Upon arrival in prison, one is met by disdain and contempt from all sides. Among your new neighbors this may be because of the type of crime you committed, friends or family of the victims, the gang or people you associate with, the way you look, how you talk, or something as simple as how you breathe. Among the administrative staff, it is simply because you have committed a crime, and they have been vested with control over your life. And within this new world often exists a mentality of merciless anger, brutality, hatefulness and manipulation. Here, compassion can be scarce. However, in my thirty-three years of doing time, I have never been enriched like I have been from getting to know two gentlemen here – Richard Nelson and Ross Thornton. They defy the traditional prison mentality.
Ross Thronton is a 52-year-old man serving a life sentence. He has been working in the kitchen dish room for as long as I have known him, which has been about twelve years. He spends the first ten to twelve hours of each day overseeing the orderly running of all the equipment in the dish room, and he trains each person how to do their job with integrity, precision and a good attitude. I find Brother Ross extraordinary, not only because of his commitment to what many consider an unflattering job, but also for what he does every day before, during and after working his shift – serving the elderly population.
Brother Ross takes time throughout his day to pick up many of the elderly men’s clothes, help them to and from the shower, clean their cells when needed, walk them to the chow hall, get their trays and eat with them. He sits on benches and provides companionship to a segment of the prison population that is often overlooked. He makes them feel valued, respected and loved. His prayer requests are always selfless. We have been praying over them for eight years and have never read one requesting a prayer for himself.
And then there is Brother Richard Nelson, a 79-year-old man also serving a life sentence. He works in the cellhouse and goes about his job of cleaning, restocking supplies (which consists of carrying a very large box of toilet paper holding 96 rolls), and also helping people in any way that they need. He is the type of man who will walk by, hear you expressing a need, and if he is able, he will fulfill it. It makes no difference whether he knows you or not. Race, age, religious affiliations, etc., none of it matters – other than what you need.
I find Brother Nelson extraordinary not only because of his selflessness, but he also has the uncanny ability to make sure people know they are not forgotten. Brother Nelson can be seen on many days delivering birthday cards all over the cellhouse. He finds out people’s birthdays, writes them down, and then he either draws or has cards drawn. The front covers consist of the good qualities God created in you, why you are valuable, and the personal nickname God has given you! Then he sends three months’ worth of cards through his Incarcerated Individual Network to be signed by his friends as well as yours. How he finds out your birthday and who your friends are remains a mystery. All I know is, you come in from work or the yard and there is a birthday card on your bed.
These two men have taught me how to love unconditionally by the way they live. They never seek recognition. They never brag about anything they do or the help they give. They simply live their best prison life making prison life better for others. I would never have become friends with them for so many shallow reasons, but meeting them through the church helped me understand a particular scripture – Hebrews 13:12. “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.”
Ross Thornton and Richard Nelson raised the bar for me. They became the human paradigms that elevated the way I serve. I see them as two people I entertained and learned they were Angels.
ABOUT THE WRITER. Michael Blackwell is not only new to WITS, he is also the First Place Winner in our recent writing contest! I am always glad to hear from new writers, and as this writing family grows, the insight shared here grows. I hope Mr. Blackwell continues to write, and I hope he shares more with us in the future. He can be contacted at:
Michael E. Blackwell #0060156
Fort Dodge Corectional Facility – 1114
P.O. Box 96777
Las Vegas, NV 89193
