Monday through Friday I get ready to go
to my job like most working adults in
the room the difference between me and a
lot of other people is that my job is
just a little bit different I’m a social
worker and therapists in the mental
health department at one of Ohio’s
prisons every day on my way to work I
have to enter through two heavy metal
doors a metal detector and verify my
identification twice before I even get
to my office in some days on my way to
my office I’m often greeted with a
variety of things some days is damn
shouting other days is Hamish day have a
great day
some days I’m dodging a pepper spray
cloud because something like a fight has
happened on the compound and other days
I don’t see anyone other than my fellow
staff members because something has
happened in the institution where it’s
on lockdown and all the offenders are in
their cells in more days than what I
would prefer
I see individuals who walk around with
the epitome of a dark gray cloud over
their heads they walk as if they believe
they’re nothing more than a six digit
number that is typed on their name badge
I’ll never forget when I started with
the department I was an intern and my
graduate program I remember pulling up
to the facility thinking oh snap wasn’t
I just get myself into for the next year
I said a quick corporate prayer one of
those real quick ones I said lord please
let me just go home and one piece today
and I was on my way one of my first
assignments was to assist in helping
complete what is called a mental health
detailed screen this is an assessment
tool used by the department to determine
the needs of the offenders based on
their medical mental health and
substance abuse and recovery needs
I remember getting all of my
appointments done for the day and my
last client came in he sat down and I
started asking him questions
I said sir have you ever been on psych
meds have you ever been to a psych
hospital have you ever received mental
health treatment all to which he replied
no I then asked him are you currently on
or have you ever been addicted to any
substances and he let out alongside he
said yes I’m currently in the middle of
battling an addiction
to crystal meth I scrolled up and looked
at his file and realized that this was
his sixth prison number meaning that he
had been incarcerated a total of six
times this made me a little sad and
uncomfortable because he was only a few
years older than me so I did what I do
when I’m a little uncomfortable which is
implement a bit of humor and it was a
poor attempt I might add I looked a
minute space and I said sir
you must really enjoy chicken patty
Tuesdays and I’m promising face tattoos
because you keep coming back he let out
a pleasant sigh and showed that he
received my poor attempt at humor and
said actually miss J chicken patties on
Wednesday and I’m here because I can’t
seem to kick this addiction
I finished my assessment he left the
room and I packed up my things to go
home on my way home I could not seem to
conceptualize why he was here when I
looked in his file he had never raped
anyone robbed anyone or murdered anyone
it seems as though the only crime he
ever committed was a crime against
himself so I encourage you to think
about a friend or a family member maybe
someone from your favorite TV show and
imagine them in prison because they’re
addicted to opiates or imagine them in
prison because they’re addicted to
alcohol sitting in a 13 by 15 cell in a
blue uniform with someone that they
don’t even know and forced to eat food
that doesn’t really taste that good
today I want to focus on why it’s more
important to treat individuals with
substance addictions in our communities
rather than sending them to prison so
when I say community what do I mean by
that I mean something more than a
physical and geographical boundaries
it’s something more than you can find on
Google Maps to say that this community
lies between this street sign and this
stoplight community is a place called
home it’s a place where people create
memories it’s a place where somebody
knows your name your face and your story
in communities we have the presence of
what is called social supportive
networks these are groups of people
comprised of family friends mentors
church members old teachers and people
who watched you grow up the presence of
social supportive networks
is environment that allows people to
create positive and encouraging words
and affirmations for individuals who are
going through treatment they are the
people who are able to love them and
help them go through a situation that is
difficult one of my favorite lines from
the Black Panther movie is when Michael
B Jordan is character goes hey auntie
now while this was meant to be humorous
in the movie it’s powerful in terms of
how we think about treatment being able
to run into a familiar face or being
able to be surrounded by people that
love you can help people be much more
efficient and successful in their
treatment we also have to recognize that
the presence of social supportive
networks can increase people’s
likelihood to try to succeed at
something that is very difficult
this experience kind of reminds me of
going to the gym you know sometimes you
go to the gym you don’t always want to
run you don’t want to squat you don’t
want to look at anymore dumbbells and
then you run into a friend in the locker
room or maybe you have a small
conversation with someone you’ve built
rapport with at the front desk they’re
