Speaking the Unspeakable: Abused and Neglected Women Speak Out On The 50th Anniversary of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s “I Have a Dream”

Progressive Prison Project

Innocent Spouse & Children Project

Greenwich, Connecticut 

Aug. 24, 2013  

Speaking the Unspeakable:

   Abused and Neglected Women Speak Out

On The 50^th Anniversary of

 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s

 “I Have a Dream”

By Jeff Grant

Today is the 50th Anniversary of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have A Dream" speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial – in my mind the most important and stirring event in the history of our nation’s civil rights movement.

Michelle Alexander, author of “The New Jim Crow,” states that today’s prisoner reentry movement is “the new civil rights movement” - I agree.  As a minister, activist and chronicler in this prisoner reentry movement, I searched for a spiritual angle for a sermon about the 50^th Anniversary of Dr. King’s speech.

In our ministries we spend time with women living on the margins – women who are in shelters, halfway houses, sober living ministries and mothers and children who have been abandoned by husbands who have gone to prison leaving them without resources or a plan.   I asked some of these women if they would like to reflect on what Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” means to them.

Below are some of the responses.  The first is from a mother who has been left penniless (along with her children) by her husband; the second is from the Re-Entry Ministry on the Eastside of Bridgeport, Connecticut; and the last two are from student residents in the Reentry Ministry program. 

Last is a prayer that feels important to share on this anniversary of Dr. King’s speech - it was written recently for me by my wife.  I need it to read it and say it out loud everyday – today more than ever.  Perhaps you will find the same comfort and inspiration in it as I do.

____________________

“Our dreams make their path in to our life only if we trust in God and let him show us the way. 

In our lives there will be times when we are able to help others and there will be times when we need help. I have been going through a very difficult time in my life.  My husband is in jail and I have to face raising my children on my own.  I was in trouble and adrift but I have never lost hope that somehow, God will help me. And he has, he did it through a group of people that so generously gave themselves to help someone in need. Do not forget to help others when you can, as Dr. King said in his 1963 speech:  “Our brothers …have come to realize their destiny is tied up with our destiny… we cannot walk alone” If we help each other we will have a better future, together!” 

Re-Entry Ministry

“God had the plan. He used The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to speak faith-filled words 50 years ago that remain “alive” and “active” in our life and ministry today. And God empowered Martin Luther King to put His words into action. He told us that we are saved from things that bind us and rob us of our freedom and justice. His dream of freedom and justice was based on the love that Jesus Christ has for all people. For the past 34 years, we (Re-Entry Ministry) have labored to free women from the bondage of substance abuse... to give them a dream... that God has a plan to restore us and rescue us from our depravity...to give a future and a hope... a dream that becomes a reality. What would things be like if Martin Luther King had not dreamed?”

 Two testimonies of ladies who have found freedom in Jesus Christ follow:

The 33^rd Annual Re-Entry Ministry Banquet will be held on Sept. 14^th at 12:30 pm at the Holiday Inn in Bridgeport.  Among the speakers will be State of Connecticut Pardons & Parole Chair Erika Tindill.

Juelene L.

“I am 48 years old and from St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. My parents Bernice F. and Collin L. are both deceased. I was drinking for 40 years since the age of eight (8) and at a later date I started smoking marijuana. Eventually, I stopped smoking the marijuana but continued drinking and at the age of 39 I went to jail for third degree assault and did not get out until I was 41, a year later I went back to drinking. After that I decided to ask for help from my counselor. They sent me to Atlanta for help. I went to two programs, but because of my anger I left them. I ended up back home living on the streets sleeping in abandon houses, in the park or wherever I could. I went to my brother to see if he could help me out, so he called his cousin and she makes calls to places and the last call was to Sister Queenie. We talked on the phone and here I am. I thank her for taking me in. She did great with me, my favorite Scripture is Psalm 138:1 ‘I will praise thee with my whole heart.’”

Pamela I.

“I am 49 years old, a mother of two sons, and grandmother of two, originally from Miami, Florida but relocated to Hartford, Connecticut. Before coming to Connecticut I had a 20 year addiction to crack cocaine and problem that I didn’t know how to handle or control. I sought help in all kinds of programs and treatments, trying to find answers that only God Himself can answer and fix.

