{"id":1101,"date":"2012-03-12T13:38:56","date_gmt":"2012-03-12T18:38:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/restorative-justice\/?p=1101"},"modified":"2012-12-11T18:05:38","modified_gmt":"2012-12-11T23:05:38","slug":"beware-of-labels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/restorative-justice\/2012\/03\/12\/beware-of-labels\/","title":{"rendered":"Beware of labels"},"content":{"rendered":"

Recently I had the opportunity to spend an afternoon with a friend of some 20 years.\u00a0 Tyrone Werts is a wise man, a leader, an inspiration to many, who has spent years organizing and helping to sustain others.\u00a0 He has long been actively engaged in efforts to reduce violence in society.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Tyrone Werts, early 1990s<\/p>\n

His picture is on the front cover of my book \u201cDoing Life\u201d \u00a0because he has been serving a life sentence \u2013 in Pennsylvania, this means life without possibility of parole.<\/p>\n

On several occasions, I\u2019ve had prison officers comment that if he were outside, with his relational and leadership skills, he would be CEO of a company. For years he served as president of the lifer’s organization in Graterford prison.<\/p>\n

Then, by some miracle (and lots of support from key community figures), after 37 years in prison, Tyrone\u2019s sentence was commuted and he was released last year. \u00a0This is an exceedingly rare occurrence in Pennsylvania<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Tyrone Werts 2012<\/p>\n

What must it be like to be free after 37 years inside?\u00a0 Tyrone says that he hasn\u2019t had an unhappy day since he got out.\u00a0 He is working part time as a consultant for the public defender\u2019s office, part time with the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program at Temple University that brings college students into prison to study together with prisoners.\u00a0 He has a nice car.\u00a0 He looks great. \u00a0He is on email.\u00a0 He skypes. He says the weirdest part is being with friends like me who he only knew on the inside.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Tyrone met me at a judges\u2019 conference in Philadelphia where I had just spoken and he seemed to fit right in. He then took me to a conference where we were on a panel together.\u00a0 He seemed to know everyone and the people he didn\u2019t know, he reached out to.\u00a0 He laughed when I told him he had the same relational skills and style outside that I had observed inside the walls.<\/p>\n

Reflecting back, Tyrone commented that when he was convicted, he was considered a sociopath.\u00a0 What a sobering reminder of the dangers of labels and stereotypes.<\/p>\n

I look forward to the time when he is free to travel and he will be available as a speaker for other communities.\u00a0 He has so much to offer.<\/p>\n

Podcast interview<\/a> with Tyrone here.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Recently I had the opportunity to spend an afternoon with a friend of some 20 years.\u00a0 Tyrone Werts is a wise man, a leader, an inspiration to many, who has spent years organizing and helping to sustain others.\u00a0 He has long been actively engaged in efforts to reduce violence in society. Tyrone Werts, early 1990s....<\/p>

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