Michael Berry

Welcome to today’s edition of Dr.’s note. Today will hear from a current inmate named Michael Berry. Here is his story:

In the prison system the majority of officers that we deal with consistently oppress us. We go through a lot of conflict, because we are treated as objects, and not people.

In reality we have families. We have lives. We are humans and not just criminals.

There are some that look at us as humans and treat us accordingly. Yet, most officers yell at us like dogs. They look for reasons to lock us down. That sets inmates in a bad state of mind.

We have already been taken away from our family. We have uncontrollably circumstances going on in the world. We have deaths in the family. We have rebellion with children. Then on top of that, we have officers screaming at us making our lives more stressful.

I believe this is due to training. They are taught to see us as trouble makers. They are taught see us as offenders… not people.

There is a big difference between a trouble maker and a person who made a life altering mistake. Many of us made one wrong decision that led us here. True, some are life long criminals. Yet, most of us just made a mistake. It’s not our past mistakes that should define us, but our current choices and behavior.

These mistakes have often roots. Some come from a bad upbringing. Some come from bad environments. Some are not simply acts of carelessness, but wreck less lifestyles.

When one lives like this they begin to believe it is who they are. They adopt this behavior into a personal character. Now, when you treat the person as less human it makes the problem worse… not better.

Have you ever done something illegal? Does that make you less human? The difference is we got caught and you didn’t. It doesn’t make us deserve to be treated less human.

I made a few bad decisions when I was a teen. That cost me the next 11 years of my life. That situation left me with a child I could not raise. I was stripped from my family. I was ultimately thrust into a world that is a dehumanizing environment.

I had to learn that one bad decision doesn’t define me. Being placed in a prison doesn’t make me a lifelong criminal. It makes me a person who made a mistake.

I could have become like the rest of my environment. I could have stayed in drug use. I could have felt sorry for myself. I could have justified staying in the pit of despair.

Instead, I chose to turn to God and really let him change my life. I guess I realized that there was no way I could get through the next ten years without God. I could see that from my environment and the hopelessness in others surrounding me.

I started reading the Bible. I attached myself to men of faith. I began surrounding myself with people educated in the word of God. That led to me getting involved in music ministry, Bible study, and later preaching and teaching others.

I was fortunate enough to get enrolled in Therapon Theological Seminary and College. This gave me to tools needed to begin a branch of ministry in prison called “Men of Peace” (M.O.P.). This is a ministry that promotes peace in the prisons.

M.O.P works endlessly to create positivity within negative environments. It does daily prayer meetings. Men here are allowed to express personal struggles and unload stress.

We hold weekly meetings which consist of testimonies, teaching, music, and other outlets for personal expressions. Bi-Monthly we hold a fellowship day with food, stories, and games. We also monthly provide hygiene and food to inmates without outside financial support.

Before M.O.P. started there was rampant stealing, violence, gang initiations, and drug abuse in our living area. We were able to take a stand against this and give men an alternative. Several men have renounced gangs. Others were deterred from ever joining. Some were helped off drugs. Stealing and violence dropped substantially.

Inmates are in need of change…not oppression. Thank you all.