2007 Jail Experience
“A-wop-bop-a-loo-mop-a-whop-bam-boom!”
No this posting is not about Little Richard (see yesterday…). This one is about going to an Ontario Provincial jail to visit someone. The expression “A-wop-bop-a-loo-mop-a-whop-bam-boom!” best describes what can happen. Frustration will be written from this point on as “A-wop-bop-a-loo-mop-a-whop-bam-boom!” I am not totally sure what was going on in the institution – but there are problems – especially for us.
On July 5, 2007 I booked the afternoon off from other pastoral duties to travel to Lindsay and visit two inmates. My wife, as my assistant pastor, went with me. As we both work with these two men we both needed to see them.
I had checked by the telephone switch board at the Institution as to the possibilities of visiting the two clients that I had been working with in the community prior to their incarceration. I also called to enquire of the possibilities of a professional/pastoral visit for both men. It was agreed on and this was arranged.
We arrived at 12:55 PM and signed in with the reception. The first visit was to be with a man in 6C. We waited in the hallway until the guards operating the Xray/security apparatus finished talking to each other. Then we were cleared at this point and told to wait in the seated area outside the elevator. The elevator takes you to the second floor. Next we were allowed to get on the elevator and progress to the desk at the next level two, to speak with the guard at that point. He acts sort of like a traffic cop and also gives directions to people like us that don’t know where to go. He in turn called 6C to enquire and was told that it was approved. We then turned left, walked to the end of the hallway – turned left – pushed the button and were allowed in. We sat and waited for about 5 minutes. No one came.
Next – the same guard that had called from the desk in the hallway and gave us instruction to proceed... showed up to the visiting area that we were waiting in. He told us that there was now a lock down and we would not be able to see the individual we were waiting for. 6C was now not available where he was only 7 minutes before.
“A-wop-bop-a-loo-mop-a-whop-bam-boom!”
I must pause here to tell you that on this past weekend I tore a muscle in the calf of my left leg and walking was slow - and painful. I had a definite limp. It was a long walk to 6C. So now we headed back slowly to the man at the desk and enquired as to the possibility of seeing our next individual in 1C. He telephoned ahead to 1C and it was possible. So we went to the opposite end of the long hallway to see 1C.
After that visit was complete we headed down the hallway to the central desk again and found out that it was now okay to visit 6C. The same guard that has helped us called to tell them that we were now available. At that moment he informed us by relaying the message, from the person on the phone in 6C, that visiting hour was over for the man in 6C. It was 2:02 PM. This desk guard offered apologies. So then we headed back down the main hallway to the elevator and prepared to leave.
“A-wop-bop-a-loo-mop-a-whop-bam-boom!”
We exited the Xray/security area with the three guards. We lined up at reception to give our “professional yellow visitor tags” to the staff and get our licenses back. One staff member saw us and motioned that we were to come to talk to him. 6C had just called and let the front desk know that we could come to 6C for our visit.
We returned to the Xray/security area to be told that we had to wait. Six people were lined up at this point. For fear of being left out waiting again - I pushed to the front of the line with my wife and they let us in. We explained that we had been told to proceed to 6C.
Up the elevator and down the long hallway again. We came to the desk and the guard called to let 6C know that we were coming. We arrived at the door to enter and pushed the button. Our 6C friend was waiting for us inside the glassed in area. He waved and smiled. We waited and then a voice told us that there would be no visit today for this man. I explained that we could see the individual through the door.
It was at this point that the voice informed us that his visit was cancelled because they had been told that more people were coming for their visits and we had to leave. There was no explanation.
DOUBLE the “A-wop-bop-a-loo-mop-a-whop-bam-boom!”
By the time I arrived at the front gate to leave I cannot express the feelings that I had for what had happened.
As we drove home I thought over the images I had stored in my head. The images of line ups of people to see loved ones. There were moms and dads, girl friends and wives, people that care about people inside. Most had traveled some distance from Toronto and other parts of Ontario to visit. They are not guilty of anything but they are because their loved one is inside of jail.
The reasons that these men were in jail were cause enough for the family to experience great duress. Now they face walls of officialdom that professional guards display. Now they face the possibility that the trip to this Institution may be for naught if something inside goes wrong.
The Islamic lady that stood looking at us as we did our second re-entry to the Xray/security was confused. She needed someone to talk to – but there was no one. There were about six others standing and waiting away from the line up that had been given their little red visitor badges to wear. My guess is that all have been told that their area(the one that their loved one is in…) was not available now. So sorry that you traveled so far – but something changed inside and you are out of luck.
