Matt was taken to the Jefferson County Jail but only for a short time. By the end of the week, he was processed and sent to the correctional facility in Cullman County. We learned that federal prisoners were not housed with the county prisoners. The feds had a contract to house their prisoners waiting trial so Matt was transported by van to the Cullman County Jail.
The visiting
times were different than Jefferson County, so every Wednesday evening Joe and
I made our trip up I65 to visit our son. I usually met Joe in Kimberly and left
my car so we could ride together. It was only about 45 minutes but the wait was
always a surprise. Sometimes we got
right in and sometimes we waited for an hour or so.
Matt was in
Cullman the first Christmas away from home. We were not allowed to give him any
gifts but he did ask the warden for one favor. Matt had been smoking when he
left but he could not smoke in jail. He had asked the warden if he could have
some cigarettes for Christmas. The warden had agreed on one condition: that
Matt provide cigarettes for all the prisoners who were incarcerated on
Christmas Day. He was asked to provide 2 cigarettes for each prisoner. So, Joe
and I went out and bought 1 carton of Basic Menthol and 2 cartons of Basic
regular and delivered them to the jail on Christmas Eve. That was one happy group of prisoners on that
smoky Christmas Day!
We have
learned our share of rules and procedures during this journey. One thing for
sure: the rules are always different at each facility. We always expected to
wait and always needed to have a picture ID, but other details varied at each
location. Some places we had to put money in a machine which went to an account
for the prisoner. Some of the machines only took money and some would take a
credit card. All of the visitation was behind glass. Some had a phone we both
talked into and some just had glass with a speaker. There was always a time
limit because so many people had someone to visit. There were usually children
around waiting to see their fathers and mothers.
I knew I had
entered a different world when I observed some children at Cullman playing Hide
and Seek the best they could. They would hide behind chairs, under tables, and
beside Coke machines. The teacher in me would focus on their playful antics and
I found myself amused at their creativity. No items were allowed in the back
with the prisoners, so we usually came in with only our driver’s licenses. The
same was true for the children. No books, or toys, or anything for
entertainment.
As I watched
the group of three act out their child’s play, I overheard one child say to the
other. “OK, now I’ll be the warden!” Oh,
well! When in Rome do as the Romans do… I realized at that point I was totally
submerged in a different culture. They were acting out what they knew. Sad, but true. But that did not make them any
less loved by the one true God.
Little
moments like that have changed my feelings about people and families who
struggle with issues related to drug addiction. It is a curse inflicted on all
families. It knows no boundaries of race, gender, socioeconomics, faith,
education. It’s a monster that can raise its ugly head anytime or anyplace. It
can rip families apart and make orphans of the innocent. The only thing I can
do to help others, besides pray for them, is to reassure them that there is a
purpose in their life. That they are part of the big picture, a victim of an
unseen battle for each soul that has nothing to do with what we did or did not
do. I can encourage them to trust the Lord in each and every circumstance and
be dependent on His grace as they face their earthly struggles. I can reassure
them of the hope I have found in Jesus Christ. It will not fix the hurt and the
anger or pay for the legal battles, but it will provide a peace in knowing that
all things work for the good of those who love the Lord. I can tell them what I
have been through and what I continue to face on a daily basis. I can share my
struggles and my faith.
No comments:
Post a Comment