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Mother of inmate comforts others |
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Tuesday, 27 October 2009 |
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 By Davida Hill-Beckum
Daily Times Leader
When Jean Smith's son was sentenced to incarceration with the Mississippi Department of Correction in 2007, she felt as if her life ended.
“In my everyday activities I was able to function normally and naturally,” Smith said, “ but in private I was a mess.”
Smith allowed blame and shame to control her actions and decisions until one day the Lord told her she had wallowed in pity and shame long enough.
“I cried out to the Lord to set me free, and He did,” Smith said. “Now I choose to uplift others who are experiencing the same grief the Lord is allowing me to overcome daily.”
Mothers of Inmates, a support group for the families of inmates founded by Smith, will hold their second community outreach gathering Oct. 31 at 1 p.m. at Northside Christian Church.
“During this outreach, inmates and former inmates are going to share their stories with children in an effort to prevent them from making choices that lead to incarceration,”Smith said.
The children will also hear from pastors, lawyers, Mississippi Department of Corrections officials and West Point Interim Police Chief Bobby Lane.
Although MOI hosts community outreach events, their primary focus remains on the families of incarcerated men and women in Mississippi.
“Pain is pain,” Smith said, “and the pain of a mother goes beyond color. The pain of a mother is indescribable. There are black, white and Latino families experiencing this pain. There are more than 2800 inmates in Mississippi. For each inmate there is a mother. If the mother is deceased, there is a family member hurting because of their incarceration.”
MOI isn't limited to just mothers. The organization ministers to the entire family of inmates. This year MOI has adopted the family of an inmate.
“We want the families to know that we know they are going to grieve,” Smith said, “But they don't have to grieve alone. The Lord has provided an outlet for that. We are that outlet.”
Besides comforting families, MOI works with Christopher Epps, Commissioner of MDOC, in an effort to make sure inmates are receiving proper treatment.
“We know that our children have made poor choices,” Smith said. “ We understand those choices have consequences, but they are still our children and they are still.”
According to Smith, her relationship with Epps has been very good.
“I think it is because the first day I talked to him, I let him know we weren't going away,” Smith laughed. “Epps is a great man. He listens to our concerns and does everything he can to assist us in any way.”
Part of MOI's outreach includes sending birthday cards and encouraging words to inmates.
MOI outreach extends beyond Clay County.
“We are not confined to this small area,” Smith said. “We have members in Alabama. I have even spoken to people in Baltimore, Md. We all have the same thing in common, children incarcerated in MDOC.”
The group met Oct.17 in Monroe County. In December, they will meet in Lee County.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 28 October 2009 )
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