able to motivate you and help you
complete your goal even if it’s
challenging in addition to treating
individuals in the community we have to
recognize substance abuse treatment as a
growing need individuals of all races
all ethnicities all genders and all
socioeconomic statuses are impacted by
substance abuse in some capacity because
this is a growing problem in a
borderline crisis we all should want to
practice collectivity and unity and
contribute to making these resources
more accessible to individuals in our
neighborhoods it kind of reminds me of
Christmas in the hood I don’t know how
many of y’all grew up in the hood but I
did you know sometimes there’s always
that one family that is not sure how
presents will get under the tree how
dinner will get on the table and how
they’ll be able to see their children
smile like other children on holidays
somehow someway the community is able to
tie together their resources and their
time to help this family have a holiday
that is
we can create the same effect with
substance abuse treatment if we all
contribute just a little bit we’ll be
able to help people get the resources
that they need so if we don’t treat
substance addictions in our community if
we don’t recognize it as a growing need
we run into a problem that we have now
this problem is the increase in the
number of individuals who are becoming
incarcerated because they are addicted
to substances in the year 2017 the state
of Ohio incarcerated eighteen thousand
six hundred and twenty-six individuals
of that number twenty seven percent were
crimes that related to drug offenses and
they were nonviolent and of that twenty
seven percent 14 percent of the
individuals were labeled in a category
that was marked substance abuse so that
means 14 percent of the people who were
incarcerated last year were there
because they were addicted to a
substance and I will say Ohio is doing
an amazing job with the resources that
they are able to provide our offenders
options for individual and group therapy
clinical and evidence-based practices
and options to be linked to resources in
the community are all amongst some of
the resources that individuals are able
to gain while they’re in prison and
that’s awesome but we have to look at
what they lose individuals who are in
prison lose out on opportunities to
build and maintain relationships with
their families and their children they
miss out on opportunities for positive
development and they miss out on
opportunities to turn themselves around
and become positive effective pillars in
their community we also have to look at
what treatment looks like in our prisons
personally as a clinician sometimes I
feel that the treatment that I have to
offer is not always as authentic as it
could be there are certain boundaries
that I have to put in place in order to
keep myself safe as a staff member due
to the nature in the environment in
which I work there’s also opportunities
to create and perpetuate stigmas in our
prison system when situations get
chaotic or they get out of hand it’s
very easy to slip into the mindset that
all people are here because
have done a crime all people are here
because they have done something wrong
and as clinicians sometimes we don’t
always believe that but it’s really easy
to slip into that mindset so what can we
do about this my call to action is this
I want you to create opportunity create
opportunity to be a part of somebody’s
social supportive network even if you
don’t know exactly what to say if you
don’t know what resources to direct them
to in your community and you might not
even know what substance they’re
addicted to take time to just say I want
to help you I want to help you through a
process that I know is difficult for you
but I know when you complete it you’ll
be a better version of yourself I want
to help you do something that is
challenging but know that I am here to
support you I want you to create
opportunity to give back if you are a
clinician that specializes in this area
or if you are someone who has
successfully completed substance abuse
treatment don’t be afraid to put
resources in your communities that are
not there that could look like AAA or NA
groups support groups or any other type
of treatment options that may be helpful
to people and most importantly create
time create time to learn about what
your legislators policymakers advocacy
groups coalition’s and Trailblazers are
doing in your community to make these
resources more accessible to people I
talk about my job a lot and I joke about
prison quite a bit but it’s because it’s
what I’m passionate about and it’s what
I feel like I’m good at but one day it’s
my hope that I can walk into work and
I’ll treat people who actually need to
be there one day it’s my hope that I’m
spending more time learning about the
positive and growing number of resources
in our communities for people addicted
to substances rather than spending more
time
browning upon the number of people who
are coming to prison for this issue and
I do understand that sometimes
individuals commit crimes that weren’t
them going to prison and unfortunately
there’s nothing that we can do about
that but maybe if we take more time to
put resources in our communities we can
catch their addictions before escalates
to the point to where they commit crime
and they can stay in their communities
and have a positive effect rather than
coming to prison thank you [Applause]
