The 13th (of March)

March 12, 2015 - Uncategorized

On Friday, March 13th, 5 months before Troy’s 46th birthday, Rich and I will be sitting in the visiting room at Lakeland Correctional Facility talking with our son for a couple hours. We will try to be positive about the future – discussing plans to get letters of support together for the Parole Eligibility Review (PER) which is due in May, imagining the parole interview which should take place before the end of 2015, and what will happen if the parole board is “interested” in Troy’s release, namely a very stressful “public hearing.”

We will talk a little about our wonderful vacation in Florida because he’ll ask us about how we’re doing. Too often we’ll glance over at the vending machines filled with expensive junk food, and offer to buy him something, as if a Twinkie or a bag of Skittles will assuage his hunger for sweet, colorful freedom. We will bring up his job – the greyhound dog program: “Is Amy learning any tricks? What is her temperament? Do you think she’ll make a good pet for an adoptive family? When will she graduate?” Interesting, that in 10 weeks a psychologically damaged dog can be rehabilitated and ready for release, but it takes how long for human beings? Or, isn’t it really about rehabilitation and correction?

We won’t sing or dance or take a walk or bicycle ride. We won’t soak up the sunshine. We might play a game of Scrabble to help us relax. It’s getting harder and harder to have hope. The uncertainty of an “indeterminate sentence” and the monotony of the prison routine wears on prisoners and their families. We might discuss our plans for the rest of the spring – the upcoming Legislative Education Day (April 30 in Lansing), the International Prisoners’ Family Conference (early May in Texas), the Correctional Ministries and Chaplains’ Association Summit (late May at Wheaton College.)

Troy always helps us get a perspective on the big picture. Lately he has been reminding us that until the 13th Amendment ( “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.”) is amended to remove the part about still allowing people convicted of a crime to be treated as slaves, all prison reform efforts are anemic.

Are you willing to join us in the coming months, committing to pray MORE and WORK harder to see Troy released from prison? We do see God at work around us, and “are waiting in eager expectation” for this child of God, this man of God, to be more fully revealed. (Roman 8:19.)  “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably MORE than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at WORK in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!”  (Ephesians 3:20-21)