We asked Kurt to share his experience of Sponsors now that he has successfully graduated the program. Staffer Jay Bell sat down with him in February of 2012.
When I came to Sponsors, I didn’t know anything about the program. I just knew it was a place I could stay and get help to reintegrate into the community. I came with nothing. Sponsors provided me with clothes, shelter and a secure place from the streets. The rules at Sponsors were lenient and easy to fall into because I had always been kind of a rigid person. Rules make me feel comfortable. All I was asked to do was be here in the morning, take UAs, cook my own food, clean my room and do whatever job they gave me. I had to stay out of trouble, report and log where I went and what I did.
One of the challenges of being at Sponsors was that I was considered a dangerous offender. I wore a boot so Lane County Corrections Center could monitor my whereabouts. I had to deal with the police, my parole officer and Sponsors all telling me what I could and could not do. I spent a lot of time in my room during those four months, then moved to Honors housing because I had my own income.
While at Sponsors, three main guys helped me. Joseph Ches gave me a job in the warehouse, where I worked at separating clothes and organizing the area. Tony Meyers was kind of like my mentor and helped me in getting my driver’s license. Bill Hogan took me in like a brother. He assisted me in getting my veterans stuff going again, took me to all the meetings and to get my benefits.
I don’t think I would have gotten as far as I am without going to Sponsors. They convinced my parole officer that it was good for me to run every morning, so I did. They explained that it would be beneficial for me to have a job, so I went to work for FSG (Facility Service Group). Bill Hogan told my parole officer that I needed to find a place to live upon leaving Sponsors. I looked up over 350 different places until one finally accepted me.
The advice that I would give to Sponsors is to pay attention to people’s needs, feelings and thoughts, because most people coming out of prison can’t communicate their needs. For those coming to Sponsors, I would tell them that most people aren’t given this chance; there are only 72 beds here and so many more than that get out of prison.
One of the things that I will always remember from prison is a little saying, “If you always do what you’ve always done, you will always get what you’ve always gotten”. There are many responsibilities you’re going to have on the outside that you didn’t have in prison. It can overwhelm you. You have to ask yourself “what needs am I trying to meet? Are these needs beneficial? Is this really a need, or is it me acting like my old self again?” It’s easy to go back to prison because it’s comfortable, the easy way. If you want to have a life then you are going to have to make changes that are difficult. “The worst day in your freedom is better than the best day in prison”.
When a person comes to Sponsors they need to realize two things: 1) Everyone who lives here at Sponsors came from the same place they came from, and 2) One has to pick and choose whom to hang around with.
Do what’s best for you.
On October 16th, Sponsors was honored to host the human rights activist Sister Helen Prejean. Sister Helen is known for her decades of work defending the rights and dignity of people who have been incarcerated, particularly people on death row. The Academy Award winning film “Dead Man Walking” with Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn, was about Sister Helen’s journey as spiritual advisor to Matthew Poncelet as he awaited execution. Sister Helen has remained a powerful voice for a more just, redemptive and humane justice system. She does not believe that: “the government can legally kill someone to punish the perpetrator and to reinforce that killing other people is wrong.”
I was only 18 when I was convicted of my crime and was incarcerated for nearly 6 and a half years. Exiting prison felt very overwhelming to me. I had no idea what I would do with my life and really limited options for housing and employment. Without Sponsors, I would not have known what do or how to move forward. Within 6 months, I’ve become a successful student, participate in my community and rent my own room.
