the present guidelines and policies.
Presently and in an average situation…
When a man dies in prison the Chaplain is called. He or she then becomes responsible to contact the man’s next of kin to let them know what has happened. Usually this is accomplished by a telephone call to the family as soon as it can be done. If the body is found late at night the call is made. The ‘system’ has wanted this done as soon as it can be done.
One can only begin to imagine what might take place in the community outside of prison, in some small town, or some quite home when that tragic news arrives by telephone. The years of anguish of following their son, husband, dad, uncle, grandpa, or whoever it is through the justice system – is suddenly over with a cold telephone call. No matter how hard a Chaplain tries to put on a soft voice and compose a carefully worded announcement.
The questions that scream their way into the minds of the family are like these following. How did he die? Was it a natural death? Was it suicide? Was it murder? Was he alone? What happened? I don’t believe it – it can’t be! We just saw him last month and he was fine and so excited about his release day coming so soon… how can this happen inside of prison? How? Why? When? Where? What will we do now? We can’t afford a funeral and he had no insurance that we know of … what now? You mean we can’t see him? How do we get the body?
Now add to this developing scenario the fact that the one receiving the call may be an elderly person – or a couple with little means. What if the wife is living with her children on a government assistance program and they are depending on Food Bank services to just eat – because after dad went to prison their lives fell apart completely? Just about anything is possible on the other end of the telephone when that horrible call is made.
In one of sessions in the seminar I listened to story after story of anguish that Chaplains have gone through as they made the call. I admire the men and women that have to deal with this. I am unable to find words or the support that I need to give to these people on a front line – that we never even knew about. My heart goes out to them. There isn’t space here to tell all of the accounts that were shared. It was almost overwhelming.
So what can be done….?
Tim and Ben shared the reasons that a change was made in Britain’s HMPS – “Her Majesty’s Prison System”
Men and women in the Prison system are being trained as ‘FLOs’ – “Family Liaison Officers”. These men and women are actually active, serving Correctional Officers that are trained to take the responsibility to contact the family in person. When a death takes place they leave the prison and go directly to the home of the family connected to the inmate – and tell them in person. To share the entire program would take to long in this article – but summing it up I can say it is amazing.
It has happened in a short length of time and has been operating over the past two and half years. There are now 200 FLOs working in the HMPS. There are 80,000 men and women in the four different levels of prison in Britain. The system is very different than that of Canada – one system not the two that we have with Provincial and Federal levels of incarceration.
I suspect that the Correctional Services Canada, that look after the prisoners in Canada, are considering this as an alternative or addition to our system as well. When the question was asked and answer it was suggested that it may be considered at some levels now.
The Chaplains taking part in this day were encouraged with what they heard. So was I.
My compassion and humanity was touched deeply as I was involved with this group. My love goes out to the Chaplains as they do what they do so faithfully. My life has been rearranged to have to consider the difficulties and then look for answers to deal with dieing prisoners in a better way – and specially their families on the outside.
Have you ever thanked a Chaplain for what they do? Have you taken time to give your encouragement to them? Do we love our troops?
~ Pastor Murray Lincoln ~
posted by Murray Lincoln at
Thursday, June 28, 2007
1 Comments:
This really caused me to think about the dignity of those dear ones in prison. Yes, in most cases they have committed a crime that requires incarceration, but that doesn’t change the fact that God loves them and their families just as much as He loves you and me. I do hope and pray that things in Canada will change for the better in how they deal with those who die in prison and their families.
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