What I Learned in Prison

The first thing I noticed before entering prison was the tall chain linked fence with rows of razor wire at the top and along the base of the fence. The first sounds of prison that resonated in my memory was the buzzing for the magnetic release on the steel door, the creaking of the rusty hinges and the clashing sound of steel on steel as the door slams shut behind me. As I lay my carried items on a bench to be x-rayed, I turned and walked through a metal detector, and awaiting me on the other side was a guard who direct me to extend my arms and spread my legs. I felt the guard’s hands run up and down my legs and arms, across my back and sides and down my chest and stomach area. As I processed in, they photographed me, assigned a number and tagged me, scanned my hand for recognition and then directed to another door. Beyond the door was another steel door, another buzzer and squeaking hinges and then another steel door beyond that one, with a buzz the release of the magnetic latch, the door is pushed open and I walked into prison, as the steel door slammed behind me. As I walked through the area, it was as if every convict’s eyes were upon me, some greeted me as others just stared. As I opened the door to the reception area, I was greeted with a smile, a handshake and welcomed. By now, you must understand, I was not convicted of a crime, I was there to teach inmates the art of networking. Of the 1300 plus inmates incarcerated in the prison, I had thirty men who had signed up to attend my eight-secession course. The inmates had been screened by the prison staff and only these select few would be able to participate. What I quickly learned was these men were hungry for knowledge and wanted to learn networking skills they could use in and out of prison. What they quickly learned from me is I held them accountable for their assignments, which many others had not. Several men dropped out of the course after giving them an assignment, they failed to do it and part of that assignment was to write a draft and present it in front of the men. When I called upon them, they said they hadn’t done the homework and I told them; you’re still going to present. They quickly learned accountability was tough and too difficult for them. What I learned in prison was similarities with the inmates. Most of them were from homes with a drug or alcohol addicted parent, had been abused and many had been part of social services and most of them did not have a strong male influence in their life. Without a strong family life, many fled to the streets to find a bond. Many of you reading this will say; they knew the difference between right and wrong, and they would agree with you. But given that most of them were in survival mode, they did what they felt necessary to do to survive.

For some of the men who attended my course, they will be getting released within a few months or a few years and some will be in prison for the rest of their life, and they will have gained networking skills and the ability to determine personalities and know how speak and understand others. As I leave the prison, there is the buzz of the magnetic lock and the squeaking hinges and the slam of steel on steel. As I walk through the last gate into the darkness of the prison parking lot, I think to myself; these men will have better networking skills than most of our population. When they are released from prison, they will be in survival mode with speaking skills.

To learn more about my Networking workshop, visit my website