From Senior Warden
Peace and greetings in the name which is above every name. On January 31, 2020, Florida’s DOC Secretary, Marc S. Inch, posted a letter, his New Year’s message to Inmate-Offenders in pertinent parts which reads as follows:
“Perhaps as hard and un-expected as my first greetings, I ask for your co-operation with our FDC staff and volunteers to see what we can accomplish together. I want to be able to shift a greater amount of our current and future resources for your treatment and future success.”
Then again, on August 14, 2020, Mr. Inch issued his third message: a different topic on a different canvas. Instead of using high-tech, state of the art tools, and materials i.e., pencils, pens, pastels, paints and crayons of various colors and hues, he chose to use low-tech, simple English grammar. And once again his audience was Inmate-Offenders.
The essence of his message in his own words: “I want to help and of course “I believe I can help.“ “I am asking for your help.” Of course the message is much more. A whole lot more.
I read it and reread, in its entirety. It’s a bargain! A grand bargain, iron sharpening iron and one hand washing another’s hand. I read the message over again on someone else’s tablet, just in case there was an electronic discrepancy. The message remains the same.
For those of you who never read the message, believe me, it’s a great offer. It is impossible to give or receive what he has to offer without mutual agreed men. Let’s look at it another way, just in case Mr. Inch is in so many words willing to perform what amounts to CPR procedure. In return, we the inmate offenders must be willing to breathe for him. Many of us have been in and out of jail and prison since the days of our youth(10, 20, 30, 40, 50 years). We are violent, repeated offenders. We revolve around the correctional system, we even rotate from prison to prison. I have been in and out since about the age of 12 years old. This is the first time I ever heard a FDOC Secretary invite or recruit the Inmate-Offenders to join him in finding and providing alternatives to violence and recidivism.
It sounds to me like the Secretary is saying to the Inmate-Offenders: Stop killing each other! Stop cutting! Stop stabbing and beating one another! Stop forfeiting your freedom and liberty! Stop abandoning your mother, father, siblings, spouse, children, friends, employees, employees…
I believe it is worthwhile for Inmate-Offenders to have a good understanding of the current state of affairs where we are concerned. From race to religion, from gangs to groups, from youth to adulthood, for decades it’s the same old thing. It has long been said that the curse of the fathers will be upon the families from generation to generation. This trend is community-wide, city-wide, county-wide and state-wide.
I also believe we are all inextricably tied to someone else [others]. That someone has withheld, destroyed or misplaced the hope meant for the Inmate-Offenders. Gain-time is one thing to withhold, but “Hope” is altogether different.
In the rule making process, certain ingredients, seasoning elements i.e. salt without savor may be added. If the salt has lost its savor, wherewith shall it be salted?
Please consider this question. This is like adding a scorpion between two rocks and giving it to a person who ask you for a sandwich. But I digressed. The FDC Secretary is presently inviting and recruiting constructive alternatives to violence and recidivism from Inmate-Offenders. That being the case: a) can you think of any positive alternatives to violence? b) can you provide any alternatives to recidivism? c) why ask such questions? Is it to receive other Inmates-Offenders perspective on the issue. Repeat these questions with three different Inmates-Offenders for 30 days. Record the response for 30 days. Send your positive alternatives to violence and recidivism to your CLO, your Warden or to the Office of the Secretary.
The audacity, the boldness, the courage and the dare of Secretary Inch is of biblical proportion. He believes he can help us and he is asking us to help him help us. By this call of the Secretary, I am reminded of the two sisters whose brother was raised from the dead. The Word says Jesus cried with the loud voice: Lazarus come forth. And he that was dead came forth. See the similarities in Matthew 5:13-16, and see also John 11:1-44. What if brother Lazarus had refused to get up out of the grave and come forth. Can you imagine the man flat on his back, tied hands and feet and raising up and walking up here upon hearing the right call at the right time, by the right voice, gladly fleeing Lodebar when the opportunity afforded itself. We need inmate offenders to come forth to provide positive alternatives to violence and recidivism. Let him who have eyes see it let. Let him who have ears hear it. I believe I can help; I also believe it’s possible for you to read this letter without a clear understanding of what it’s all about. If that is the case for you, reread the Secretary’s letter as well as this letter.
Ask a trusted Inmate-Offender to read this letter and give you an idea of what it’s about. I believe you can make a contribution in the quest to find alternatives to violence and recidivism.
Thank you for your attention and time. Finally, “let us exalt his name… his name is above every name…
Senior Warden is not the real name of the author of this letter, and yes he is incarcerated in the Florida Department of Corrections.
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