Volunteer Instructors Visit the DC Jail
By Lee Gjertsen Malone, Partnerships & Communications Manager
In early June, a group of NW volunteers visited the DC Jail as part of the Frederick Douglass Project for Justice and had the opportunity to speak first hand with incarcerated men to learn about their lives.
The group included both new and long-term volunteers Susan Borke, Margaret Emery, Jayme Epstein, Rob Kaye and Camilla Carpenter, as well as staff member Lee Gjertsen Malone. The participants said the experience was unique and transformative, even for people who had been in the Jail previously to teach as part of NW or other programs.
“I had never been to the jail before, and in fact, did not even know where it was located until I drove there for the visit. It surprised me that I had been to Capitol Hill East many times without realizing the jail was right there–very close, but hidden from public view,” Margaret said.
Several members of the team commented on how loud it was inside, with the combination of voices, footsteps, and especially slamming doors. “It was very noisy,” Susan said, though “the men say they tune it out.”
“It must be challenging to live with that noise 24/7,” Camilla said.
Also surprising was how many men had been held at the Jail pre-trial for years. Throughout the visit, which included both large group and small group activities, the NW visitors spoke with the men about serious issues, such as their lives inside and their regrets, as well as lighter topics such as children and pets, hobbies and favorite foods, and even got some cooking tips.
The Frederick Douglass Project seeks to change the public’s perception of incarcerated people by bringing visitors into jails and prisons around the United States. NW teaches eight four-class courses on different units each year at the D.C. Jail.
“I never felt unsafe, but the visit took me out of my comfort zone and made me realize how isolated and separated those on the ‘outside’ are from those on the ‘inside,’” Camilla said.
“I would urge other volunteers and supporters to participate in a future visit,” Margaret said. “The U.S. incarcerates a larger percentage of its population than any other country in the world –it’s important to see for yourself, even just for a few hours, how these institutions look and operate.”
Rob reflected, “A visit to the jail quickly reminds you of the innate ability we have to communicate and connect as human beings about all manner of things–some personal like our families and hobbies, and some more communal like the legal system–even as we live vastly different lives. At the same time, it also forces you to contemplate the very real challenges many people face outside the view of your day to day life.”