The popular blog Humans of New York specializes in producing quick little vignettes to accompany pictures of random faces in the crowd around New York City. The stories are short, but powerful reminders of the humanity of the people we often fail to notice in our everyday lives.
Recently, Brandon Stanton, the founder of Humans of New York, announced that he would be doing a series of posts featuring men and women in various prisons in the northeastern United States. The result has been an insightful—often moving—portrait of prisoners coping with what they have done, and how to move forward.
Tumblr/Humans of New York (Click on image to enlarge)
“I was a good student,” one prisoner recalls. “I did football, karate, basketball, all sorts of activities.” He says that he began selling drugs around the age of 12—first just to provide essentials like food and clothing, but eventually expanding in order to impress girls. “… I thought I could be double-minded. But it’s not possible. You can’t do good and bad at the same time. The bad always wins. There’s no such thing as Robin Hood. Nobody wants to hear that you’re dealing drugs to feed your family. Prosecutor doesn’t want to hear that. Society doesn’t want to hear that. The system doesn’t want to hear that.
“There’s a verse in the Book of Ezekiel,” he concludes. “I forget which one, but it talks about this. It says something like: ‘If you do all good, and one bad, the good will not be mentioned.’”*
The men and women featured in the series are all anonymous, save for their pictures and the name of the facility in which they are serving time. (“Nobody knows I’m here,” one prisoner admits. “… All my friends think I’m in Hawaii right now.”)
Many of the tales center around the theme of family. There are stories about tough childhoods, as well as those who rebelled against parents who were trying their best. One female prisoner, now in prison for the fifth time, laments the harm she has done to her children. “[H]onestly, if I mess up again, I hope it kills me,” she says, “because I don’t want to keep hurting people. I’ve cheated my kids out of normal lives. ”
But even in a place so fraught with despair, there are stories of kindness, of restoration, and of hope.
A young man in a federal prison in Pennsylvania talks about an older fellow prisoner, and the impact he has had on him:
He’s a beautiful person. He always tells me: “We’ve got to find a way to win by losing.” In the eyes of society, we’ve lost already. Everyone in here is a loser. We can either be angry about it, or we can keep trying to grow. He’s always correcting my Spanish and giving me quizzes. He used to be an engineer, so he’s been tutoring me in trigonometry. He’s been a blessing to me. He’s helped me to not be so angry. He’s always so happy and optimistic. And I don’t know how he stays so positive. Because I’m getting out of here in 40 months. He’s doing life.
Perhaps the most unnerving thing about the various accounts is how relatable most of them are, even for those who have never spent time behind bars. Far from appearing unredeemable, there is a real humanity in their stories—one that evokes empathy, and reminds all of us that we too are sinners in need of redemption.
Every time a Prison Fellowship volunteer enters a prison, they challenge the convention that “everyone in here is a loser.” Rather, they bring a message of hope, proclaiming that each person is of infinite worth, and loved by their Creator. They bring a promise of new life and restoration as children of God.
To learn more about how you can help bring light and life into prison as a Prison Fellowship volunteer, click here.
*The verse referred to is Ezekiel 18:24—“But if a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked person does, will they live? None of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness they are guilty of and because of the sins they have committed, they will die.” But also note verses 21-23 immediately preceding: “But if a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, that person will surely live; they will not die. None of the offenses they have committed will be remembered against them. Because of the righteous things they have done, they will live. Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?”
