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Wednesday, September 02, 2009

Indignity of Prison

Fr. MacRae has a new post today discussing the reality of his life in prison. The images he describes are quite vivid to me, having walked through a few prisons as a student, having made arrests in my career, in transporting prisoners to local jails, etc.

For awhile, I considered a career as a Corrections Officer, but found it really didn't appeal to me; I never pursued it, and I'm glad for that.

Even though I've read accounts of prisoners about prison life, and I know what it's like, at least to some degree, to stand on the other side, one of the striking things about Fr. MacRae's post is the incredible depersonalization that takes place on both sides...because it must.

Most people walking around today have never had that sense of guard-prisoner, which changes the dynamic of any kind of interpersonal relationship. From the side I was on, I realized that x person was now under my authority, and a great deal of ethics had to come along with that. Yet, one can sense a subtle change, and although I didn't recognize it at the time, there was a certain amount of depersonalization that took place. As I did not work in a prison though, I truly only have the slightest grasp of this reality, and can, at best, only muse about it.

Fr. MacRae describes this well, though, from the viewpoint of being a prisoner, so far removed from the respect he deserves with his clerical status which is NOT recognized in prison. Unwittingly, even in his own words, he depersonalizes the guards, for in being treated like one of the cattle, how could he see the guards that escorted him in chains as anything other than impersonal "handlers", for truly, that is what they were?

I do not quote his post on this page as I think it best for you to go and read it for yourself.

Please pray for Fr. MacRae and for all priests wrongfully imprisoned in the great injustice of the witch-hunt that convicted without evidence and condemned with false trials.

5 comments:

Linda said...

Hmmmmm,
I mentored at the woman's prison for 5 years. I can honestly say they are people just like us only they got caught. They all desire a life of happiness and stuck in life. They all want what we want. Unfortunately they don't know the Lord. I found that in 5 years mentoring that only those who have found their Higher Power make it. And even then they will be battling addictions for the rest of their lives. Mentoring is something I have valued and learned alot from. God is there behind the prison walls, if only they could see that.

Brother Juniper said...

I read this article and began to wonder how many priests actually committed the crimes they are accused of. It seems to me that more were to sent to prison on trumped up charges rather than on what actually happened.

Thanks for the link. Definitely food for thought.

Adoro said...

Linda ~ I think you miss what I'm getting at. Admittedly this post isn't well written (partially because I wrote through a fog of cold medication!). Also a mentor relationship is definitely different than a guard-prisoner relationship. I've also worked extensively in mental health, and while that wasn't so "extreme" it was maybe a hybrid of mentor/guard.

Because of what the prison system IS, on BOTH sides of the bars, each depersonalizes the other to SOME degree. BOTH lose some of their dignity in the process, in the sense that it is wounded in what they are doing.

It's part of our fallen nature.

And indeed, God is there behind prison walls. he calls us to visit the imprisoned. And there are Priests behind those walls, priests who have been ignored, who have been injustly imprisoned.

Hopefully you visited Fr. MacRae via his blog - that really is the entire point of this post.



Brother Juniper ~ Exactly!

Adoro said...

Linda ~ I think you miss what I'm getting at. Admittedly this post isn't well written (partially because I wrote through a fog of cold medication!). Also a mentor relationship is definitely different than a guard-prisoner relationship. I've also worked extensively in mental health, and while that wasn't so "extreme" it was maybe a hybrid of mentor/guard.

Because of what the prison system IS, on BOTH sides of the bars, each depersonalizes the other to SOME degree. BOTH lose some of their dignity in the process, in the sense that it is wounded in what they are doing.

It's part of our fallen nature.

And indeed, God is there behind prison walls. he calls us to visit the imprisoned. And there are Priests behind those walls, priests who have been ignored, who have been injustly imprisoned.

Hopefully you visited Fr. MacRae via his blog - that really is the entire point of this post.



Brother Juniper ~ Exactly!

Regina said...

I read this post a few days ago and I visit Fr. MacRae's site often.
I can barely articulate how I feel whenever I pay Fr. "a visit" on his blog. I am so disheartened by the seeming lack of compassion shown to him by fellow priests and his superiors, the outright tendency for priests like Fr. MacRae to be found guilty before all the facts are in, and the utter abandonment by the Church these priests have to endure. It's so sad.
Thanks for linking to this.