opening a door
“You know what I can’t wait to do? ….open a door on my own.”
This is our first appointment. He shares the above sentiment.
He has questions about how things work on the mainline. I’m thinking he must be new to the prison.
On the contrary he shares that he’s been on death row for 40 some years.
But he was re-sentenced and was released to the mainline last year. If you don’t know, the mainline is what is referred to as the general prison population, in relation to those that are on death row.
I’ve had one other patient who was new to this shift in their living situation. So I shared a wee bit of understanding of how he might be feeling. I don’t ever want to suggest that I could truly understand this, because no one could really know what that’s like until you’ve lived it.
I had one patient on the condemned unit explain to me how in the not so old days, the officers used to shout out, “Dead man walking!” every time they were being escorted anywhere, even to a medical appointment (now they yell out, “Escort!”). He used to hate being held onto for that reason. Now, he told me, “it’s a comfort.”
Whew, that sunk deep for me. Unless you’re a complete sociopath, hearing that every time you, or anyone else, was out of the cell, would really eat at you.
So, this particular patient definitely lived through that period of the prison history.
And now, being on the mainline, there are obviously still rules, but once the cell doors open in the morning, he can freely roam the institution without being restrained or escorted.
It’s a BIG adjustment. Forty plus years of learning one way of existing to now having a completely foreign environment as he nears 70 years of age.
And he’s eligible for parole. Something he never thought possible. His parole board hearing is next week and he’s ready. He has letters of support from custody. And all documents have been submitted. He’s hopeful, already dreaming of a life outside.
I have no idea what his crime was. So I can’t judge if he’s served his time. But I can say he seems rehabbed, “Suitable,” as they call it. I suppose 40+ years could mature you, break you down. He’s empathetic. Kind. Conscientious. If you read last week’s post, he’s the one who asked about my skin biopsy results.
I’m rooting for him in the parole board decision.
He shared that a long time friend blessed him with good news. They offered their home for him to live in when he paroles. A home where he can open the doors anytime he wants. No permission needed.
*just to note, I’ll be leaving out the name of the institution that I work at. It’s a state prison for reference. Images are not from the prison as no devices are allowed in.
Prison PT 
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