Not all prisoners are mean, scary and dangerous. Sadly, some are simply a victim of circumstance, imprisoned by their poor choices, impulsive behaviour or unfortunate circumstances. These are the prisoners I am referring to in this writing. My brother is one of them. Excluded from society as punishment for their behaviour and choices, all prisoners experience the full depth of exclusion in so many ways. We tend to forget that they are someone’s son, daughter, wife, husband, girlfriend, boyfriend, mother or father. Every single prisoner has a story. A life that they left behind. It’s not a place to go to be repaired and rehabilitated. It’s a place you go that will either make or break you. It breaks most people; some a little and some quite a lot.

We hear about prisons in the movies and on TV all the time and it’s so easy to make assumptions about what life is really like ‘on the inside.’ The thing that we forget, is that these people are still HUMAN BEINGS. Shouldn’t the way in which we treat prisoners, reflect the way in which we want them to act, be, feel and accomplish when they re-join society? Sadly, they’re often released far more broken than they are rehabilitated, prohibiting them from leading a somewhat ‘normal’ life. How can this possibly be good for them, their families or society? How can this possibly reduce reoffending? Are we trying to punish for the sake of punishing? Or should we be taking active steps towards repairing society, one lost, remorseful person at a time. Prisoners need lifeboats, not anchors.

Here’s a few things that you might not know about their experiences.

Prisoners don’t get told much about their situation. Nor do they get many opportunities to ask.

Many don’t know what support is available to them; mental, emotional, medical or otherwise. When they do gain information about accessing these services, they often wait a long time to receive it.

If you have difficulty reading or writing, then that’s unfortunate.

Some guards take pleasure in having power. 

Most are capable of working within their facilities, but many don’t due to their poor  emotional well-being and feelings of worth as individuals.

Mental health is of real concern.

If you’re hurt or assaulted, no one comes to help you. Not. One. Person. Ambulances take hours.

Duty of care is expected, but not always provided.

Those who are strong mentally and physically are at an advantage.

And finally, if you don’t have someone persistent on the ‘outside’ then you have little chance of being heard when you really need to be. Advocacy is a privilege.

In my determination to change to the culture within prisons as just one big sister, I start with an acknowledgement of what we should be aspiring to achieve: Advocacy and rehabilitation in order to make positive changes for individuals, families and society in the long term. Can the current structure of support and staff within prisons provide this? I don’t believe so. Otherwise we would be seeing positive change coming out of prison sentences and fewer cells required in the first place. This brings me to the most powerful profession in the world. Teaching.

I can’t help but think about the difference that teachers make in their roles with young people. Although most of the young people they work with don’t have criminal records, teachers guide these impressionable people through millions of shades of change, confusion, emotion and trauma; every single day. Imagine what could be possible for inmates. 

The power of teachers:

Teachers have the ability to create positivity from the worst situations, and up skill and validate everyone’s place in this world.

They can take a broken person and make them feel worthy of their existence.

They prioritise well-being as the foundation for all learning, growth and change being able to occur. 

They listen with an empathetic ear, ensuring that every voice is heard. Every story is important. As is every individual person.

They are fair and calm negotiators.

They see through the muddiest bullsh*t and make acute and accurate observations.

The can spot a diamond in the mud. 

They can assess a person’s needs and plan efficiently for their success, leading them via pathways that weren’t even visible or possible to that person beforehand.

They differentiate their instruction to meet an individual at their point of need.

They give feedback in a timely manner and create an atmosphere of inclusion through consultation.

They shine a light on an individual’s strength and potential, then they show them how to maximise it and reach their full potential.

They set the expectations high and then support individuals to achieve them.

They set clear expectations and are calmly consistent in their messages.

They are persistent,  consistent and insistent.

They can tell that someone is lying and they don’t accept excuses. 

Safety is always a priority.

They provide positive reinforcement rather than negative.

They console when there is upset and council when there is torment.

They act on behalf of individuals as advocates, not resting until their voice has been heard.

They communicate back to individual’s loved ones, ensuring that the valued lines of communication are open and functioning.

They educate and up skill.

They identify then raise the aspirations of those that didn’t even know they had any to begin with.

They believe in every individual.

They create pathways for employment and education so that everyone has a chance at a successful future.

They seek access to appropriate health and mental care.

Teachers can take any individual, and potentially change their entire future. Teachers can change the world. Perhaps if given the chance, they could change the future for people in prisons and provide so many opportunities for growth, change and success. 

Some may argue that prisoners simply aren’t worth it, but I beg to differ. Yes, people in custody have been excluded from society for valid reasons. But should they be excluded from being advocated or having a better future? I think not. Everyone is capable of making positive change when the pathways and opportunities are provided through positivity and support. We are all human beings and so are people in custody.

If teachers worked in prisons, they could change the world, simply by changing the world for just one human being.

So God Made a Mother book by Leslie Means

If you liked this, you'll love our book, SO GOD MADE A MOTHER available now!

Order Now

Check out our new Keepsake Companion Journal that pairs with our So God Made a Mother book!

