Originally published in the Spring 2022 edition of the Virginia Defender, issue 68, printed April 21. Reproduced here for accessibility and archival purposes. To find other stories in the Spring 2022 issue or to download the full PDF, see this post. For other issues dating back to 2012, see the Full Issues page.

The last four years of legislative sessions have allowed me to reflect on many ideas and thought processes, those of my own and others. With the presentation of every bill, you notice the surge of enthusiasm with anticipation of what could be; the possibilities seem endless. However, with the failures or limitations placed on each piece of legislation, the enthusiasm wanes and defeatism becomes the ethos.

What once appeared to be support for the community activists and organizations that fight our cause quickly turns to criticism of their efforts. I’ve always been troubled by this.

With every criticism or critique of the activists’ motives and efforts, the prisoner must first question their own: How diligent are you in educating yourself on the issues? How much of your time and finances are used in a way that advances our ability to assist the “conscious minority” in showcasing our cause?

To be critical, we’ve allowed our failure to work toward our own interest to somehow become the failure of those who support us. This is not the right mentality. Whether we win or lose is not the basis of our success.

The fight for more substantive prison reform is not going to be easy. And for us, “the prisoners of conscience,” there are no days off. Just as the men and women on the outside sacrifice their time and effort, we must count the costs of our own sacrifices, or “lack thereof.”

D. Ray Thomas

RIVER NORTH CORR. CTR