After coming to Re-Entry, God is showing me a new way to live, and giving me a new life. Through Re-Entry, God has reached down in my heart, and given me a reason, a desire and a hope to live for. Re-Entry Ministry has taught me the value of living my life for Christ and doing His will.

I am so very grateful to Sister Queenie and all the dedicated staff who helped me and taught me the Word of God, and how to apply it to my life.

The Scripture I leave you with is Jeremiah 29:11 ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, sayeth the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.’”

A Prayer for Jeff

by Lynn

Exalted God, You give me sacred tasks and I beg of you to grant me the courage and strength to faithfully execute my duties.

Please, guard me from the blindness of avarice and the thirst for glory and honor.  Endow me with the desire to service equally the poor and the rich, the wicked and the good, the enemy and the friend, and to see simply in each a fellow human being in pain.  Let your truth alone guide me.

Oh most compassionate and merciful God, strengthen me in body and soul that I might do your will and serve my fellows with kindness, compassion and intelligence.

Amen.

Rev. Jeff Grant, JD, M Div
Director, Progressive Prison Project/
Innocent Spouse & Children Project
Greenwich, Connecticut

Assoc. Minister/
Director of Prison Ministries
First Baptist Church of Bridgeport
126 Washington Avenue, 1st Fl.
Bridgeport, Connecticut 06604

(203) 339-5887
jgrant@progressiveprisonproject.org
jg3074@columbia.edu 

Luke, Mothers & Children, A Sermon: By Jeff Grant: The Innocent Spouseand Children Project

The First Baptist Church of Bridgeport

Bridgeport, Connecticut

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Luke, Mothers & Children:

The Innocent Spouse & Children Project

Luke 12:32-40

A Sermon

 By Jeff Grant 

Do Not Be Afraid.

Expect Miracles.

Allow Them To Happen.

Good morning, and Welcome to the First Baptist Church of Bridgeport Connecticut.  For those of you who are new here, my name is Jeff Grant, and I am the Associate Minster here at the First Baptist Church, and I am also the Director of Prison Ministries. 

Pastor Scott is away this morning, and he has asked me fill in for him to preach this morning’s sermon on our Scripture reading from the Gospel of Luke.  With your permission, I have decided to give you both a sermon and an update on the prison ministries at the church.  And specifically on the important and groundbreaking work we are doing at Innocent Spouse and Children Project.

______________________

Let’s start with a true story: 

Not too long ago I received a call from a friend about a family in crisis.  This family was from an affluent suburb of a major financial center.  The husband/father was now in prison for securities fraud.

Upon his arrest the husband left his family penniless, with no plan, no means to support the mother, children or their home.  Their family and friends cut off all ties with them almost immediately – they were left without any emotional, spiritual or financial support.  They were Eskimos on an ice barge.  

It was a scenario I knew all too well.  I agreed to meet with the mother the next day - I asked my wife to come along for the first part of the meeting and help in case the mother wanted her point of view and a little extra hand holding. 

The house and grounds were lovely, if fallen slightly into disrepair - I was familiar with the Norma Desmond-esque nature of these things.  I was pragmatic and down to business, my wife was all compassion and kindness (her specialties).  The mother was a deer caught in the headlights - she had no plan, no direction, and nowhere to turn.

The mother’s tale is a sad and all-to-common one these days – an over-ambitious husband who lost his way.  The details are not particularly important, and even if they were, propriety and privilege prevent me from discussing them here.

The mother needed to stop being a victim and to make some difficult decisions.  What other choice did she have - it certainly looked like her husband was not going to be coming home any time soon.  She needed answers, to understand her options.  She needed a plan - a plan that included a spiritual solution for her material problems.  

A spiritual solution basically means to not be afraid, to expect miracles - and then allow them to happen.  I have no ready explanation for how or why this works - yet it seems to work each and every time. 

It took us a little time to develop trust - I was asking her to make a big leap of faith.  But the more we spoke and shared our lives, it became clear that what we shared was our  suffering - we were bonded by our brokenness.  I shared with her my family's suffering and spiritual solution, and suggested that our experience, strength and hope would open a path for her family's own spiritual solution. 

