Opinions

Op-Ed: Dedicate some of your summer to an inmate

In print | November 19, 2009

Last summer, I had the opportunity to work with a group of 15 men, inmates at the McEver Probation Detention Center in Perry, Georgia. Once a week, I made the drive south to discuss current events for an hour and play chess for another hour. It was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I am asking you to consider dedicating a part of this upcoming summer to the inmates of our society.

When I started my own program, I hoped to challenge the participants to think critically through the game of chess, while at the same time ask them to think in new ways about effective democratic participation through our discussions of current events. I did not expect to find a tournament chess player at McEver. I did not expect to find a man who hoped to run for mayor of his town upon his release. I certainly did not expect to find 15 men who challenged me as much as I challenged them. The first two times that I visited McEver, I was “Mr. Francis.” After that, I was “Chess Master.”

Consider spending one day a week of part of your summer on a program of your own designing. I ask for English majors and physics majors, music majors and economics majors, history majors and biology majors. A program centered on any subject is valuable. Wherever you are this summer, there will be a prison where you can make a positive impact.

I believe that the men and women in our prison system can contribute positively to society and that we can encourage them to realize this capacity by challenging their minds. At the same time, I believe that we become richer as individuals for knowing their views and their perspectives. I am starting a nonprofit organization, called Freeing Minds, that will facilitate the process of implementing your program at a local prison and cover transport and other costs. Please, contact me with proposals for your own program or for more information. On my final day at McEver last summer, one of the men approached me and said, “You’re a blessing.” At the time, I was too taken aback to respond with anything intelligent. I should have told him that he was the blessing: for listening, for challenging me and for becoming someone who I now call my friend. I hope you will consider this opportunity to both touch the lives of many and become richer as an individual.

Ben Francis ’12