Seven Words

I don't know why Mr. L is at the Pre-Release Center** and I may very well not want to know.  A man in his mid-40s, Mr. L has spent most of his life in and out of prison, most of it being in.

Mr. L says "I can't read real good."  What he means by that is that he can't read at all.  Besides his name, there are very few things that he can spell correctly or even write; even though he graduated from high school (yes, you read that right) his basic language, writing and reading skills are lower than those of the 3rd and 4th graders I tutored in Chicago.

This is not ok.

And so one of the mentors that I work with, Miss J, tutors him for 3 or 4 hours a week.  Persistent, hardworking and always affirming, Miss J takes hours out of her schedule (during the middle of the work day at that!) to come and spend with Mr. L, literally starting with the ABCs.  Miss J constantly has to remind Mr. L that the levels stated on the books they're using (ages 5-6, grade K, 1 and 2) aren't what's important; what's important is that he's learning.

Last week, Mr. L had a test.  Write down, in order, the days of the week.  Miss J was certain he could do it, and told him that she knew he could.  "You already know the last three letters of each and every one of them.  All you have to remember is the others!" Miss J reminded Mr. L.  But after just a few minutes, Mr. L shoved his paper across the table, filled with what could only be described as jibberish.

"Mr. L, you know this.  You can do this.  You know the answer!" Miss J reaffirmed as she pushed the paper back across the table to Mr. L.

And this time, after another 3 or 4 minutes, Mr. L slowly passed the paper across the table.  "There, I'm done.  I think I got it."

Glancing quickly across the words, Miss J knew that he had written each and every day- all seven- perfectly and in order.  "You did it!" Miss J cried.

And what Mr. L said next is what brought me to tears as Miss J told me this story over lunch one day.  "Never in my life have I spelled seven words correctly, all at one sitting.  I didn't think I could do it."

Seven words.  And a jolt of self-confidence so desperately needed.

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**The Pre-Release Center is a county facility at which inmates may serve out the last 3-12 months of their sentence.  Focused on rehabilitation, employment and support, the PRC provides the much-needed step between full incarceration and civil society.  As the Welcome Home Program Coordinator, I get to match the residents of the PRC up with mentors from around the greater Washington area.