Of course, her spiritual solution would have to deal with some very real issues.  She needed to find out what went wrong, when and why?   To do this she needed a team of professionals – she gave me permission to put together a team of expert lawyers and other professionals to work solely on the behalf of her and her children (incredibly, she never retained independent counsel - or received any advice or counsel - independent from her husband who was now in prison). 

  

In very short order, we had a full team in place where there had been none.  Among the miracles that happened for this mother were that this team of wonderful lawyers and professionals all worked on her matter in nontraditional payment arrangements. 

We delved deep into spiritual matters – and dug into the how and why?  We searched for signs and guideposts, as to how this all could have happened – how this innocent spouse could have been unwittingly dragged into this mess?  We searched, scoured for, and unearthed clues; we considered, intuited and prayed for options and solutions.

Through the process of seeking spiritual solutions, expecting miracles, allowing them to happen, faith, teamwork and discipline, and overcoming fear - today it looks as though we will able to secure a real future for this mother and her children.

_______________________

Let’s talk about Luke:

The first half of the lectionary year - from Advent to Ascension - is typically called the "Season of Christ" and addresses the question, "Who is Jesus?" The second half of the year – all of the Sundays of Pentecost is named the "Season of the Church" and addresses the question, "What does it mean to follow Jesus?"  This week’s Scripture reading from Luke is enmeshed in the heart of what it means to be a Follower of Jesus. 

According to today’s scripture reading, Jesus is on the road to Jerusalem, teaching his disciples and the crowd he attracts along the way.  After sharing the parable of the rich fool, Jesus urged his disciples to dwell on no earthly concerns:

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear...Instead, strive for God's kingdom and these things will be given to you as well."

Jesus then invites them to give all they have away and, in the verses that follow, to look for Christ's imminent return.  The edgy part in the last verses - reward for those who were ready and what feels like a thinly veiled threat to those who are not - only heightens the sense of expectancy for, and tension around, Jesus' instructions.

There is, however, one line, one phrase really, that stands out for me, that helps put the entire passage into perspective.  It is when Jesus says, Do Not Be Afraid:

"Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."  

Do not be afraid is the one of the main points through out the good news of all Scripture - and it occurs many times in Luke's account of the Jesus story.  Do not be afraid is the starting point and anchor for everything else in this passage.

___________________

I’ve learned a lot about Jesus’ admonition Do Not Be Afraid – I learned it mostly through service to others.   Service and volunteer work is something I suggest to everybody who goes through life crises – and since almost everybody goes through some life crisis, I recommend service to others to almost everybody.

As many of you know, Pastor Scott chose me for the prison ministry position here at The First Baptist Church of Bridgeport because of the path that I chose after I was released from prison.  I served almost fourteen months in a Federal prison for a white-collar crime.  After my release, I volunteered in hospitals, rehabs and prisoner reentry programs; I attended and earned a Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in NYC - the preeminent urban seminary in the world; I became a prison minister here in the inner city in Bridgeport, Connecticut – this is my main calling and where I spend most of my time. 

But something else was burning a hole in my soul – it was a thirst - a calling - to help people and families get through what my family went through.  That’s why we founded our new ministries: the Progressive Prison Project and the Innocent Spouse and Children Project, both in Greenwich, Connecticut, that offer experienced and compassionate support to the families of the people accused or convicted of white collar or other nonviolent crimes.  These families receive so little compassion and empathy - and are so easy to "other" -  by a world that is all too eager to believe the next sensationalized headline and to ignore the human side of things. 

___________________

You can imagine how frightened this mother and her children have been.  Frightened, isolated, penniless, without hope.  You can imagine how difficult it was when we came into each others' lives and we prayed together, and then asked each other to not be afraid.  We started by asking each other if we could look at things differently, engage in spiritual solutions, start to expect miracles, and that we could allow these miracles to happen simply through faith, trust and eliminating fear - or at least the strangle-hold that fear had on making good, sound decisions. 

Huge miracles have already happened for this mother and her children – mostly through the work of the wonderful team of professionals that we put together for her.  This team also had to overcome its own fears, learn to expect miracles and allow them to happen.  Doing things differently is just as difficult for lawyers and other professionals as it is for anyone else – maybe even harder. 

Through the outstanding work of this team, we learned just this week that there will almost certainly be a safe and secure future for this mother and her children.  God has delivered what mere mortals might have thought was impossible.  I know what this mother and her children originally thought was impossible.

