April 1998

Dear Bobby,

"Yea doubltess, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord; for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do not count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the rightousness which is of God, by faith: That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made comformable unto His death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect (mature); but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended; but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect (mature), be thus minded; and if in anything ye be other wise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you."
Philippians 3:8-15

These verses of scripture have been a source of strength, hope, and encouragement to me for many years. As the political climate moves toward more and more restrictions, and as more new punishments are being levied against those already convicted through new rules and regulations, I've turned more to these verses of scripture, to remind me that no matter what is taken from me, the power of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is available to me daily.

Although I can understand the average citizen's desire to insure that their home and streets are safe through harsher laws, it can be frustrating to those already convicted to have new restrictions imposed upon their lives within the prison walls when their freedom has already been forfeited. Thousands of prisoners throughout this state, and in other states as well, are feeling the effects of this swing to the right.

As of April 1, 1998, the California Department of Corrections has imposed new "grooming standards" upon all prisoners. In effect, it requires that all male prisoners wear their hair no longer than their shirt collar. They must cut their hair or be deemed a "program failure" and have further punishments and restrictions imposed upon them. Female prisoners don't have to cut their hair, but it must be worn up and must hang no longer than the bottom of the shirt collar. Now, logically, I'm not really sure just how this new restriction on grooming is going to make any free citizen safer or more secure in their homes, or how they are going to help the prison guards and administration personnel keep a safer and more secure prison, but those are the reasons for the imposition of these new rules. Along with those rules, prisoners are no longer allowed to wear their fingernails beyond a quarter inch from their fingertips, are no longer allowed to wear colored nail polish, and our makeup is to be minimal and "natural looking."

I can assure you that the average prisoner is not happy about these rules. There is an increasing sense of resentment and bitterness in the conversations of prisoners as they attempt to understand exactly how these new restrictions will make any free citizen safer in their homes.

I've noticed there are also other reactions that some prisoners have. But those who are truly following after Jesus Christ, who endeavor to do their time and live their lives according to the Word of God, are finding that their peace of heart and mind are not based upon any externally imposed set of rules. The knowledge that their heart's remorce and repentance for their crimes against God and society, their acceptance of forgiveness from the Heart of God through the redeeming Blood of Jesus Christ, and the secure hope of Eternal Life in the power of the Resurrection, cause them not to look at what things or liberties they may lose as they pass through this world.

Because the prison system is a system devised by the world to deal with sin, wickedness, offenders of society, it's means of dealing with offenders is not going to be Godly. Its purpose in this day and age is not to rehabilitate, even though by name it is a department of Corrections, its purpose now is solely punishment. But correction through punishment - even harsh, cruel, or unnecessary punishment - will not work. And correction through behavioral modification doesn't always work either, because it may change only the external behavior of an offender. The real answer in correction through the changing heart of the individual - through redemption. But because we insist on separating Church and State completely, that is not a politically correct option for the handling of the incarcerated. I include that thought for your consideration and contemplation.

Back to my original thought and experience here. I've noticed that my fellow prisoners who are genuine Christians, are not embittered by the loss of their libery to wear their hair, nails and make-up as they would like to. Rather, they are Praising God throughout the experience of increased loss of human rights in the guise of safety and security of society. Because Christians who read the Word of God and follow it understand the reality that we may be in this world, but we are not of this world, we are merely passing through it.

My heart grieves as I listen to the great majority of my fellow prisoners express their anger and bitterness and resentment for further punishment, as if the loss of on's freedom is not sufficient - separation from their family and loved ones. These new rules aren't serving the purpose of correcting anything. Building rebellion, bitterness and anger in the hearts of prisoners is not going to make the community safer. If anything, it is society and the average citizen who will pay for the of dignity and the loss of humanity and the increased sufferning of prisoners during their incarceration. The result will be, not a correcting of offenders, but an increase in disrespect for the law and the lawmakers, insuring failure once returned to society, increased crime rates and increased prison populations, all at the expense of the taxpayers.

Approximately 80% of all the incarcerated human beings in California will one day return to a free society. These people are becoming more angry each day they must suffer unjust and inhuman treatment. I know this because I life with them and I hear their opinions of 'society.'