to my job like most working adults in
the room the difference between me and a
lot of other people is that my job is
just a little bit different I’m a social
worker and therapists in the mental
health department at one of Ohio’s
prisons every day on my way to work I
have to enter through two heavy metal
doors a metal detector and verify my
identification twice before I even get
to my office in some days on my way to
my office I’m often greeted with a
variety of things some days is damn
shouting other days is Hamish day have a
great day
some days I’m dodging a pepper spray
cloud because something like a fight has
happened on the compound and other days
I don’t see anyone other than my fellow
staff members because something has
happened in the institution where it’s
on lockdown and all the offenders are in
their cells in more days than what I
would prefer
I see individuals who walk around with
the epitome of a dark gray cloud over
their heads they walk as if they believe
they’re nothing more than a six digit
number that is typed on their name badge
I’ll never forget when I started with
the department I was an intern and my
graduate program I remember pulling up
to the facility thinking oh snap wasn’t
I just get myself into for the next year
I said a quick corporate prayer one of
those real quick ones I said lord please
let me just go home and one piece today
and I was on my way one of my first
assignments was to assist in helping
complete what is called a mental health
detailed screen this is an assessment
tool used by the department to determine
the needs of the offenders based on
their medical mental health and
substance abuse and recovery needs
I remember getting all of my
appointments done for the day and my
last client came in he sat down and I
started asking him questions
I said sir have you ever been on psych
meds have you ever been to a psych
hospital have you ever received mental
health treatment all to which he replied
no I then asked him are you currently on
or have you ever been addicted to any
substances and he let out alongside he
said yes I’m currently in the middle of
battling an addiction
to crystal meth I scrolled up and looked
at his file and realized that this was
his sixth prison number meaning that he
had been incarcerated a total of six
times this made me a little sad and
uncomfortable because he was only a few
years older than me so I did what I do
when I’m a little uncomfortable which is
implement a bit of humor and it was a
poor attempt I might add I looked a
minute space and I said sir
you must really enjoy chicken patty
Tuesdays and I’m promising face tattoos
because you keep coming back he let out
a pleasant sigh and showed that he
received my poor attempt at humor and
said actually miss J chicken patties on
Wednesday and I’m here because I can’t
seem to kick this addiction
I finished my assessment he left the
room and I packed up my things to go
home on my way home I could not seem to
conceptualize why he was here when I
looked in his file he had never raped
anyone robbed anyone or murdered anyone
it seems as though the only crime he
ever committed was a crime against
himself so I encourage you to think
about a friend or a family member maybe
someone from your favorite TV show and
imagine them in prison because they’re
addicted to opiates or imagine them in
prison because they’re addicted to
alcohol sitting in a 13 by 15 cell in a
blue uniform with someone that they
don’t even know and forced to eat food
that doesn’t really taste that good
today I want to focus on why it’s more
important to treat individuals with
substance addictions in our communities
rather than sending them to prison so
when I say community what do I mean by
that I mean something more than a
physical and geographical boundaries
it’s something more than you can find on
Google Maps to say that this community
lies between this street sign and this
stoplight community is a place called
home it’s a place where people create
memories it’s a place where somebody
knows your name your face and your story
in communities we have the presence of
what is called social supportive
networks these are groups of people
comprised of family friends mentors
church members old teachers and people
who watched you grow up the presence of
social supportive networks
is environment that allows people to
create positive and encouraging words
and affirmations for individuals who are
going through treatment they are the
people who are able to love them and
help them go through a situation that is
difficult one of my favorite lines from
the Black Panther movie is when Michael
B Jordan is character goes hey auntie
now while this was meant to be humorous
in the movie it’s powerful in terms of
how we think about treatment being able
to run into a familiar face or being
able to be surrounded by people that
love you can help people be much more
efficient and successful in their
treatment we also have to recognize that
the presence of social supportive
networks can increase people’s
likelihood to try to succeed at
something that is very difficult
this experience kind of reminds me of
going to the gym you know sometimes you
go to the gym you don’t always want to
run you don’t want to squat you don’t
want to look at anymore dumbbells and
then you run into a friend in the locker
room or maybe you have a small
conversation with someone you’ve built
rapport with at the front desk they’re
able to motivate you and help you
