Being in what is called an Administrative Facility Prison, all types of felons are housed here in Lexington. One particular type of felons housed here are sex offenders.
Unfortunately this particular group are shunned just about everywhere in the prison. This creates these guys to have a much worse experience than what it already is.
These guys, though they messed up in life, need to feel a sense of belonging like anyone else. The other day I had a question on where to go since I am new. A friend of mine told that one his friends who is a sex offender was having a very difficult time due to him always being picked on and shunned. He was feeling extremely worthless.
I saw “G” when I needed help with directions, so I asked him for help. His eyes looked up with eagerness. Someone actually is not judging him, someone actually requesting help from him. He explained to me exactly what to do and the best way to go about it. Extremely helpful.
The next time I saw “G”, I thanked him and told him how much I appreciated his wisdom. He mentioned to me that it made his day that he could actually be useful. That is how much these felons get picked on here. They are made to feel so worthless.
If you know someone having a tough time in life and they need a pick me up, do not be afraid to simply ask them for help with an easy task. Make them know you appreciate them. No need to judge them. Others have already been doing that enough. Give me a sense of belonging, a sense of hope. Be the neighborhood hope dealer.