Looking out: Really works wonders!

May 30, 2001
Issue 

Looking out

Really works wonders!

"Radio stations could be meaningful forces for rehabilitative change in the hearts, souls, minds and spirits of prisoners. These are perilous times ... and America needs a good deal more than music and commentary on the nation's airways." — Irving Elmer Bell.

More than half of most prison populations tend to be faithful listeners to one radio station or another. This fact of prison life ought to be exploited for the good of all people, be they in or out of prison.

Radio program hosts and announcers cannot hear those instant monologues and dialogues that so often develop inside prison as a direct result of what is said over the nation's airways. I suspect that if they could, they would quickly realise the very real opportunity they have to be a serious rehabilitative force for men, women and children in prison who, more often than not, are getting no rehabilitation at all.

From time to time in the past, a regional radio station that I know of has had, to its credit, readings of one or two prisoners' poetry in the late evening. I commend station V-103 for having done that. However, what I propose would be broader in scope and would be based upon getting interaction with the public as well as with prisoners.

Imagine what might be accomplished for the community if each week, a mere 14-minute space — paid for by various community organizations or donated by the station itself — was reserved for five brief poems written by prisoners to be read by the host/announcer to the public. I am not suggesting that they simply read the poetic vanities of prisoners. The public could call in and, by a majority of votes, dictate the topic for each week's poems. For example, the first week's poems could be about remorse; the next redemption, etc.

Then, the public could respond to prisoners' poems, pro or con (no pun intended), with their own brief poems, and the following week the station could read five of those. Thus, perhaps meaningful dialogues would begin between prisoners and members of the public. I can see prisoners picking up pens, paper and dictionaries. I can even see the potential for meaningful dialogue developing between prisoners. Instead of sharing criminal ideas prisoners could be sharing poetic thought.

When you consider that so many of us in prison have little or no academic education, one of us seeking out a dictionary or a thesaurus (especially at those prisons in which there is not even the pretence of rehabilitation) in and of itself is an overt act of rehabilitation and self-redemption.

Yes, this is just a suggestion, but it could really work wonders!

BY BRANDON ASTOR JONES

[The writer is a prisoner on death row in the United States. He welcomes letters commenting on his columns (include your name and full return address on the envelope, or prison authorities may refuse to deliver it). He can be written to at: Brandon Astor Jones, EF-122216, G3-77, Georgia Diagnostic & Classification Prison, PO Box 3877, Jackson, GA 30233, USA, or email <brandonastorjones@hotmail.com>. Jones is seeking a publisher for his collected prison writings. Please notify him of any possible leads. Visit Jones' web page at <http://www.brandonastorjones.com>.]

You need Green Left, and we need you!

Green Left is funded by contributions from readers and supporters. Help us reach our funding target.

Make a One-off Donation or choose from one of our Monthly Donation options.

Become a supporter to get the digital edition for $5 per month or the print edition for $10 per month. One-time payment options are available.

You can also call 1800 634 206 to make a donation or to become a supporter. Thank you.