Lesson Learned

But this is prison.

It is a rare privilege to be permitted to go into prison as a volunteer on a regular basis at times largely determined by the volunteer. Understandably so. To obtain that privilege, one must undergo volunteer training and must agree to abide by prison rules.

Prison rules clearly state that volunteers are not to give money, directly or indirectly, to a man in white*. Prisons discourage close relationships between men in white and other men in white, guards and volunteers.

In the early stages of the COVID epidemic, Congress and the President authorized the distribution of Stimulus Payments to most citizens, including prison inmates. Texas inmates generally have long sentences, are not paid for their labor in prison and are given $100 when they are released, no matter how long they have served. The Stimulus Payment was a true God send.

One of the men in white I mentor** had deposited his Stimulus Payment with Torres***. I am not familiar with the process by which Torres holds inmate funds. The man in white requested Torres to disburse funds to pay the tuition for a correspondence course he was taking. He also wanted to purchase a Play Station for his daughter whom he had not seen for many years.

Torres did not send the funds timely so it appeared the man in white would not be able to take the correspondence course he wanted to take. Fully expecting to be repaid, I paid the tuition and bought the Play Station for him to give to his daughter.

I wrote the man in white and told him what I had done. All incoming mail to inmates is read before it is given to them. I carelessly violated prison rules. I was told “You have a good heart, Mr. Cauthorn. But this is prison.” I have been removed as a volunteer for at least a year.

*     In Texas prisons, all inmates wear white.

**   See Radar and Goats, previously posted.

*** The Torres Unit is a Texas state prison located near Hondo, Texas