Yesterday I found myself talking with two female employees of the Colorado Department of Corrections. I was curious, what were their positions at the DOC, and what was it like, working behind bars?
They both work directly with inmates, and they talked & talked & talked ... about Ms. Smith and Ms. Jones and a host of others, about their reasons for incarceration and the way that they live in prison. It was fascinating to hear of a woman, a former professor, who shot her husband when she learned he had molested their daughter, and others whose stories were disturbing, yet not too far beyond my imagination.
I was most surprised and most impressed by the respect that these guards have for the prisoners. Yes, respect. The way they spoke of the inmates was so far removed from the portrayal of prison life in the movies; these two women clearly care - passionately care - for the people who reside in their prison.
If you are like me, you rarely if ever think about that other world, removed and yet part of our world. Today I was honored to catch a glimpse of the mystery that is life behind bars, and I was left with profound gratitude, both for the (imperfect) system that protects our society, and two compassionate employees who add a large measure of dignity to those who must live there.
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