Order Now
So God Made a Mother's Story Keepsake Journal

Tash Guthrie

I’m Tash and I’m a full time primary school teacher, a business owner, business coach and a busy mum. I live on a beautiful rural property on the Far North Coast of NSW Australia with my gorgeous hubby and baby girl, Amelia. I adore wine, cheese platters and parking my butt in front of a good renovation or property TV show. I am so incredibly passionate about women in business and have coached hundreds of women to build businesses from home that support their family, nurture their true self and create a flexible lifestyle, completely on their terms. You can visit me over at www.tashguthrie.com.au

Your Kids Don’t Need More Things, They Need More You

In: Faith, Kids, Motherhood
Mother and young girl smiling together at home

He reached for my hand and then looked up. His sweet smile and lingering gaze flooded my weary heart with much-needed peace. “Thank you for taking me to the library, Mommy! It’s like we’re on a date! I like it when it’s just the two of us.” We entered the library, hand in hand, and headed toward the LEGO table. As I began gathering books nearby, I was surprised to feel my son’s arms around me. He gave me a quick squeeze and a kiss with an “I love you, Mommy” before returning to his LEGO—three separate times. My typically...

Keep Reading

Mom, Will You Pray With Me?

In: Faith, Motherhood
Little girl praying, profile shot

“Will you pray with me?” This is a question I hear daily from my 9-year-old. Her worried heart at times grips her, making it difficult for her to fall asleep or nervous to try something new. Her first instinct is to pray with Mom. Perhaps this is because of how many times her Dad and I have told her that God is with her, that she is never alone, and that she can always come to Him in prayer and He will answer. Perhaps it is because she has seen her Dad and I lean on the Lord in times...

Keep Reading

My Aunt Is the Woman I Want to Become

In: Faith, Living
Woman with older woman smiling

It’s something she may not hear enough, but my aunt is truly amazing. Anyone who knows her recognizes her as one-of-a-kind in the best way possible. It’s not just her playful jokes that bring a smile to my face, her soul is genuinely the sweetest I know. I hope she knows that I see her, appreciate her, and acknowledge all the effort she puts in every day, wholeheartedly giving of herself to everyone around her. When I look back on my childhood, I see my aunt as a really important part of it. We have shared so much time together,...

Keep Reading

A Big Family Can Mean Big Feelings

In: Faith, Kids, Motherhood
Family with many kids holding hands on beach

I’m a mother of six. Some are biological, and some are adopted. I homeschool most of them. I’m a “trauma momma” with my own mental health struggles. My husband and I together are raising children who have their own mental illnesses and special needs. Not all of them, but many of them. I battle thoughts of anxiety and OCD daily. I exercise, eat decently, take meds and supplements, yet I still have to go to battle. The new year has started slow and steady. Our younger kids who are going to public school are doing great in their classes and...

Keep Reading

Motherhood Never Stops, and Neither Does My God

In: Faith, Motherhood
Daughter kisses mother on cheek

I’m standing in the shower rinsing the conditioner out of my hair with a toddler babbling at my feet, running through this week’s dinner menu in my head. “Hmm, this meal would be better suited for this day, so what should we do instead?” or “Maybe we should save that for next week since it’s easy and we will be busy with baseball starting back up. I can work something in that may take more effort in its place.” Being a wife and mother, running a household, it’s about the small moments like this. There’s something about it that is...

Keep Reading

So God Made a Sunday School Teacher

In: Faith, Living
Woman sitting at table surrounded by kids in Sunday school class, color photo

God looked around at all He had created, and He knew He would need someone to teach His children. So God made a Sunday school teacher. God knew He needed someone with a heart and desire to teach children God’s word. God knew the children would act up and made Sunday school teachers with patience and grace to guide them when they step out of line in class. He also made Sunday school teachers with a touch of discretion to know when the stories of a child may be real or imagined. God knew this person would need to be...

Keep Reading

But God, I Can’t Forgive That

In: Faith, Marriage
Woman holding arms and walking by water

Surrender is scary. Giving in feels like defeat. Even when I know it’s the right thing, yielding everything to God is scary. It also feels impossible. The weight of all I’m thinking and feeling is just so dang big and ugly. Do you know what I mean? Sometimes I cling so tightly to my fear I don’t even recognize it for what it is. Bondage. Oppression. Lack of trust. Oh, and then there’s that other thing—pride. Pride keeps me from seeing straight, and it twists all of my perceptions. It makes asking for help so difficult that I forget that...

Keep Reading

Dear Dad, I Pray for Our Healing

In: Faith, Grief, Grown Children
Back shot of woman on bench alone

You are on my mind today. But that’s not unusual. It’s crazy how after 13 years, it doesn’t feel that long since I last saw you. It’s also crazy that I spend far less time thinking about that final day and how awful it was and spend the majority of the time replaying the good memories from all the years before it. But even in the comfort of remembering, I know I made the right decision. Even now, 13 years later, the mix of happy times with the most confusing and painful moments leaves me grasping for answers I have...

Keep Reading

God Redeemed the Broken Parts of My Infertility Story

In: Faith, Grief, Loss, Motherhood
Two young children walking on a path near a pond, color photo

It was a Wednesday morning when I sat around a table with a group of mamas I had just recently met. My youngest daughter slept her morning nap in a carrier across my chest. Those of us in the group who held floppy babies swayed back and forth. The others had children in childcare or enrolled in preschool down the road. We were there to chat, learn, grow, and laugh. We were all mamas. But we were not all the same. I didn’t know one of the mom’s names, but I knew I wanted to get to know her because she...

Keep Reading

God Has You

In: Faith, Motherhood
Woman hugging herself while looking to the side

Holding tight to the cold, sterile rail of the narrow, rollaway ER bed, I hovered helplessly over my oldest daughter. My anxious eyes bounced from her now steadying breaths to the varying lines and tones of the monitor overhead. Audible reminders of her life that may have just been spared. For 14 years, we’d been told anaphylaxis was possible if she ingested peanuts. But it wasn’t until this recent late autumn evening we would experience the fear and frenzy of our apparent new reality. My frantic heart hadn’t stopped racing from the very moment she struggled to catch a breath....

Keep Reading