How Finding Humanity behind Bars Has Given Me Hope

By Ryan M. Moser — FROM THE INSIDE

Many people belong in prison, and should stay inside for a very long time.

This isn’t a popular statement to make where I live. In fact, it would be downright dangerous to share this opinion with the residents on my cellblock, but I still think about it often. It’s a conservative point of view in a place where almost everyone is against law and order, morality and ethics. I won’t share this sentiment with the guys around me for fear of retribution; I would be called the po-lice, labeled a snitch, or just seen as an arrogant prick in a place where it’s best to try to fit in a little. But the truth is that a lot of people in prison deserve to be incarcerated, and society is better with them off the streets.

Here’s the thing though — not everyone inside the fence is a bad person, or even a real criminal. Men’s correctional institutions all over the country are filled with supportive dads, successful businessmen, loving husbands, community-minded neighbors, dutiful vets, and caring sons. We broke the law and should be held accountable within reason, but just because we’re locked up doesn’t mean we’re animals or evil human beings. There are definitely twisted individuals in prison who I agree should never be freed, yet not everyone is like that.