Expressions

“Rosebud gave me hope and helped me to see that there is a purpose for my life”. Susan, participant at Metro Prison

“I now know I can create my own life”!
Dwayne, participant, Hancock Prison

"I believe in Rosebud's mission, leadership and partnerships will increase self responsibility and reduce recidivism."
Marty Hartman, donor, President, Metalite

Incidents from Mary Campbell, Rosebud Foundation, Inc. in her facilitating from the books Houses of Healing and Power Source.

Meditations have been the key to my programs. I have found that doing the meditations consistently have folks coming back to class as they have given participants a place of refuge from the storm. They have communicated as such to me, in both classes at the prison and at the youth detention center. Two particular incidents come to mind:

A woman who had been in my class at the women’s prison came to me after class and requested an opportunity to talk. She said that one night in the previous week there was violence in her room. One of the women in her dormitory had made a shank and had badly cut another woman. The corrections officers had come as had the paramedics and there was lots of yelling and confusion. She said that she noticed because of our class that the feelings that were coming up at the moment did not have anything to do with what was happening now.

She was reminded of the domestic violence that she experienced as a child and noticed that her body reactions were the same as they had been for years when being in similar situations. Then she remembered the tools learned in class. She started being aware of her breathing, taking deep breaths. Then she got in her bunk and did the relaxation and meditations. She said that night she slept well. This was the first time in her 43 years of life that she slept well after an incident such as that.

The other incident occurred at the Marietta Regional Youth Detention Center. The population there is transient, and I always have new kids in class. I had been facilitating this class for about six months and was totally frustrated. Kids were cutting up in class and it was difficult to control the group and get them to listen. My prayer was, “Dear God, please give me some indication that this is where I should be on Sunday nights instead of doing something more fun.”

The next Sunday night I asked the fifteen kids who showed up who had been there before. About half the class raised their hands. “Why did you come back?” I asked sarcastically. One young man raised his hand and said, “This is the fourth time I have been to this class. Every time I come I cut up during the meditation. One day this past week there was a lot of confusion and stuff going on on the unit. I went in my room and tried to relax and meditate. You know, this stuff REALLY works!” I sat there and tears came to my eyes and thought, “Thanks, God. I got my answer.” About fifteen minutes later the Juvenile Corrections officer carried him out of there because he was cutting up during the meditations. I was reminded that even when we think they are not getting it, they are.