“A-wop-bop-a-loo-mop-a-whop-bam-boom!”
Recently I attended a seminar that described the changes that are taking place in Britain. At that seminar there were other volunteers that described the way that officials are changing the system to allow a more humane way of treating men and women inside. They told of the ways that groups are helping families as they bring the children to see daddy. Imagine they actually provide a toy and play room for the kids that come to see daddy.
That is our Federal System of incarceration in Canada. The Provincial System is very different. Families at this stage of jail work are not terribly high on the list. What matters more is the officialdom and the way that they are treated. In Ontario we have achieved a high standard of punishment for anyone that enters a Provincial Institution. We are able to punish these guys and along with their families, as well as friends in whatever way is desired – by mistreatment.
“A-wop-bop-a-loo-mop-a-whop-bam-boom!”
Now did anyone tell anyone else in officialdom – that both of the guys that we visited have not yet been found guilty of what they are alleged to have done? But because they are in this place – both they and their visitors are guilty.
“A-wop-bop-a-loo-mop-a-whop-bam-boom!”
Yes I have written to someone that cares and is able to relay the frustration to those that might make a difference. I likely have placed my visits at risk within this institution for making the information available that I have. I just hope that officialdom doesn’t take it out on the guys that we visited.
Outside in the big bad world…
I was shocked one day when I was told by a chaplain that guys were asking judges to let them have more time in jail – over the Provincial System’s amount of 2 years less a day. They would rather have three or four years inside a Federal Prison than go to the Provincial System. Now it is making more sense.
I have friends inside this Provincial System that work there. They care. But they are caught having to deal with some of the attitudes of officialdom. They need prayer for sure as they do their work.
There are potentially 1100 men and women in this particular jail in Ontario. That is at least 1100 families that are facing the rigors of what happens next. Multiply the number of people in each family that are affected by one incarcerated person – guilty or not – and you will be staggered by the potential for further social problems in our community. It is alike the ripple affect of a stone thrown in a quiet lake – it goes on for a long time.
“A-wop-bop-a-loo-mop-a-whop-bam-boom!”
~ Pastor Murray Lincoln ~
PS – Sorry there are not photos here… it is illegal to take them of a jail.
No this posting is not about Little Richard (see yesterday…). This one is about going to an Ontario Provincial jail to visit someone. The expression “A-wop-bop-a-loo-mop-a-whop-bam-boom!” best describes what can happen. Frustration will be written from this point on as “A-wop-bop-a-loo-mop-a-whop-bam-boom!” I am not totally sure what was going on in the institution – but there are problems – especially for us.
On July 5, 2007 I booked the afternoon off from other pastoral duties to travel to Lindsay and visit two inmates. My wife, as my assistant pastor, went with me. As we both work with these two men we both needed to see them.
I had checked by the telephone switch board at the Institution as to the possibilities of visiting the two clients that I had been working with in the community prior to their incarceration. I also called to enquire of the possibilities of a professional/pastoral visit for both men. It was agreed on and this was arranged.
We arrived at 12:55 PM and signed in with the reception. The first visit was to be with a man in 6C. We waited in the hallway until the guards operating the Xray/security apparatus finished talking to each other. Then we were cleared at this point and told to wait in the seated area outside the elevator. The elevator takes you to the second floor. Next we were allowed to get on the elevator and progress to the desk at the next level two, to speak with the guard at that point. He acts sort of like a traffic cop and also gives directions to people like us that don’t know where to go. He in turn called 6C to enquire and was told that it was approved. We then turned left, walked to the end of the hallway – turned left – pushed the button and were allowed in. We sat and waited for about 5 minutes. No one came.
Next – the same guard that had called from the desk in the hallway and gave us instruction to proceed... showed up to the visiting area that we were waiting in. He told us that there was now a lock down and we would not be able to see the individual we were waiting for. 6C was now not available where he was only 7 minutes before.
“A-wop-bop-a-loo-mop-a-whop-bam-boom!”
I must pause here to tell you that on this past weekend I tore a muscle in the calf of my left leg and walking was slow - and painful. I had a definite limp. It was a long walk to 6C. So now we headed back slowly to the man at the desk and enquired as to the possibility of seeing our next individual in 1C. He telephoned ahead to 1C and it was possible. So we went to the opposite end of the long hallway to see 1C.
