It’s an ever-interesting place
All in a weeks work at the prison.
Some weeks I feel like more of a counselor than a PT. This past week was full of interesting sessions.
One day I was treating a stress/tension headache brought on by emotional strain from losing their dear pet. He spoke of his pet’s personality and what they chose to do with his ashes. And he shared how heart breaking it was to hear the anguish in his wife’s voice when they spoke. And there was additional grief at learning he wouldn’t be paroled in time for the holiday’s. There’s an extra strained grief that exists in the prison when they lose a pet or a family member. There’s a lot of underlying guilt for not being there for their loved ones in their time of most need.
I had a conversation with a young vet about the transition from active duty to being a veteran. Dropped from their support network in the service, and expected to suddenly cope with nightmares and anxiety in civilian life after years of being taught to kill, kill, kill. They spoke of regret for leaving the service. There was curiosity if they’d stayed in, would they not be incarcerated right now. It was a most certain, yes.
Another young man shared the details of his crime. Oy! I didn’t ask him to share. I really don’t want to know if I don’t need to know. But he felt it was part of his repentance to his victim. If he can’t share and open up to the details, he feels he’s not truly honoring his victim. He shared how his decision making was wrong along the way and how he could have made different choices. He notes, he knows this won’t bring that person back or heal his family’s wounds, but it’s a start to owning up to his responsibility and how to not make those choices again. Woosh! That was a tough one to listen to. You never think you’ll be on the other side of an inmate’s crime and what was going through his head at the time. And there it was.
Each week, I join an exercise class in the gym. The class was started a year ago with the help of custody and medical staff. The pharmacist and the other PT and myself had all been supervising this group and the 3 inmate instructors that lead the classes for those with Diabetes and another group for a more Geriatric population. With some staffing changes, it’s just me for now! I make a point to go to one class a week and join in. This past week, I led the stretching cool down and the lower body circuit. I’ll give myself a pat on the back for challenging the group with the lower body exercises. They can school me on burpees and pullups but give them some glut work and they’re like jello. There’s drama supervising any group, with all the personalities. But this endeavor is fulfilling…..these instructors really stepped up to the plate and went beyond what was asked of them to create purpose for themselves and help others in the process.
One young man gave me an education on the Muslim faith. It was thoroughly interesting and enlightening. I got to ask questions I would never ask anyone else. He was very thorough in his explanations and I could see he was very much committed to his faith. I commented that I was impressed by his knowledge and ability to share it so pragmatically. He said, “It comes from a lot of studying.” He mentioned that everyone’s negative thoughts outside the faith, come from fear. FYI, I’m not going to become Muslim (and I can now understand that I won’t be considered an infidel for not doing so). But I can see the draw for so many.
Whew, almost there…..Another conversation burrowed into the lax DUI laws in California. As I wrote about previously, I have a certain prejudice when it comes to this topic. CalMatters just came out with a write up about the lax laws. This particular individual in our session, was not in for a crime while DUI. But it got us into the discussion about how long does one need to stay in prison before they change their ways. There is something to actually spending enough years “being down,” as they say to realize you can’t go on doing things the same. There is value in getting a long enough sentence that you’re forced into programs and it finally kicks in that your past traumas are creating new ones for others. And unless you have ample time and guidance to work through that stuff, a 10 month sentence and getting your license back is just not enough to force positive change. Addiction treatment is not just a quick turn around and needs lifelong attention —at least that’s what I’m learning from my patients.
And finally, ending on a lighter note. One of my elder patients this past week came in again as he’s done several times before and recited poems for me. From memory. He would lie down on the table, settle into the cervical traction device and close his eyes. Then, I would hear full poems by Yates and Shakespeare. Now I can’t speak to his accuracy because I don’t know any of those writings from memory. But he does. He said he would walk laps on the yard, just reciting them in his head. Fascinating.
And that’s just s snippet of my week. Would love to hear thoughts on any of the above. Or just share your week with me.
*just to note. Images are not from the prison as no devices are allowed in.
Prison PT 
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