Because I know Jesus as my Savior and Lord, and because I know there is nothing in this world worth losing my peace of heart and mind over, I'm able to 'adjust' and Praise God in the midst of the oppression all around me. It doesn't mean I 'like' or 'agree' with the way the Department of Corrections is moving toward a paramilitary institution, it just means that my behavior and response are going to be according to the Word of God. I'm required by the Word of God to obey those in Authority over me. To love those who hate me, to be kind to those who persecute me. My sisters and brothers in Christ who are incarcerated are endeavoring to also follow after the Word of God, to love those who hate them because of their convictions.

Please understand that I'm not claiming Incarcerated Christians are being incarcerated because of their beliefs, but because of the imposition of a punishment of a Court of Law. The treatment of the prisoner is what will determine their success in returning to the community as a contributing member of that community, or as a person who is full of anger, resentment and bitterness, whose behavior hasn't been 'corrected.' For the person who is a Christian and who fell short and committed a crime, God will use their incarceration to correct the heart of the individual. While the prisoner who finds Christ while in prison will be given a new heart through their new birth experience, and hopefully through their term of incarceration they will learn Godly ways of living. And yet, these prisoners are not being viewed by the lawmakers any differently than any other convicted prisoner.

My point is this, the difference in how a prisoner responds to mistreatment and the loss of their human dignity and rights will be determined by the conditions of their heart! During the last ten years, there has not only been an increase in the amount of time an offender will do once convicted and sentence, but how that prisoner will do their time has been drastically altered. I'm not advocating allowing a prisoner to live in a country club atmosphere, but ordinary decent treatment and the upholding of human rights and the dignity of a human being is crucial to rehabilitation and a successful return to society.

No matter how I'm treated while I continue to serve the sentence imposed upon me by the Courts and the Board of Prison Terms of Parole, I will continue to endeavor to count all things, including the loss of human rights, mere loss, that I might without distraction press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, and I will endeavor to encourage my fellow prisoners to look to Jesus Christ as their HOPE, to place their FAITH not in any system of this world, or to expect to be treated with dignity and respect, but in the midst of mistreatment, cruel and unusual punishment, to respond with forgiveness, love, kindness, genuine humility, and to maintain their peace of heart and mind, because though we are in this world, we are no longer of this world, if we truly know Jesus.

Only in this way can I rest my head at night with some assurance that perhaps the next woman who leaves this prison and returns to her community will have at least encountered one person who encouraged her to always do the RIGHT thing, no matter how they have been wronged, and thus contribute in some small way to the community that I continue to hope and believe that I will one day be allowed to return to.

The development of character, decency, morality and ethical uprightness can not be imposed upon any human being through external forces - especially not by oppression. These internal attributes come from the heart and control the external behavior and treatment of others. When one's heart is right with God, it stands to reason that the rest will follow. Although incarceration is meant to punish offenders, it is my hope and prayer that more will come out of prison with a change of heart and with corrected behavior than those whose hearts have been hardened.

Some of the most beautiful women I have met during my incarceration are those who have allowed the Holy Spirit of God to indwell and rule their hearts. They are also the ones who do not return to prison, nor do they violate their parole conditions. And those who have kept in contact with me through the years have shared with me how wonderful life has become since they invited Jesus into their hearts and allowed Him to be their Lord as well as their Savior.

The power of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the only hope that I see in engendering regeneration of the heart, rehabilitation of the mind, and restoration of a human being to his or her community, for the betterment of all. Truly this is not a system of Correction that is widely accepted in this day and age of "lock them up and throw away the key" punishment, but it is the WAY that God devised to restore lost humanity to Himself. And God's way includes the correct way of treating those people who are being incarcerated.

This month Christians all over the world are celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Hope for all of humanity for a second chance to live at PEACE with God and with each other.

Every year that I'm incarcerated I learn more about how thoroughly the Resurrection touches every aspect of human life. And I find new ways in which to express this awesome power and gift from God to those with whom I share this beautiful blue ball in space. We are all of the same family, the human race. All created in the likeness and image of God. All of us are redeemable. All of us can choose to treat one another with dignity, respect, kindness and love, those who offend us, those who love us, those who hate us, those who persecute us, and those who call themselves our enemies. The choice to live in the power of the Resurrection, to choose to press toward the mark for the prize of the hight calling of God in Christ Jesus, is yours, and it is mine.

It is my hope that today you will choose Gods very best for you, and that you will choose to express that to every person that you meet.

I remain, your faith-filled sister in Jesus,