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LEW STERRETT JUSTICE CENTER: 2005-2008
On August 29, 2005, Thomas was removed from death row to be placed in a Dallas County jail, the Lew Sterrett Justice Center in Dallas, waiting for a new trial to take place.
When he arrived in this jail, Thomas was at first isolated and rejected because he came from death row. Death row inmates are all considered highly dangerous individuals. They are not perceived nor treated as normal human beings, on the contrary they are intentionally demonized.
Furthermore, it has been quite traumatizing for him to experience the overcrowded environment of this Dallas general population jail, after having lived for so many years in almost complete isolation. Indeed, he went through a kind of cultural shock and it has been very challenging for him to adjust to being in such a place and living conditions, quite opposite from what he had experienced during the past 20 years.
"... It has really been quite a trip, experience and cultural shock... to have left death row and arrived here in population. Only to discover that while on death row... You have men wanting to live, while here in population, You have men looking for ways to die..." (May 1st, 2011)
In addition to this, Thomas was preparing for a new trial, and this was a great source of stress for him too, with the threat of a new death sentence looming over him.
Despite these challenges, Thomas has found enough inner resources to continue his positive and ascending evolution, and to be an inspiration and a source of strength for others. As always, he aspired to help his fellow inmates. He did so by simply being a positive example for them, or by encouraging them to take responsibility for their own life and destiny, to get some education, for example their GED degree. He asked his friends from the outside to send them teaching materials and books for them to achieve that goal.
WYNNE UNIT, HUNTSVILLE, TEXAS 2008 -
As it turned out, there was no new trial; instead, a plea bargain concluded Thomas' case. On May 12, 2008, Thomas left the Lew Sterrett Justice Center and was transferred to the Wynne Unit.
He has immediately seized every opportunity given to him to improve his education and to attend the various classes available.
He attended a Cognitive Intervention class. At the conclusion of this class, Thomas wrote his teacher an open letter. This letter was also published in the July/August 2009 edition of "The Echo", a newspaper distributed freely in the Texas prisons (see it here). Thomas is now regularly invited to speak during these classes as a motivational speaker. Indeed, Thomas has an extraordinary capacity of speaking to young persons, who will listen to him with great attention due to his experience on death row, his wisdom, humanity and spirituality.
Cognitive intervention class:
The Cognitive intervention is a life skills therapy class, which is designed to cultivate human conscious discernment, intellect, humanity and effective methods of applications for livelihood problems solving attributes. This class is designed to teach people principles of actions. In this class, "the Franklin Reality Model" is taught:
- Addictive behavior: compulsive behavior with short-term benefits and with long-term destruction.
- Seven natural laws:
1) If the results of your behavior do not meet your needs, there is an incorrect principle on your belief
window;
2) Results take time to measure;
3) Growth is the process of changing principles on your belief window;
4) Addictive behavior is the result of deep and unmet needs;
5) If your self-worth is dependent upon anything outside yourself you are in big trouble;
6) When the results of your behaviour do meet your needs over time, then you will experience inner
peace;
7) The mind will naturally seek harmony when presented with two opposing principles.
Thomas also took computer classes, mathematics classes, and "American Government" classes. He successfully completed the "On-the-Job Training Program" in Engraver, Pantograph on January 20th, 2010 and he successfully completed the "On-the-Job Training Program" in graphic design on September 30th, 2010.
Besides his work for the prison and the various classes he attends, Thomas spends most of his time, if not all of his time, helping his fellow inmates. Indeed, on a daily basis, he is counselling and advising many men in many different areas. He has gained a lot of respect, not only from fellow inmates (to be posted soon, some inmates' testimonials), but also from officers who work at the Wynne Unit.
Indeed, when he arrived at the Wynne Unit, Thomas noticed and found it quite concerning that so many young men were in prison, and that they often went back to prison shortly after their release. Many of them were also addicted to drugs and/or suffered from various mental disorders. Many of them were fathers who deserted their children and families, just like their fathers had deserted them, a vicious cycle in which many were trapped - something which also concerned Thomas a lot.
He began to mentor and to teach some inmates about upright principles, virtues, moral standards, values and about self-discipline and self-respect. He tried to give them a better awareness of their very own humanity, self-worth and self-value as human beings. He tried to teach them how they could help themselves by learning first and foremost to love themselves, so that they could also be able to love ohers. He taught them how important it is to get education in order to change their own life and their families' lives - to get out of poverty and crime.
He also teaches his fellow inmates to keep a good personal hygiene, as well as to keep their environment/cell clean and regain the self-esteem and dignity all human beings deserve.
He encourages them to practice sport, as much as the circumstances permit. He is himself doing exercises daily and has kept incredibly fit during all these years of incarceration, playing basket-ball, practicing yoga, gym and running.
He has encouraged many of his fellow inmates, especially the young ones, to acquire more knowledge and pride about their own culture and roots, African-Americans or other minorities. Again, he has asked his supporters from the outside to send them books and documentation to help him teach them these values.
And he tries to help several men to find penpals so that they can have some positive experience in their lives while in prison, as he knows how important it is when you are in prison to have contacts with the outside world (see the "Penpals" section).
Thomas also speaks to gang related leaders in the prison, in order to urge them to start being positive leaders and examples for their peers - a very difficult task, but he obtains outstanding results. Many persons have actually abandoned their gang affiliation.
He provides spiritual guidance to the persons who wish him to do so. Recently, he has even been contacted by a group of Hispanic prisoners who wish to receive his spiritual mentoring. This is something very unheard of and extremely unusual in a prison environment, where most of the time there are conflicts and competition between the different ethnic groups. So, Thomas manages also to make a work of unification between the different ethnicities and people in prison.
Thomas also works as a Peer Education Facilitator and is striving to become Certified as a Peer Educator. It is mainly a work of education and prevention against the HIV virus. He has read much about the subject and has recently attended a conference "Ninth Annual State Offender Conference for TDCJ Peer Health Educators" on April 12, 2011. Pharmaceutical representatives, TDCJ personnel and offender peer health educators from around the State of Texas were attending as well.
He also gladly participates in various social events taking place at the Wynne Unit.
For example, he participated in the 2009 Father's Day event organized by the prison (see Program). In the course of this event, he sang "Color Him Father" of the Winstons and encouraged the men to be more responsible fathers for their children.
He also participated in the Cognitive Intervention Pre After-care Program on March 25th, 2010.
In February 2010 as well as on February 25th, 2011, he spoke in the Wynne Unit Chapel. He launched a call to duty to the 600 inmates attending, inciting them to stop waisting their time watching TV every day, gambling, chasing homosexuals and claiming to be gangsters, based on dysfunctional behavioral patterns they hear in different songs. After both speeches, he was given a standing ovation.
During his 25 years of incarceration, Thomas has touched the lives of unnumbered persons, be it in the prison or outside the prison. Many inmates have expressed their love, gratitude and appreciation for the support, help and love that Thomas has given them. For many he became a father figure, a mentor, for some he even has been the most important person they had met in their life (to be posted, some inmates' testimonials).
If Thomas could use his talent, his humanity, his experience and his wisdom outside the prison walls and mentor "at risk" kids before they end up in prison or on death row, it would certainly make a huge difference for the community and also for the whole humanity, as this is Thomas' most heartfelt wish.
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