Member-only story
Unhealed Trauma
Coping mechanisms and prison
I’ve been reading Chris Hedges’ book Our Class: Trauma and Transformation in an American Prison. It’s eye-opening. The story especially resonates with me, as my husband has two brothers who have spent most of their adult lives in prison.
I am the daughter of a cop. I grew up thinking that the police were the “good guys.” I was like many Americans: I didn’t want to believe that there are lots of bad cops. I didn’t want to believe that cops lied. I didn’t have compassion for people in prison.
I stopped thinking that way years ago. But, this is not a story about cops, it is a story of my own transformation in thinking about prisoners and prisons. This daughter of a cop has become an advocate for prisoners.
We have so many addicts in prison. “Well they should of stayed away from drugs,” I hear people say. Really? Just who are these people (to use the old folks’ term) “on drugs”?