A new program at the Arlington County jail is attempting to bridge divides between people in custody and the general public.
An event hosted through the Frederick Douglass Project for Justice last week was the first of its kind in Virginia, attempting to give community members a glimpse of “the common humanity of incarcerated people” at the Arlington County Detention Facility.
About 20 local residents toured the jail facility, then spent an hour with about a dozen of those incarcerated.
“This could be your son or daughter, your friend — you want them to be treated with the same respect they receive on the outside,” the organization’s founder, Marc Howard, said at the July 15 event.
The program left Sheriff Jose Quiroz “filled with emotion.”
“Whether you’re in or out [of incarceration], we’re humans and we feel,” Quiroz said.
The sheriff had connected with Howard and the D.C.-based Frederick Douglass Project at a national forum. Arlington’s jail is the latest of 25 facilities in 17 states to participate.
Howard, a lawyer and political-science professor at Georgetown University, said he hoped the initiative would “spark something here in Arlington and Virginia to get people in the outside community to care about incarcerated people.”
Seated in a large circle, participants got to know each other through ice-breaker questions. After a break for pizza, participants broke into smaller groups for more conversation, on topics both serious and more lighthearted.
“We talked about comedians that we knew and movies that we saw, [realizing] we laugh at the same things,” one of the visitors said.
The program wrapped up back in the full group with reflections. Among them:
From a detainee: “It was pretty interesting. It gave me more hope to get out of here. Change is possible; we can all make a difference.”
From a visitor: “We forget sometimes how easy connections can occur if you try.”
Detainee: “It’s going to make us more accountable. You have to task yourself, are you being your best? If you want that level of respect, you have to give it.”
Visitor: “The time went by so fast. Conversations just flowed. We learned a lot.”
Detainee: “Even with the generational gaps, we still had common things to discuss. We all had similar senses of humor.”
Visitor: “I came in with no goals except to participate. Sometimes it is nice to just sit back … and get to know one another.”
Detainee: “It meant a lot for us. It made me feel like I was getting heard.”
Visitor: “Just sitting and listening and speaking together, I’m really humbled by it.”
Detainee: “It definitely made me feel human again.”
Major Juan Gelabert, director of the corrections division at the Sheriff’s Office, said that such a simple concept could pay large dividends.
“There was a lot of engagement,” he said. “It was well worth it.”
Why was the initiative named to honor Frederick Douglass? Howard said it was an intentional choice to select Douglass (1818-95), seen by many as the founder of the nation’s civil-rights movement.
“He was a historical hero of mine. Through education, he fought for his own freedom and freedom for others. He had dignity — he was someone who was admired by all,” Howard said.
The detention facility currently is home to about 350 incarcerated people, about half its capacity. Some are awaiting trial, while others have been convicted and are serving sentences or awaiting transfer to a state prison.
Gelabert told visitors that staffing levels have increased but more personnel are always sought.
“We look for people who are empathetic, who don’t kick people when they’re down,” he said. “People who safeguard their dignity.”