Certainly, there will be a lot of life changes that they will have to get used to - theirs is a family that will almost certainly be split forever by institutions like divorce and prison.  And this mother and her children, through none of their own doing, will likely bear the cross of a tragedy in which a lot of people and institutions lost of a lot of money and respect for the system. 

But as I see it, the biggest tragedy of all about white-collar and nonviolent crime is not how big the matter is, or sensationalized the headlines - it is in our failure to see it as a human story, with real people, real brokenness, and real families left behind. 

That is why we are honored and proud to announce the launch of the Innocent Spouse & Children Project.  We believe it is the first ministry in the United States to specifically support the families of people accused or convicted of white collar and other nonviolent crimes. 

We are so grateful to have the opportunity to have helped this mother and her children move their lives into a new day, even as they have helped us learn and grow, and help our new ministry to evolve.  

Do Not Be Afraid

Expect miracles.

Allow them to happen.

Thanks to workingpreacher.org for assistance on some theological insights. 
 

Rev. Jeff Grant, JD, M Div
Director, Progressive Prison Project/
Innocent Spouse & Children Project
Greenwich, Connecticut

Assoc. Minister/
Director of Prison Ministries
First Baptist Church of Bridgeport
126 Washington Avenue, 1st Fl.
Bridgeport, Connecticut 06604

(203) 339-5887
jgrant@progressiveprisonproject.org
jg3074@columbia.edu 

Prison, Trans* Issues & Orange Is The New Black, By Jami Yandle, M Div - Guest Blogger

Progressive Prison Project

Greenwich, Connecticut 

Prison, Trans* Issues & Orange Is The New Black, 

By Jami Yandle, M Div - Guest Blogger 

In early 2012, Jeff and I were classmates at Union Theological Seminary in NYC. We often found ourselves engrossed in deep theological discussion surrounding our theses based upon two respective new theologies that we had created - Jeff's Theology of Imprisonment and my GenderQueer Liberation Theology. We found so many similarities in our respective theologies, we knew the opportunity to collaborate was near.

Over the past month, Jeff and I have been trading emails about "Orange Is The New Black" - specifically about its groundbreaking treatment of women's and gender issues. When Jeff asked me to author a Guest Blog on Trans* issues on Orange Is The New Black for his wonderful blog site about his ministry, the Progressive Prison Project, I could not resist.

As a Trans* advocate and a person who identifies as GenderQueer, my thoughts about the Trans* character on the Netflix series Orange Is The New Black are mostly of relief. The series comes at a time that is most poignant for our country concerning Trans* rights. From hospital and healthcare to the educational system, Trans* folks are paving the way for important dialogue concerning the social construction of gender, sex, sexuality, and visibility therein.

In the gender variant communities there seems to be a spotlight on the white Trans* male experience. Their journeys are courageous. I’ve read memoir after heartbreaking memoir, seen and read countless blogs and interviews galore that highlight tragedy and pain of what it is like to be FtM. On the flip side, I have celebrated various Facebook status updates about money gained for testosterone shots or top surgery, times when these men are “passing” as male and therefore finally gaining emotional healing from all the  trauma incurred by larger society. All the while wondering, where are our Trans* women? Specifically, Trans* women of color.

I cannot help but notice that the same issues that pop up in mainstream society surrounding systematic issues of oppression and class largely stemming from white, heterosexual, male privilege are now hitting my community with force.

Some Trans* men who now live full-time as male adopt the dangerous misogynistic attitudes of their brothers, all too soon forgetting the trials and tribulations of what it was like to grow up in America as a little girl. Let’s not forget the opportunities afforded to them that paid for the surgery which now lends them the same joys and ease as their cisgender male brothers.

I cannot blame them- growing up female in this world while being GenderQueer has been an awful experience for me, at best. It was only through my faith, supportive family and friends, in addition to my own personal drive that I have learned to love my sexuality, my sex, and my gender identity, and my gender expression. I wish I had a character like Sophia Burset in my youth, the Trans* woman of color to look up to while growing up. I had two choices, dress like a man and be perceived as butch, or dress like a woman and try to fit into boxes I never liked nor wanted.

But Sophia, like many Trans* people (and arguably anyone who is human and does not fit the various prescribed cookie cutter boxes society as a whole doles out) is my heroine for paving her own way against all of the odds.