After that visit was complete we headed down the hallway to the central desk again and found out that it was now okay to visit 6C. The same guard that has helped us called to tell them that we were now available. At that moment he informed us by relaying the message, from the person on the phone in 6C, that visiting hour was over for the man in 6C. It was 2:02 PM. This desk guard offered apologies. So then we headed back down the main hallway to the elevator and prepared to leave.
“A-wop-bop-a-loo-mop-a-whop-bam-boom!”
We exited the Xray/security area with the three guards. We lined up at reception to give our “professional yellow visitor tags” to the staff and get our licenses back. One staff member saw us and motioned that we were to come to talk to him. 6C had just called and let the front desk know that we could come to 6C for our visit.
We returned to the Xray/security area to be told that we had to wait. Six people were lined up at this point. For fear of being left out waiting again - I pushed to the front of the line with my wife and they let us in. We explained that we had been told to proceed to 6C.
Up the elevator and down the long hallway again. We came to the desk and the guard called to let 6C know that we were coming. We arrived at the door to enter and pushed the button. Our 6C friend was waiting for us inside the glassed in area. He waved and smiled. We waited and then a voice told us that there would be no visit today for this man. I explained that we could see the individual through the door.
It was at this point that the voice informed us that his visit was cancelled because they had been told that more people were coming for their visits and we had to leave. There was no explanation.
DOUBLE the “A-wop-bop-a-loo-mop-a-whop-bam-boom!”
By the time I arrived at the front gate to leave I cannot express the feelings that I had for what had happened.
As we drove home I thought over the images I had stored in my head. The images of line ups of people to see loved ones. There were moms and dads, girl friends and wives, people that care about people inside. Most had traveled some distance from Toronto and other parts of Ontario to visit. They are not guilty of anything but they are because their loved one is inside of jail.
The reasons that these men were in jail were cause enough for the family to experience great duress. Now they face walls of officialdom that professional guards display. Now they face the possibility that the trip to this Institution may be for naught if something inside goes wrong.
The Islamic lady that stood looking at us as we did our second re-entry to the Xray/security was confused. She needed someone to talk to – but there was no one. There were about six others standing and waiting away from the line up that had been given their little red visitor badges to wear. My guess is that all have been told that their area(the one that their loved one is in…) was not available now. So sorry that you traveled so far – but something changed inside and you are out of luck.
“A-wop-bop-a-loo-mop-a-whop-bam-boom!”
Recently I attended a seminar that described the changes that are taking place in Britain. At that seminar there were other volunteers that described the way that officials are changing the system to allow a more humane way of treating men and women inside. They told of the ways that groups are helping families as they bring the children to see daddy. Imagine they actually provide a toy and play room for the kids that come to see daddy.
That is our Federal System of incarceration in Canada. The Provincial System is very different. Families at this stage of jail work are not terribly high on the list. What matters more is the officialdom and the way that they are treated. In Ontario we have achieved a high standard of punishment for anyone that enters a Provincial Institution. We are able to punish these guys and along with their families, as well as friends in whatever way is desired – by mistreatment.
“A-wop-bop-a-loo-mop-a-whop-bam-boom!”
Now did anyone tell anyone else in officialdom – that both of the guys that we visited have not yet been found guilty of what they are alleged to have done? But because they are in this place – both they and their visitors are guilty.
“A-wop-bop-a-loo-mop-a-whop-bam-boom!”
Yes I have written to someone that cares and is able to relay the frustration to those that might make a difference. I likely have placed my visits at risk within this institution for making the information available that I have. I just hope that officialdom doesn’t take it out on the guys that we visited.
Outside in the big bad world…
I was shocked one day when I was told by a chaplain that guys were asking judges to let them have more time in jail – over the Provincial System’s amount of 2 years less a day. They would rather have three or four years inside a Federal Prison than go to the Provincial System. Now it is making more sense.
I have friends inside this Provincial System that work there. They care. But they are caught having to deal with some of the attitudes of officialdom. They need prayer for sure as they do their work.
There are potentially 1100 men and women in this particular jail in Ontario. That is at least 1100 families that are facing the rigors of what happens next. Multiply the number of people in each family that are affected by one incarcerated person – guilty or not – and you will be staggered by the potential for further social problems in our community. It is alike the ripple affect of a stone thrown in a quiet lake – it goes on for a long time.
“A-wop-bop-a-loo-mop-a-whop-bam-boom!”
~ Pastor Murray Lincoln ~
PS – Sorry there are not photos here… it is illegal to take them of a jail.
posted by Murray Lincoln at
Friday, July 06, 2007
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home