Fifth Jail Visit
This afternoon, I returned to jail. In some ways, it was the opposite of my previous visit. Last time, I had prepared for a small part of the meeting and ended up leading most of the service. This time, I prepared for the opening portion of the meeting. When the meeting started, one of the other guys started the opening portion. There was a mix-up and we both thought we were responsible for this segment. So this week, I ended up not leading any of the service. Actually it was kind of nice; I enjoyed sitting back and observing the service.
This week, there were 14 inmates attending the service. One of the inmates commented that the meetings are getting more popular; the attendance is rising each week. We had to bring in more chairs to accommodate the additional inmates. Plus, most of the inmates were very involved in this meeting; it was fascinating to listen to their stories. One of the inmates who has been in the county jail for 11 months is being transferred to another facility. He has attended every meeting that I have been to and it is kind of sad to see him go, however he is excited about the opportunity to take some classes that will allow him to get his GED. I am happy for him; he seems like a good guy.
A couple of the "regulars" are getting released in the next week or two. It is sad to see them go, but exciting that they will be able to leave the jail. Both are optimistic that they will be able to change their habits and stay clean. They are going to work hard to change their lives. I sure hope that they can. On the other hand, there were a few new inmates there. They were not so optimistic about themselves. Each has been in and out of jail for 10 years or so. They are pessimistic about their ability to stay clean when they get out again. Several talked about the pain of missing a son's or a daughter's birthday, some talked about their families giving up on them. It is really sad to hear their stories.
Once again, several of the inmates came up to me and thanked me for coming in. They told me how much these meetings mean to them. Once again, it was a very moving and inspirational experience for me.
This week, there were 14 inmates attending the service. One of the inmates commented that the meetings are getting more popular; the attendance is rising each week. We had to bring in more chairs to accommodate the additional inmates. Plus, most of the inmates were very involved in this meeting; it was fascinating to listen to their stories. One of the inmates who has been in the county jail for 11 months is being transferred to another facility. He has attended every meeting that I have been to and it is kind of sad to see him go, however he is excited about the opportunity to take some classes that will allow him to get his GED. I am happy for him; he seems like a good guy.
A couple of the "regulars" are getting released in the next week or two. It is sad to see them go, but exciting that they will be able to leave the jail. Both are optimistic that they will be able to change their habits and stay clean. They are going to work hard to change their lives. I sure hope that they can. On the other hand, there were a few new inmates there. They were not so optimistic about themselves. Each has been in and out of jail for 10 years or so. They are pessimistic about their ability to stay clean when they get out again. Several talked about the pain of missing a son's or a daughter's birthday, some talked about their families giving up on them. It is really sad to hear their stories.
Once again, several of the inmates came up to me and thanked me for coming in. They told me how much these meetings mean to them. Once again, it was a very moving and inspirational experience for me.
posted by Steve @ 8:46 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home