Making Spirits Bright… From Prison

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear about a men’s medium security prison? Probably not the happiest of thoughts. Moreover, what if I were to tell you about a group of offenders who held a candy collection among themselves in order to help the local community at Christmas? It may not capture the top of the news hour as some of their crimes did. However, the story shows that humanity and the desire to assist others are not eclipsed when the cell door closes.

Th e Moberly Correctional Center (MCC) located in Moberly, Mo., houses roughly 1,700 men serving sentences for a variety of offenses. Inside the 15-foot razor wire fences is Housing Unit Four, which consists of two wings, A Wing and C Wing, holding 66 men per wing. The Therapeutic Community (TC), located in A Wing, was created in 2012. It is a structured wing that offers offenders a path for growth and personal development as well as an environment free of the typical prison distractions.

The men in the TC unit must take classes, volunteer to clean their living environment and maintain a monthly tracking sheet to show their therapeutic progress. Their mission statement begins, “Through positive thinking, inspiration, accountability, and dedication, we are transforming individuals…”

The veterans program in C Wing, with its signature flagpole displaying the U.S. flag in the front, houses military veterans from all the branches of service. Founded in 2017, the wing offers veterans specific resources to assist in their transition back into the community. From mental health services to the local Veterans Administration hospital involvement, the Veterans Wing promotes a structured living environment that revives a sense of duty from prior military service.

Their mission statement reads, “To reduce recidivism in the Veterans Community by restoring our Honor and means to succeed.” e men are always in search of humanitarian and restorative justice projects. The Veterans Wing at MCC is the pilot program for the entire Missouri Department of Corrections.

The Community Kitchen in Moberly is funded solely by donations and is run by volunteers. They serve healthy home cooked meals twice a week to about 125 guests who are having a hard time making ends meet. With the news showing the economic impact of Covid, inflation and merchandise shortages, the men yearned to do something different this year. They wanted the kind of venture that would positively impact someone’s life.

The majority of the men come from low socio-economic backgrounds that included being raised in group homes, the Division of Youth Services and living on government assistance. They know hardship firsthand. However, nobody ever forgets childhood memories of the sweet bliss from possessing a bag of assorted candies. Thus, the proposal to the prison’s administration for a candy drive was submitted and approved.

On Dec. 20, 2021, a Community Kitchen volunteer picked up two large boxes of candy weighing 34 pounds donated entirely by the men of Housing Unit Four.

Inside America’s prisons, sadness, homesickness and depression resonate through the cell walls. In many cases, the incarcerated do not have the opportunity to participate in altruistic projects. However, for the Christmas of 2021, men from Housing Unit Four’s Therapeutic Community and Veterans Program came together and made a difference not only in the local community but also in their own lives.