It was a sad day…
A friend of mine whom I would often sit next to as we ate our meals, got into some trouble. His name is Mack.*
Mack likes to do a lot of gambling. A sizable number of the men in here get wrapped up in football and other sports. They start wagering bets. And the stakes get high.
In the course of our time together I shared with Mack about my relationship with Jesus Christ. He is a proud man, and he said that following Jesus was okay for me, but that he didn't need the Lord.
Earlier today, a special squad of prison guards came into the cellblock and handcuffed Mack and escorted him to the Special Housing Unit, also known as “SHU” and “The Box.” I am not certain what his disciplinary charges will be, probably possession of gambling material, as well as some other related charges. The word among the inmates, however, is that he is facing at least one year in solitary.
Mack doesn't have any family he's in contact with. The few family members he once knew are long since out of his life. He never gets visits. He seldom gets letters.
Before coming to prison Mack lived on the streets. He is well-read and very smart. He has special training to work with the deaf and hearing-impaired prisoners. His family life, unfortunately, was completely dysfunctional. He split from his home in upstate New York during his teenage years, and he never went back. He chose, instead, to sleep on park benches over a normal bed. He just could not live with the alcoholism of his father, the abuse, and the daily strife.
Mack is a physically strong person, but he has a soft heart. He would often loan things to the needier guys, never asking for anything back. But raw survival is what he's had to live by for most of his life. While he's in solitary confinement, I pray he recalls our conversations and begins to call upon the Lord. I will miss Mack.
D.B.
*Not his real name.
Mack likes to do a lot of gambling. A sizable number of the men in here get wrapped up in football and other sports. They start wagering bets. And the stakes get high.
In the course of our time together I shared with Mack about my relationship with Jesus Christ. He is a proud man, and he said that following Jesus was okay for me, but that he didn't need the Lord.
Earlier today, a special squad of prison guards came into the cellblock and handcuffed Mack and escorted him to the Special Housing Unit, also known as “SHU” and “The Box.” I am not certain what his disciplinary charges will be, probably possession of gambling material, as well as some other related charges. The word among the inmates, however, is that he is facing at least one year in solitary.
Mack doesn't have any family he's in contact with. The few family members he once knew are long since out of his life. He never gets visits. He seldom gets letters.
Before coming to prison Mack lived on the streets. He is well-read and very smart. He has special training to work with the deaf and hearing-impaired prisoners. His family life, unfortunately, was completely dysfunctional. He split from his home in upstate New York during his teenage years, and he never went back. He chose, instead, to sleep on park benches over a normal bed. He just could not live with the alcoholism of his father, the abuse, and the daily strife.
Mack is a physically strong person, but he has a soft heart. He would often loan things to the needier guys, never asking for anything back. But raw survival is what he's had to live by for most of his life. While he's in solitary confinement, I pray he recalls our conversations and begins to call upon the Lord. I will miss Mack.
D.B.
*Not his real name.