What does it feel like to be in prison?
Wendy Covill can tell you how it feels from a couple of different angles.
She's been a student of mine in several of my adult online classes in psychology. I finally met her a couple of years ago when she came to the Granite State College campus in Concord to accept a scholarship she had won.
Wendy graduated from Granite State College in 2009 and now teaches at a prison in Vermont. I'm sure the prisoners have a particular respect for her...but more on that in a minute.
She told me how her "first day speech" to her students goes:
"I think of my stroke as a perfect storm: pregnancy, two young boys at home, I was an EMT, waitress/ school cook...constantly on the move. To society, a woman making things happen for her family...then crash, bang, boom, down for the count. I emerged from the ruins and found myself being stared at and judged by my former fans! People tried to pretend they didn't see me, but I know we made eye contact and I felt the rejection a snap of the head conveys."
See what I mean about her story-telling abilities? No wonder she's had prisoners ask her to adopt them. And when you meet her three terrific kids and her amazing husband, you can see what an honor it must be to be a Covill.
Oh, and a little about her amazing husband: He's a corrections officer at the prison, and she says of him, "They tell me, 'He is fair, he is patient, he listens to us, he never lets us stay mad, he talks to us until we are calm again, he makes us want to be better dads.' " And she says, "They call us Mr. & Mrs. Corrections! I love the title. When they see us leaving work together they know we really care about them. They are humans and they deserve a second chance, just like me! My life is better now than before the storm. When I rebuilt my life, I removed all of the walls that stopped me in the past."
I'll let her tell you more about her classroom:
"When I rolled into the prison, no one judged me, all of the inmates were polite; they literally tripped over each other to get the door for me or to carry my bag. They were patient with me and still are. I am one of them, because my prison is my body. I feel what they feel, they understand how hard it is for me to be there. For the first time since the storm...I feel safe! I know they will put my needs before their own. They linger after class to talk to me about their families, while most of society pretends not to hear me.
"I really do feel though the prison is where I belong! These men really need someon e to show them second chancees can often be better than what you had before. They trust me and I feel so honored to have their trust! I indentify with them. I think of how hard it was for me to be at the mercy of others. I remember all too well how it feels to watch your independence slip away. The frustration of having to comply with the wishes of others. They know I care about them...If just one of these men leads a great life after incarceration I have accomplished a lot!"
The world is a better place because Wendy is in it. There's a prison in Vermont that's a better place because Wendy is in it. And I'm pretty sure that the life of more than one of her beloved prisoners will be different because of her. I hope so. And my hat is off to them and, of course, to her!
Oh, and here is a picture of Wendy (and me) when she accepted her scholarship at Granite State College. Her husband, Shawn, took it, and entitled it, "Amazing Lady." Ah, yes, she is indeed.
Wendy Covill can tell you how it feels from a couple of different angles.
She's been a student of mine in several of my adult online classes in psychology. I finally met her a couple of years ago when she came to the Granite State College campus in Concord to accept a scholarship she had won.
Wendy graduated from Granite State College in 2009 and now teaches at a prison in Vermont. I'm sure the prisoners have a particular respect for her...but more on that in a minute.
She told me how her "first day speech" to her students goes:
"When you work, you get rewarded. In my classes, your reward is a spearmint Lifesaver. I want you to look forward to your Lifesaver. The first thing I want you to do when you are released is go to the store and buy a roll of spearmint Lifesavers. Keep a roll on you at all times. When you find yourself in a precarious situation, think of them in your pocket and use them as a reminder that only you can be your lifesaver! You have the control over your life. Think of the clean minty fresh flavor and remember you do not want to dirty your clean fresh new start. Do not do anything that will take away your freedom!
"I have faith in all of you. You are all capable of amazing things....and when you see a kid headed down the wrong path, offer them a Lifesaver!"
Wendy has the most enjoyable sense of humor and personal warmth. She has a gift for telling a story and getting an idea across. But what's even more stunning is to find out a little more about her. When she was pregnant with her third child, she had a stroke. She wasn't expected to survive. She's now paralyzed on one side and "rolls through life" in a wheelchair. Here's how she tells her story:
Wendy has the most enjoyable sense of humor and personal warmth. She has a gift for telling a story and getting an idea across. But what's even more stunning is to find out a little more about her. When she was pregnant with her third child, she had a stroke. She wasn't expected to survive. She's now paralyzed on one side and "rolls through life" in a wheelchair. Here's how she tells her story:
"I think of my stroke as a perfect storm: pregnancy, two young boys at home, I was an EMT, waitress/ school cook...constantly on the move. To society, a woman making things happen for her family...then crash, bang, boom, down for the count. I emerged from the ruins and found myself being stared at and judged by my former fans! People tried to pretend they didn't see me, but I know we made eye contact and I felt the rejection a snap of the head conveys."
See what I mean about her story-telling abilities? No wonder she's had prisoners ask her to adopt them. And when you meet her three terrific kids and her amazing husband, you can see what an honor it must be to be a Covill.
Oh, and a little about her amazing husband: He's a corrections officer at the prison, and she says of him, "They tell me, 'He is fair, he is patient, he listens to us, he never lets us stay mad, he talks to us until we are calm again, he makes us want to be better dads.' " And she says, "They call us Mr. & Mrs. Corrections! I love the title. When they see us leaving work together they know we really care about them. They are humans and they deserve a second chance, just like me! My life is better now than before the storm. When I rebuilt my life, I removed all of the walls that stopped me in the past."
I'll let her tell you more about her classroom:
"When I rolled into the prison, no one judged me, all of the inmates were polite; they literally tripped over each other to get the door for me or to carry my bag. They were patient with me and still are. I am one of them, because my prison is my body. I feel what they feel, they understand how hard it is for me to be there. For the first time since the storm...I feel safe! I know they will put my needs before their own. They linger after class to talk to me about their families, while most of society pretends not to hear me.
"I really do feel though the prison is where I belong! These men really need someon e to show them second chancees can often be better than what you had before. They trust me and I feel so honored to have their trust! I indentify with them. I think of how hard it was for me to be at the mercy of others. I remember all too well how it feels to watch your independence slip away. The frustration of having to comply with the wishes of others. They know I care about them...If just one of these men leads a great life after incarceration I have accomplished a lot!"
The world is a better place because Wendy is in it. There's a prison in Vermont that's a better place because Wendy is in it. And I'm pretty sure that the life of more than one of her beloved prisoners will be different because of her. I hope so. And my hat is off to them and, of course, to her!
Oh, and here is a picture of Wendy (and me) when she accepted her scholarship at Granite State College. Her husband, Shawn, took it, and entitled it, "Amazing Lady." Ah, yes, she is indeed.
Powered by Compendium
Comments for Many kinds of Prisons