Out of prison, into the jungle
By Heather Embrey
hembrey@mscd.edu

Photo by Matt Jonas • jonasm@mscd.edu

Ex-con “Mike” tells about his experience in prison and the effects of being isolated from society while serving time. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison for fourth degree arson and served three years and eight months.

   Four men, who were once held in Colorado state prisons, came to the campus to inform students and teachers about the Criminal Justice Department and what life is like behind bars.

   Susan Cotton, a criminal justice professor at Metro, welcomed students and introduced the team of speakers, who were part of the Colorado Citizens United for Rehabilitation of Errants, or CURE.

   Bruce Blovett, a Metro student and president of the Delta Gamma XI Honorary Society, said he was very excited to bring CURE to campus.

   “ This team speaks to groups and gives them an understanding of prison experiences. It gives Criminal Justice majors a visual of the system from the inside out, instead of the outside in,” Blovett said.

   This is the first time CURE has spoken at Auraria and Blovett said he hopes it will be an annual event.

   Cotton began the presentation with national statistics concerning prisons and policy reform. She explained that CURE makes efforts to reduce crime through criminal justice reform.
   As of 2001, U.S. prisons housed over 2.1 million inmates. This number is rapidly increasing due to changes in policy over the past 10 years, she said.

   “ The goal behind the CURE system is to ensure the prisons are reserved for those who deserve them, and those who are in them are provided with all the abilities necessary to turn their lives around,” she said.

   The four men, along with hundreds of other ex-convicts around the country, are finding it hard to assimilate back into society. Habe, Travis and Mark decided to join the CURE team to speak to the public about how hard it is for a person of their status to incorporate themselves back into society.

   Habe, 68, was the first speaker of the afternoon’s event. After being in prison for more than 50 years, he was ready to get back into the life he missed. However, being away for so long, the world changed around him so quickly that taking the city bus became an adventure all over again.

   “ I remember trying to take the bus and the driver gave me a transfer. I didn’t realize what a transfer was, so I threw it away,” Habe recalled.

   As the speaker who served the longest sentence in prison, Habe explained how he felt when his freedom was taken away from him.

   “ They said at the trial that I showed no remorse for my crime. How can someone show remorse?” Habe said. “You can’t show it, it’s built in to you. It eats away at you.”

   Freedom was an underlining theme as each of the ex-convicts described their time in prison. Travis spoke of missing freedom and wishing he never took it for granted.

   “ Consider yourselves blessed,” he said as he addressed the audience. “ No one took the time to tell me about what happens when you commit crimes.”
Criminal Justice student Marc Malajia was stagnant in his feelings toward the men in the CURE team.

   “ You kind of feel sorry for them, but at the same time you have to remember, they were put in jail for a choice they made. A choice that they made and have to live with for the rest of their lives,” he said.

   The criminal justice departments brought the CURE team to campus in the hope that the department and students would gain a higher understanding as to what incarcerated individuals are actually put through in the system. Even though the men were placed in prison, they still believe in the American justice system. Travis agreed that some people need to be incarcerated in order to protect society.

   Mark, another speaker from the team, explained his take on prison: “We are sent to prison for punishment; we are not sent to prison as punishment.”

   Many questions from the audience prompted discussions about the hardest things the men had to overcome in order for them to feel comfortable in society again.

   Travis said the hardest obstacle to overcome were the obstacles themselves. He had to find a way to make himself feel he belonged in his new world.

   “ When your freedom is yanked from you and the world changes, you don’t know what to expect,” Travis said. “I actually got lost coming here this afternoon because I still get confused as to which way the streets and avenues run.”