During the Christmas holiday here, residents are given a holiday bag filled with a variety of snacks. This bag is often the only thing many guys receive, other than a rough time, and it is looked forward to each year. After one such holiday, we were all in good spirits, having received our bags, and my friend slipped his under his bunk before leaving for his regular bible study. When he got back – the bag was gone. Stolen! It was heart-wrenching to see the devastation in my friend’s eyes, to hear the hurt in his voice, knowing this was all he had.
As word of the theft spread, our unit of about 128 guys became charged with an awe-inspiring energy. A few guys, some of the ‘worst haters’, went around and collected snacks and cook-up and sodas. One guy even gave his own holiday bag. Total collected that day was five times the amount that had been stolen.
I watched in gratitude as my friend, a sex-offender, was given a better replacement bag than the one stolen. It was a beautiful sight, seeing a broken heart being restored with hope, love, generosity and simple humanness. His holiday became much more than it would have been, because my friend was someone who never received mail, never used the phone, and who felt no one cared. He was a man who always had to hustle for everything he got, and he finally experienced being cared for.
It made my holiday that much better too. I received the gift of seeing the true spirit of giving in this environment. It was difficult to not look at these guys and realize that in spirit we are all the same, that our appearance, race, sexual orientation, gender, criminal history or anything else – doesn’t matter.
We are judged on all those things by society, considered unworthy, unredeemable, unlovable, the worst of the worst. But through our actions and the kindness shown to my friend, this community broke that stereotype.
Yes, we have all made some terrible decisions in our lives, decisions that we will continue to pay for beyond our time in this prison with the stigma of being ex-felons. I believe, given care, hope and love, these same men who are sons, fathers, brothers, husbands and friends will be seen more for their beautiful, generous hearts than the mistakes made in their past.
ABOUT THE WRITER. James Pruitt is new to WITS, having submitted this essay for a past writing contest. As always, WITS receives contest submissions that, though they may not place, need to be published. This essay was read by a board member at our 2024 Annual Board Meeting, and is also included in the the June, 2024, newsletter. It speaks to much of what WITS is about, recognizing that growth is experienced through love and grace, not perpetual punishment, and that happens in all populations when given a chance. I am grateful for Mr. Pruitt’s contribution and he can be contacted at:
James Pruitt #16364-040
Federal Correctional Institution Elkton
P.O. Box 10
Lisbon, Ohio 44432