Sophia is good with style, witty, fierce, tender, and (gasp) quite spiritual. And it’s okay!! Finally, a series that not only reflects the back-story of a Trans* person but she has an entire emotional arc and gets similar character development as the rest of characters on the show. Additionally, she is a person of color and her experience is seen in its entirety and as a whole. Sophia is the leader in the facility for aesthetic prowess, appropriately.

Trans* women have processed being a woman on a level that cisgender women have not. Trans* women of color, more so. It is not a better or deeper process, just different. Trans* women are fighting for the right to be themselves, knowing all too well the marginalized place in society they are now privy to join. Their femininity runs so deep there is just no other way to exist in this world and herein lies the strength of their stories and struggles. And they are doing it well, with fewer resources, less support, and from a more vulnerable spot than the rest of us.

Jami Yandle, M Div is currently a Chaplain Resident the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.  You can read more about Jami, GenderQueer Liberation Theology and gender & trans* issues on Jami’s blog: Trans*it-Authority (http://thetomboyeffect.wordpress.com).

Rev. Jeff Grant, JD, M Div
Director, Progressive Prison Project/
Innocent Spouse & Children Project
Greenwich, Connecticut

Assoc. Minister/
Director of Prison Ministries
First Baptist Church of Bridgeport
126 Washington Avenue, 1st Fl.
Bridgeport, Connecticut 06604

(203) 339-5887
jgrant@progressiveprisonproject.org
jg3074@columbia.edu 

Visiting My Brother In Prison, By Alison Grant

Progressive Prison Project

Greenwich, Connecticut 

 

 Visiting My Brother In Prison, By Alison Grant

  

When my brother told me he might be going to prison, I couldn't believe it.  In my eyes he could do no wrong.   I had been holding him up on a pedestal since I was a little girl. Even when he did things I didn't agree with, he was my rock. 

This time, however, he did something really wrong.  And even with that knowledge he was still the person in my broken family that I could turn to for really solid advice.

When I drove up to the prison, I remember a high fence with barbed wire at the top.  It had looked like every other prison I'd ever seen.  Only this one wasn't the movie set of the Shawshank Redemption.  It was a real prison that my brother was now going to live 15 months of his life in.  Not only would his once free life be full of rules and regulations, but so would everyone who visited him. 

I wasn't allowed to bring any paper money into the prison because maybe I had gotten it from someone who uses drugs and left a residue on it.  Or perhaps it would be a way of bringing drugs inside.   If I remember correctly I was permitted to bring $5.00 in change in a clear bag. Who knew that ziplock had so many uses? This money was to be used to buy food from the vending machine should we get hungry during our visit. 

After sitting for a while staring at the door my brother was to come through, I felt a great deal of discomfort.  I didn't want to be there anymore than he did.  The door finally opened and out he came: still my rock of a brother only this time he wasn't dressed in a custom tailored Hugo Boss suit. He was wearing a tan prison uniform. Being a very strapping, handsome guy, I have to say he looked pretty damned good in it.  

He acted very differently than the brother I knew though. Instead of the big wide smiled teddy bear hug I would normally get from him, he was very methodical.  His movements seemed very slow and subtle as if to make himself invisible.  As he later explained, he did not want to draw any attention to himself.  And that he acted the same way on the other side of the door.  He just wanted to do his time without any trouble. 

We talked for awhile. About what I really don't remember? He ate a microwave hamburger from the vending machine that he asked me to go and get.  Our visit was pretty much over before I knew it.  He told me that every time he goes back through that door they do a cavity check to make sure he isn't bringing anything back inside with him. To this day that has stuck with me. 

I couldn't tell you how it was to live on the other side of the door.  Only he can, but this I can tell you.  My brother has had a monumental spiritual awakening in his life since that time. He has turned into a giver rather than a taker.  

He is still my rock.  And even though he is not perfect, he will always be the person I turn to for solid advice.  

My sister Alison is an award-winning advertising copywriter - she says that this was the most difficult thing she's ever written.  