complete your goal even if it’s
challenging in addition to treating
individuals in the community we have to
recognize substance abuse treatment as a
growing need individuals of all races
all ethnicities all genders and all
socioeconomic statuses are impacted by
substance abuse in some capacity because
this is a growing problem in a
borderline crisis we all should want to
practice collectivity and unity and
contribute to making these resources
more accessible to individuals in our
neighborhoods it kind of reminds me of
Christmas in the hood I don’t know how
many of y’all grew up in the hood but I
did you know sometimes there’s always
that one family that is not sure how
presents will get under the tree how
dinner will get on the table and how
they’ll be able to see their children
smile like other children on holidays
somehow someway the community is able to
tie together their resources and their
time to help this family have a holiday
that is
we can create the same effect with
substance abuse treatment if we all
contribute just a little bit we’ll be
able to help people get the resources
that they need so if we don’t treat
substance addictions in our community if
we don’t recognize it as a growing need
we run into a problem that we have now
this problem is the increase in the
number of individuals who are becoming
incarcerated because they are addicted
to substances in the year 2017 the state
of Ohio incarcerated eighteen thousand
six hundred and twenty-six individuals
of that number twenty seven percent were
crimes that related to drug offenses and
they were nonviolent and of that twenty
seven percent 14 percent of the
individuals were labeled in a category
that was marked substance abuse so that
means 14 percent of the people who were
incarcerated last year were there
because they were addicted to a
substance and I will say Ohio is doing
an amazing job with the resources that
they are able to provide our offenders
options for individual and group therapy
clinical and evidence-based practices
and options to be linked to resources in
the community are all amongst some of
the resources that individuals are able
to gain while they’re in prison and
that’s awesome but we have to look at
what they lose individuals who are in
prison lose out on opportunities to
build and maintain relationships with
their families and their children they
miss out on opportunities for positive
development and they miss out on
opportunities to turn themselves around
and become positive effective pillars in
their community we also have to look at
what treatment looks like in our prisons
personally as a clinician sometimes I
feel that the treatment that I have to
offer is not always as authentic as it
could be there are certain boundaries
that I have to put in place in order to
keep myself safe as a staff member due
to the nature in the environment in
which I work there’s also opportunities
to create and perpetuate stigmas in our
prison system when situations get
chaotic or they get out of hand it’s
very easy to slip into the mindset that
all people are here because
have done a crime all people are here
because they have done something wrong
and as clinicians sometimes we don’t
always believe that but it’s really easy
to slip into that mindset so what can we
do about this my call to action is this
I want you to create opportunity create
opportunity to be a part of somebody’s
social supportive network even if you
don’t know exactly what to say if you
don’t know what resources to direct them
to in your community and you might not
even know what substance they’re
addicted to take time to just say I want
to help you I want to help you through a
process that I know is difficult for you
but I know when you complete it you’ll
be a better version of yourself I want
to help you do something that is
challenging but know that I am here to
support you I want you to create
opportunity to give back if you are a
clinician that specializes in this area
or if you are someone who has
successfully completed substance abuse
treatment don’t be afraid to put
resources in your communities that are
not there that could look like AAA or NA
groups support groups or any other type
of treatment options that may be helpful
to people and most importantly create
time create time to learn about what
your legislators policymakers advocacy
groups coalition’s and Trailblazers are
doing in your community to make these
resources more accessible to people I
talk about my job a lot and I joke about
prison quite a bit but it’s because it’s
what I’m passionate about and it’s what
I feel like I’m good at but one day it’s
my hope that I can walk into work and
I’ll treat people who actually need to
be there one day it’s my hope that I’m
spending more time learning about the
positive and growing number of resources
in our communities for people addicted
to substances rather than spending more
time
browning upon the number of people who
are coming to prison for this issue and
I do understand that sometimes
individuals commit crimes that weren’t
them going to prison and unfortunately
there’s nothing that we can do about
that but maybe if we take more time to
put resources in our communities we can
catch their addictions before escalates
to the point to where they commit crime
and they can stay in their communities
and have a positive effect rather than
coming to prison thank you [Applause]
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