Programs serve immediate needs for medical services, mental health, spiritual support
In California and New York two prisons are attempting to promotes suicide prevention, while seeking to be of service to their peers.
At San Quentin Rehabilitation Center in California, the prison has a program called the Light Keepers, which also serves the immediate needs of the community as a source of information for mental health, spiritual support and medical services.
“To have a positive impact on the suicide and overdose rates, as well as the murder rates is a part of the impact we want to have,” said SQ resident Bertho Gauthier.
A member of Light Keepers, Greg “White Eagle” Coates, has been incarcerated since 1975. He said that the history of the program previously known as Brothers Keepers has evolved over the years.
Coates said the program was created when Richard Dubner, a resident of The Q passed away in 2008.
“The people that knew him, ate with him, and worked with him daily had no idea that he was contemplating killing himself,” Coates said.
Founders Marsha Blackenstock and Dian Deacone then trained 10 residents on suicide prevention, rape, trauma, and board denial to further the growth of the program.
Coates said the Light Keepers has affected the incarcerated population.
“There is a new wave of young people that want to help others that I haven’t seen in a while, and every time we get to train some new guys that’s another potential life saved, as well as another man with a chance to parole,” Coates said.
SQ resident Trent Woodmore said that the counseling has had an impact on incarcerated people.
“Light Keepers are needed because prison is an unforgiving environment that is often packed with people that already feel disconnected from their families…,” said Woodmore.
The Light Keepers’ goal is not to fix people but to build healthy relationships so that peace can be nurtured in an environment that is full of conflict, according to Woodmore.
“To me it’s a direct peer to peer counseling experience, an option for the incarcerated individuals that may not feel comfortable going to staff,” Gauthier said. “Specifically it’s for us to help with mental health issues, such as deaths, family issues, overall number one is suicide prevention.”
According to the Marshall Project, the New York Detention Complex in Brooklyn also has a goal of aiding in peer suicide prevention in its Suicide Prevention Aide program.
Rashon Venable a participant of SPA presently in the Brooklyn Detention Complex where he has resided since 2017.
He was 16 years old when he was detained for a crime he committed and now eight years later roams the 12-tier housing unit every half hour ensuring residents are not harming themselves or having suicidal thoughts.
Resident Venable stated that even though he masked his self-inflicted trauma with positivity and optimism, other peers were more open about their struggles.
Venable said that an anonymous resident he calls “S” was often mistreated by other residents and attacked by officers due to his high profile case, He says that resident “S” would often break down in tears, allowing the stress to get to him.
“Realizing that mental health issues can surface in many different ways, I found that being incarcerated isn’t easy for anybody,” Venable said.