Rev. Jeff Grant, JD, M Div
Director, Progressive Prison Project/
Innocent Spouse & Children Project
Greenwich, Connecticut

Assoc. Minister/
Director of Prison Ministries
First Baptist Church of Bridgeport
126 Washington Avenue, 1st Fl.
Bridgeport, Connecticut 06604

(203) 339-5887
jgrant@progressiveprisonproject.org
jg3074@columbia.edu 

Taking 200 Guitar Lessons in Prison, By Jeff Grant

Progressive Prison Project 

Greenwich, Connecticut 

Taking 200 Guitar Lessons in Prison
By Jeff Grant:

“You can do the crime and do the time, but what

you do with the time is the key to success or failure in prison.”  

Some of you might know that I play lead guitar in our church’s funk/gospel band, The “Bop”-Tists.  I’ve been playing guitar since I was nine years old - but like so many other things in life, I somehow never got around to learning how to play very well.  That all changed when I took almost two hundred guitar lessons in prison. 

________________

I took my first guitar lesson in 1965, when I was at Lakeside Elementary School in Merrick, Long Island.  My guitar teacher, Bill Sheedy, was the coolest guy I’d ever seen - he had a greased back ducktail, a herringbone jacket and Cowboy boots.  He looked like Chet Atkins.  He was way cooler than my parents or any other adults that I knew.  He had a Starburst Fender Stratocaster - and a Fender Blackface Princeton Reverb amp - that he hauled out of the back seat of his Ford Mustang and brought down to our basement for what would be my weekly lesson.  He plugged in and I strummed along – barely - on a beginner’s guitar that my parents had rented for me at the Sam Ash music store in Hempstead. 

While we were in the middle of what I’m certain was yet another excruciating lesson for Bill Sheedy, the power suddenly went out on his amplifier.  Confused, he checked the dials on the amp, then the fuses in the back, and then the light switch on the wall.  He went upstairs, and then came back down and announced that the power was out in the whole house.  We both went outside into the street and the power was out on the whole block.  He asked me if this type of thing happened often?  I had no idea - I was nine years old. But I will always remember that I had my first guitar lesson during the great blackout of 1965.  

______________

I was incarcerated in 2006 and 2007 at Allenwood Federal LSCI in White Deer, PA, serving a thirteen and a half month sentence for a white-collar crime.  I worked every morning cleaning trashcans in the Rec, but I spent most afternoons hanging around the music department trying to learn how to play guitar a little better.  Professional musicians ran the music department - they were incarcerated for all sorts of crimes.  Steve was a drug smuggler; Jason was a con man; and Vladimir the Russian was some kind of computer hacker.  But these guys could really rock!  Here’s one thing I learned about being in prison: you can do the crime and do the time, but what you do with the time is the key to success or failure in prison.  I took over 200 guitar lessons while I in prison. I was introduced to music theory, and forms of music I’d never heard before - or even considered.  Most importantly, I learned that my joy was proportional to my knowledge and ability.  My heart swelled each time I walked in the door for another music lesson. 

I got good enough on guitar to put in for a work transfer from trash detail – and for the balance of my bid I taught beginner’s guitar to the Spanish-speaking inmates.  I spoke no Spanish but it was hardly an obstacle - we used music as our common language.  Some of the richest experiences of my time in prison were times I spent with these Spanish guys, laughing at one another as they tried to speak English and I tried to speak Spanish.  The intensity and suffering of prison life were broken by our laughter.  These were the seeds of my calling, in ways that were only first starting to be revealed. 

The above is an excerpt from Jeff Grant's book, The Art of Surviving Prison, due out winter 2013. 

_________________

Earlier this year, Pastor Scott told me that he wanted to start a new church band for The First Baptist Church of Bridgeport – one with a distinct Afro-Caribbean funk/gospel feel.  He wanted it to be fun, and exciting, and full of the Spirit.  This is one of the things I love about Pastor Scott.  Pastor Scott told me that he had made arrangements with our sister church, Living Word Ministries, for its wonderful band to be available to us.  The Spirit was truly present when The First Baptist Church of Bridgeport and Living Word Ministries formed our band, The “Bop”-Tists – it was magic!  We have band members from such far away places as Haiti and Africa, and from nearby places like Bridgeport and Greenwich too.  

I know that all of the members of The "Bop"-Tists feel blessed to be in this band - and grateful and humbled to have gone through our respective journeys to be able to worship God together each Sunday.  

There are links to four YouTube Videos of The "Bop"-Tists on the right column of the Progressive Prison Project blog: progressiveprisonproject.blogspot.com. 

