Eating the Ashes: Seeking Rehabilitation Within the Us Penal System

218 Pages·2002·2.23 MB·English

by  Veronica Compton Wallace

E A
ATING THE SHES
E A
ATING THE SHES
SEEKING
REHABILITATION
WITHIN THE US PENAL SYSTEM

Veronica Compton-Wallace

Algora Publishing
New York
© 2003 by Algora Publishing.
All Rights Reserved.
www.algora.com

No portion of this book (beyond what is permitted by
Sections 107 or 108 of the United States Copyright Act of 1976)
may be reproduced by any process, stored in a retrieval system,
or transmitted in any form, or by any means, without the
express written permission of the publisher.
ISBN: 0-87586-1644 (softcover)
ISBN: 0-87586-165-2 (hardcover)

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Compton, Veronica.
Eating the ashes : seeking rehabilitation within the US penal system /
Veronica Compton.
p. cm.
ISBN 0-87586-164-4 (softcover) — ISBN 0-87586-165-2 (hardcover)
1. Women prisoners—United States. 2. Women
Prisoners—Rehabilitation—United States. I. Title.

HV9471 .C657 2002
365'.43—dc21
2002014689

Front Cover: Drawing by Veronica Compton, State Penitentiary, 1985

Printed in the United States
I am like a pelican of the wilderness; I am
like an owl of the desert. I watch, and am as a
sparrow alone upon the housetop. Mine enemies
reproach me all the day; and they that are mad
against me are sworn against me. For I have
eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my drink
with weeping.

Psalms 102: 6-9

This book is dedicated to the inmates and staff who
have worked so tirelessly to bring about positive change
and improvement in the US prison system. It is especially
gratifying to know that the most recent Administration at
WCCW is deeply dedicated to promoting a positive atmos-
phere for rehabilitation, to advancing and expanding the
sort of programs we participated in. Their willingness to
enlist inmates in real and responsible joint efforts is a very
bright spot in the dark world of incarceration. No one
knows how far this light will reach, how much difference it
will make; but it brings hope: bread for the eaters of ashes.

TABLE of CONTENTS

Preface 1
Foreword 5

1. First Realization — “The Ashes” 9

2. Background of the Study: An Inside View of Corrections 17
Some Facts about Women and Violent Crimes 20
Signs of Trouble are Many 21
Cruel and Unusual Punishment Instead of Mental Health Care 35
The Prison Clinic 35

3. Diagnostic Dilemmas in Psychological Assessments 41

4. Data Collection and Evaluation — Pitfalls and Success Strategies 51
Quantitative Data 52
Qualitative Data 53
Data Used in this Study 58

5. POCAAN and Peer Education 61
Effective Programs in Correctional Education — Applying the
Principles in Practice 61
Implementing POCAAN 63
The Special Needs Unit 65

6. The Alternatives To Violence Program (AVP) and Peace Talks 69
The Opening Talk 73
The Eight Main Sessions 77
Lectures 84
Structure of Lecture Sessions 86

7. Trouble in TEC 89
Power over Our Own Life 89
Results of Powerless in Prison 93
In TEC: An Extreme Environment 95
A Step in the Right Direction 96
8. The Effects of Abuse 101
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder 101
Recognizing Abuse: The Victim’s Awareness Manual 107
Voices of the Innocent 110

9. TEC and the Beginnings of Betterment 113
Expanding with Volunteers 118
Expanding the Range of Activities 120
Program Coordinator Duties 122

10. Inmates’ and Families’ Needs 125
Case Study — TEC Resident Annie 126
Case Study — TEC Resident Barbie 128
The Parenting Instructor’s View 130
A Community Leader’s View 134
The Children Left Behind 136

11. The Survey 139
The Questionnaire and Representative Responses 142
Voices of the Inmates 156

12. Recommendations 169
Educational Design 169
Two Steps Forward, One Step Back 172
The View from WCCW’s Education Department 172
Thoughts for the Future 174

13. Conclusion 179

Appendixes 188

Resources 203

Acknowledgements 207