A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Banter Hall Just got home

I just got home from spending 5 days down in Louisiana serving at a prison down there. There were 66 people in our group from Pa/NY and overall, there were over 500 volunteers at the prison for this event.

Awana has a fathering ministry that started at the prison (Angola prison) and once a year they do something called Returning Hearts Celebration. The prison allows the inmates kids to come into the prison for a day and spend the day in a setting that is like a carnival. We bring in all the games and food and such. This year 603 kids came.

We spend a total of 2 days in the prison, which is the country's largest maximum security prison. It has over 5300 inmates. The prison grounds cover 18,000 acres (NOT a typo). Manhattan Island could fit inside the prison fence and there'd still be room to add more.

On Friday we spent the day doing training for our jobs on Saturday, a church service, time to chat with some inmates, witnessed this year's Malachi Dads graduation (this is a program they have at the prison), and they fed us lunch and dinner.

I look forward to this every year and already can't wait for next year.....even tho I came home to a lawn that had not been mowed and a yucky pond that had filled during 2 days of straight rain.

Glad you did your deed for the week.
Takes a different type of person to do that..Not I

My sis in law is a security guard in one, but not that huge.
good girl

dodge

Sounds like a wonderful and worthy thing to do, Jenn.

Dodge, my hubby is an officer at the maximum security women's prison just 8 or 10 miles away from us. He transferred there about 3 months ago from a male institution that was 67 miles away. I am not sure of how many inmates they have at this women's prison...maybe around 3,000 or so?

Going into the prison doesn't bother me, but I go so the kids get to spend the day with their dads. You should see how some of these kids dress for the day!!! Some boys come with ties on..the girls dress in pretty dresses. The day, really, is heart breaking. Some of these kids are 14 or 15 and have NEVER even met their dads!! Some only see their dad this one day of the year.

That is a wonderful thing that you and the others do for those children, Jenn.

Glad there are folks like you ......You should be proud.
It tears the heart out of me to see kids being hurt, I know I arent cut out for that.

God bless you for helping kids.. Keep going.
Our school took us one time to visit jail an we were in the lower grades. It did scare me.

Interesting fact: there is only 1 women's prison in all of Israel. Women in Israel don't commit crimes evidently. The conditions are good in that 1 prison.

Nice thing you did.

Thats nice to know

Evening all,
Well we got back about midnight last night... our flight took off late.. so we missed the bus so took a later one.. so Carrie and Joseph came to pick us up... we came home - dropped the bags in the kitchen got a drink and went to bed... had to get up early to make our appt with the financial planner.. ordered Joe's retirement papers and hoping it will all work out for this fall... be really nice to say bye to him working ...
I was a good visit with his Mom and family- got to see some we hadn't seen in yrs so that was nice... our hotel was kind of a bust... was nice room but the fire alarm went off our second night twice- then twice again in the morning.. was a short in the system - had been doing it for a yr... ridiculous..we did get a rebate on one days charge , and a room change to a different building.. we did get to use the pool and jacuzzi too so tried to get our moneys worth from them... manager was upset the clerk offered the rebate to us- said she wasn't authorized.. I said well if she hadn't we would have changed hotels all together...

Well off to eat some dinner and get the laundry started...
Nana

Weldome home, Nana. did you get a great look at the eclipse? There was supposed to be a better view in Phoenix. So Sorry you had motel problems. It just isn't right and good for the clerk who tried to make it right for you. I saw the weather once and it sure got hot down there! Bet you are glad to be home

Welcome home, Nana!! Sorry you had a crappy hotel experience. I have always hated how hit or miss hotels are. I usually book mine via the internet so I can read reviews, but even those are unreliable. We use a fabulous one down in Louisiana. They are soo accommodating to us. This year our group had 66 people in it and about 20 of us had flights that landed before noon. Even tho the hotel was booked solid the previous night, the cleaning ladies worked super hard and were able to have rooms available for early check in for everyone who ended up flying in early. They also serve breakfast early the two days that we travel to the prison because we'd have to leave earlier than breakfast is usually put out. The beds and pillows are fabulous also. I always look forward to staying there!

Dodge, prison can be a really scary place. Angola is one of a kind, really. It is HUGE!!! It's also a working plantation, for lack of a better word. All inmates are required to do 8 hours of hard labor every day. They use the land to grow crops that they then flash freeze or can for the rest of the year. It helps keep their costs down. They actually sell the extra veggies to other prisons also! Every single seed is planted BY HAND there! They also raise grade A beef and sell it on the market to buy whatever grade beef they use at the prison. In Louisiana, prisoners are not allowed to eat grade A beef. They also raise horses and sell them at auction. It's a really interesting place. I took a tour of the place 2 years ago and learned alot of it's history. It was once the bloodiest prison in the country, but the warden they have now is excellent. He has started working on moral rehabilitation and it is really incredible the difference it has made. Most of the men that we interact with while we are there have found God while in prison. Some of them have even realized that their true calling was to be a pastor. They actually have a seminary IN the prison because of this!!! They become inmate pastors and preach in one of the prison's 7 churches.

I ended up being able to chat with an inmate named Keith that I met last year and we were able to quickly catch up. I also talked to another inmate named Jorell who was the drummer in the worship band. He has not seen his daughter in 12 years and is currently trying to find her. When he was put in jail, his wife (or girlfriend, or whatever) took his daughter and left the state. So he is in my prayers now until I go back down next year and see how things have progressed for him. I also got to chat with another inmate named Ken whom I met last year and talked to. This was the first year that his daughters could not come to the event....they have both turned 18 and are no longer allowed to participate (at 18 they are considered adults and have to go through the regular visitation requirements). While he was sad he could no longer participate in the event, he was still happy that he could encourage the other dads who would be waiting in the stands for their kids. Every year there are dads whose kids don't show up even tho they got all of their paperwork in. This year only about 40 men had to go back to their blocks (down from the normal ~100 men). That is one of the most heart breaking thing of the entire event.

Hi Bobbie,
Yes am very glad to be home- no that hotel manager was not a very good person I am afraid.. she will not like the review I put on her website...

We didn't get to see the eclipse at all, Pnx has way to many city lights to see much of anything... it was pretty hot too, but the ac actually made me too cold- guess after 17 yrs in colo I am just not used to it.

I never got to my laundry- I fell asleep in my chair and Joe let me sleep.. so guess it will get done tomorrow,but now I am still awake... going to hit my bed soon though. I will have boys tomorrow.. we did go grocery shopping this afternoon , so have some cooking to get done tomorrow too.
Back in the morning,
Nana

Jenn, thanks for all you do for the prisoners. It is amazing what you and your group do. I think I would feel very intimidated in that situation. Good for you for brushing aside all pre-conceived notions in order to minister. It is truly a great gift you are giving.

Ive been told that there is a show on the Animal Planet channel (one of the national geographic channels) called Louisiana Lockdown. It is all about the Angola prison, which is the prison that I go to once a year. I have not gotten to see it yet, but a friend who has gone with me twice said she saw a couple of inmates that we have talked with in the past and someone else also told me that they saw the show and that one of the inmates was wearing a 'Malachi Dads' t-shirt (which I also have and wear quite frequently). I'm hoping to be able to catch this show at some point. It's played on Friday evenings at 10pm EST. I suppose you could go to their website to get local times if you wanted to see the show. :)