Blessings,

Rev. Jeff Grant, JD, M Div
Director, Progressive Prison Project/
Innocent Spouse & Children Project
Greenwich, Connecticut

Assoc. Minister/
Director of Prison Ministries
First Baptist Church of Bridgeport
126 Washington Avenue, 1st Fl.
Bridgeport, Connecticut 06604

(203) 339-5887
jgrant@progressiveprisonproject.org
jg3074@columbia.edu 

Letter from Prison 2013: The Next Letter

Progressive Prison Project 

Greenwich, Connecticut

Letter from Prison 2013: 

The Next Letter

Hello Jeff,

Life is going well.  I have been able to keep busy reading the books my family sent me.  With every day that passes I feel a sense of accomplishment because I’m one day closer to being released.  My health is good, I have plenty of food, and nobody has tried to start anything with me.  Your guidance has helped me keep the right attitude in jail.  Thank you for the time and advice that you have given me.  It has paid huge dividends.

My experience of prison life is similar to the scenario described during our sessions.  My observation skills are paramount.  I am better off observing my surroundings from my bed then I am engaging with other inmates.  I have learned how to be respectful and interact with inmates while revealing little about myself.  There is a high turnover of inmates in the block so new faces give me renewed anonymity.  I have also discovered the trouble makers find the trouble makers and the wallflowers are left alone because they don’t provide a high stimulus reaction that the trouble makers seek.

I met a person who could use your services in jail.  He is a loud mouth lawyer who thinks he has the system figured out.  He shows no restraint in letting the correction officers or the counselor know how he should be treated.  He aggressively questioned the counselor about his good-time in front of the entire block instead of being respectful and enquiring about his situation in her office.  She was not willing to go out of her way for him and rightfully so.  He embarrassed her in front of other inmates.

The lawyer has witnessed that karma is a bitch.  He wanted a lower bunk so he gave a significant amount of food to a drug dealer that was going to be released on Thursday.  After the dealer was released the lawyer went to tell the counselor the dealer gave him the lower bunk.  The counselor had to explain how she gives the bunk assignments, not the outgoing inmates.  The lawyer continues to make life tough for himself.  He never learned that you can’t trust anyone in jail and that all inmates, and some of the guards, are con-men.

You warned me about letting people know about my life on the outside.  I keep my name tag hidden whenever possible.  People refer to me with all kinds of names and rarely call me by my actual name.  I welcome the confusion because I do not want people heading to my door step after they get out of jail.  It did get difficult remembering all the different names people had for me.  I wear ear plugs because it is loud in the block.  The plugs are also a great excuse to not answer people when they call my same.  If people want something then they walk up to my bed, otherwise I’m left alone.

You warned me that it will be obvious to inmates that I’m well educated and have money.  I use both to my advantage. I pay to get my laundry done a few times per week, give some extra food to guys who have no money in commissary, and help people write letters to family members.  It is the right thing to do and people notice I help out others in need.  It has generated more respect for me.

I wish I could say all inmates are as blessed as me.  It is sad to experience others being shunned by their families.  Most of them have been to jail multiple times and their loved ones are trying to break the enabling process by ceasing contact.  Is there a problem with the rehabilitation system or are the people in the system not willing to accept responsibility for who they are?  I’ve been amazed with the majority of inmates who admit to having a substance problem but not willing to change.  It is hard for me to sympathize with them.

I am in a great place spiritually as my stay within the penitentiary system is coming to an end.   I am not as worried about finding employment once I am released.  I’ve been able to generate a few leads while corresponding with people on the outside.   

I hope life is treating you well.  See you soon, XXX

This is the second letter from prison from this friend.  It was completed and sent to me upon his release.  The first letter: http://progressiveprisonproject.blogspot.com/2013/05/letter-from-prison-2013.html


Jeff Grant, JD, M Div
Minister, Activist,
Social Ethicist, Author

Director, Progressive Prison Project
Forensic Ministry
Greenwich, Connecticut

Assoc. Minister/
Director of Prison Ministries
First Baptist Church of Bridgeport
126 Washington Avenue, 1st Fl.
Bridgeport, Connecticut 06604

(203) 339-5887
jgrant3074@icloud.com
jg3074@columbia.edu