Diane Lopez-Hughes: Two Letters from Prison

Pace e Bene trainer Diane Lopez-Hughes was sentenced to 45 days in prison for taking nonviolent action calling for the closure of the Schhol of the Americas at Fort Benning, Georgia. She was released on Tuesday, March 11.

March 8, 2008

Letter #2 For Pace e Bene:

With three days left on my 45-day sentence in the Muscogee County Jail, time seems to have rushed by. Some of the things I wanted to accomplish, I did – getting to know the women here, having a deeper understanding of the connections between the reasons why the women are here and the social ills and injustices contributing to their realities, time for spiritual readings and reflection, a chance to challenge my continuing nonviolent witness under a lack of sleep and very peculiar situations. Although centering prayer was difficult for me with the level of noise, I have a hunger for it (as well as mass and communion) and a commitment to deepen my practice when I return home.

And now that my time of release is so close, I’m able to bear the little injustices – I’m even noticing the guards being human at times, although often reverting to their idiosyncratic interpretation of the rules.

What I have found from being in jail for justice is a wider perspective of injustice at the School of the Americas/WHINSEC and in the countries affected by the training in torture to the injustices towards individuals – young poor women, older poor women, mothers of babies and children of all ages, single women—who have already lost their freedom. Only one woman denied her charges. So many of the “crimes” seemed relative to me. Decriminalization of several of the alleged crimes would reduce the jail population significantly.

Two things I would ask of all the people with whom I will speak over the next months —
1. Contact your congress member to support HR 1707 to investigate the SOA.
The other is to participate in some type of jail ministry, advocacy, or support – even if only to contact an individual in prison. That contact and concern meant so much.

[Note from Judith Kelly: In this letter I received from Diane today, March 11, her release date, she says that Berrien Zettler (a supporter who lives in Columbus) will collect her at Muscogee Jail. Then a friend who traveled with her to the Gandhi/King conference in October is coming to pick her up in her Prius and they will drive to Chattanooga, stay there overnight, and then drive on to Springfield, Illinois on Wednesday. She expects to be home on Wednesday evening.]

Later on March 11, from Judith Kelly: Just talked to Diane, who is now en route to Atlanta…her friends were at the jail at 8, and at 9 they were still waiting, and they eventually found out that the paperwork hadn’t been done! At 11:10 Diane did get out, had some coffee with Berrien and Alice Budge, dropped some books back at the jail for someone inside, and then they took off driving… we talked a few minutes ago….yea!]

Letter #1 for Pace e Bene:

Dear Friends,

Another lesson is sinking in for me. Today, a guard threatened seven days in lockdown (that’s the minimun) for anyone who is found with contraband, define as: “Anything altered from its original use.”
I asked to speak with the guard – a woman of confession, in my experience – before she left for the day, and she agreed. But she must have forgotten (giving her the benefit of the doubt). So I’ve had a day to consider how to address this injustice, and address it I shall. This morning I desired to be a reasoned voice, beginning with the observation that she is the most thorough and conscientious guard I have met; however, the reality of our existence is that we try to make do with what we have to make a comfortable space for ourselves – in a place where we wait three times as long as the rule book says for clean towels, washclothes, and bed rolls, for example.

Another: we use the cardboard backing from yellow legal paper pads as dustpans for collecting the sweepings of the entire dorm because we are not issued one. Does this mean that we will all be sent to lockdown (the hole) because we all share in this heinous crime?

The other side of this is the lesson of the danger of black and white thinking – what greases the wheels of this institution charged with serving these women (who are the same as anyone else in this world in the eyes of one creator).

This is the same thought process that can lead all of us – peace folks as well – into extreme and nonproductive positions. If we aren’t discerning with compassion, how are we different? If we don’t honor the exception, the nuance, the “on the other hand” in some way, what will change? When can the healing of nonviolent love begin its work if we maintain rigid beliefs and positions? And how can I address this justice issue with truth and confession?

My peace crane – made from the newspaper – stays put. End.

In Peace,

Diane Lopez-Hughes