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| Conversations and butterfly bushes |
| By Sarah Etter, News Reporter |
| Published: 10/30/2006 |
Editor's note; Corrections.com reporter Sarah Etter recently visited the South Middlesex Correctional Center. She writes here about her experience.
Often times, the difference between male and female inmates is not obvious until you enter a facility like the Massachusetts South Middlesex Correctional Center for women.The MADOC minimum security pre-release facility, which opened in 1976, is a beautiful red brick building with white trim. The lawns and shrubs are perfectly cut and lush, giving the facility a college-campus feel. As I enter the SMCC, I sense an air of femininity. I overhear conversations in the waiting room like the one that involves a woman describing her new job, as another asks about her daughter. Their visitors nod and offer information about ex-husbands, custody battles and release plans. When Superintendent Kelly Ryan arrives, I ask her about the difference between housing male and female inmates. She says the disparity is immense. “When you go to a male facility, you will often see the visitor's room overflowing on holidays and weekends,” she explains. “They have a backlog of people that want to see them; their children, their wives, their friends. The women often do not have that. Most of the women we see don't have much money or outside support. The men usually do. The ladies have empty commissary funds and no visitors the majority of the time.” Ryan's point is supported by the fact that just two lone visitors sit in the visiting room today, which is very different from the barrage of people that I've seen fill most male facilities. As we move through the facility, more differences become apparent. The women are neat and tidy. Their rooms are often clean enough to shine in the early October sunlight, whereas male cells are many times cluttered with Gatorade bottles and magazine clippings. The SMCC holds about 200 women, many of whom are on work release. A van takes the females to and from work every day. Most of the women work at the local Stop & Shop grocery store or Chili's Bar and Grill. One offender currently takes classes at the Blaine Hair School, putting her in high demand among inmates who would love a salon-quality haircut. About 43 percent of the ladies here are serving time for drug charges, so a large emphasis is placed on drug and substance abuse counseling. These classes, as well as education and computer classes, take place on the lower level of the three-story building. As we make our way through the laundry room, the library, and the learning lab, another difference becomes hard to ignore. Women like to talk. SMCC halls are filled with a river of chatter, as ladies exchange ideas, talk about their days, and find support from one another. This might be the most crucial difference between incarcerated sexes; men still have outside support, while the women learn to lean on each other to make it through each day. “I used to work with men,” explains Ryan. “The ladies are just so different. They have to deal with child custody more often than men. They need more of a focus on mental and medical care. They spend a lot of time talking out their problems.” SMCC offers many programs to help with these gender-specific issues. Read To Me Mommy is one such program, which allows mothers to read to their children over the phone> Meanwhile, a Massachusetts division of Girl Scouts Beyond Bars (Girls Scouts Beyond Bars encourages connection between mothers and daughters, 4/06) helps mothers reconnect with their daughters. There are also plenty of religious programs available. Spanish, Protestant, Catholic, Hispanic and Christian religious services are just some of the diverse options. When it comes to rounding out a pre-release resume, an office skills, computer or Boston University class could be just the thing for success in the real world. After touring the spotless dorm-like rooms, Ryan shows me the basketball court and track where women walk, talk and workout. Beyond the outside exercise area, a greenhouse sits perched before a stunning view of the Massachusetts landscape. A rolling hill extends up to the sky, greeted by perfect azure skies. “This is a really special program for us,” she says, gesturing to the greenhouse. “Horticulture is a big deal here. The women work on all of the plants, trees and flowers on the facility grounds.” That explains the perfect trim around the building. As we get closer to the house, Ryan gestures to a group of flowering shrubs and I notice movement in the air. “Butterflies,” Ryan says with a grin. “These are our butterfly bushes.” As she speaks, swarms of delicate monarchs hop between flowers and flitter around us in friendly flight. According to Ryan, the women love the butterflies and do their best to attract them each year. Although the butterfly bushes are wildly popular, possibly the most well-liked program can be found in a quaint trailer that sits adjacent to the SMCC. The white and maroon trailer is part of the visiting program. Offenders can earn time with their children, unsupervised, in this home away from home. The three-bedroom trailer boasts a kitchen, laundry room, television, DVD player, and a backyard with a playground. Women who prove that they have custody of their children can earn from eight to 48 hours with their children. “This is a great example of what we're trying to do here,” explains Ryan. “These women need to remain a presence in their children's lives. With a program like this, we are allowing them to continue building memories with their children and uphold that bond even behind bars.” The trailer is certainly one of SMCC's most unique parts. Inside, a young offender is spending the weekend with her two children. The well-furnished trailer seems to be in a completely different universe. The windows overlook the Massachusetts landscape but there is no hint of the facility. After a short tour of the trailer, we goodbye to the young lady and her family, and perhaps the difference between the sexes becomes even more apparent. “Thanks for visiting. And thank you for the chance to see my kids,” the offender says to Ryan as we walk on. |
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