Town Supervisors Go to Jail, Talk With Inmates About Program Changing Lives

In a meeting far from the usual town board and press conference settings, Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell and Riverhead Town Supervisor Sean Walter went to jail Friday, to learn firsthand about a program inmates say is changing lives.

Russell and Walter attended a meeting of Council for Unity, held at the Suffolk County Correctional Facility in Riverside, where they listened as inmates in the program described how it's been a game changer.

Council for Unity, founded by Robert DeSena more than 40 years ago, is a not-for-profit organization that specializes in reducing violence in schools and communities by replacing a culture of despair with a culture of hope.

Both Russell and Walter wanted to hear how the inmates had seen lives rife with drugs, gangs, and crime turned around — and explore how the program could either continue to make a difference, in Riverhead, or be implemented for the first time, in Southold.

The organization aims to create a new family for the disenfranchised, allowing them to turn their backs on lives of crime and find support and fellowship in a group where they feel safe and can take risks, exposing their emotional vulnerability in a place where guns are replaced with genuine bonds of trust.

"The Council for Unity's unique culture restores incarcerated men to their lost humanity and through their innovative curriculum enables their participants in Sing-Sing, the Suffolk County Jail and Rikers Island to slay the 'dragons' that landed them in prison in the first place," DeSena said.

According to DeSena, the Council's culture addresses the causes of criminality and drug use, not just the symptoms.

The program at the Suffolk County facility has raised the bar and "had nothing short of a profound" impact, paving the way for inmates at Rikers Island, DeSena said. "Riverhead is the star in the constellation."

When Council for Unity took root in Riverhead in 2003, the organization was widely embraced, with parents, educators and members of law enforcement joining in Council for Unity's mission. The program has not only been integrated into area schools, but the Riverhead Police Department, and a CFU adult and family partnership has been established in the community.

In the jail, DeSena said, "Miracles are occurring every day."

And the results are tangible, DeSena said. Council for Unity has resulted in a marked reduction in recidivism. According to DeSena, who researched participants who've been discharged from Sing-Sing and the Suffolk County Council for Unity, of the 17 who are still out, two went back — reflecting an 8.5 percent recidivism rate.

"When the national average is above 80 percent, this is phenomenal," DeSena said.

And now, CFU has partnered with the Royal Learning Institute, which has pledged free tuition for up to 1,000 CFU participants, including ex offenders. That could mean that the recidivism rate could be even lower going forward, he said.

Kristen MacKay, director of public relations for Suffolk County Sheriff Vincent DeMarco, said Riverhead "could have been worse," without Council for Unity.

Walter agreed. "We knew we had a drug problem and we addressed it. We didn't stick our heads in the sand."

The supervisor referred to an incident that took place on Doctors Path two years ago, involving a large party of more than 150 people. Tensions escalated, but due to CFU in the community, he said, nothing serious ensued. "That was almost a riot," Walter said.

Walking into the room where CFU meets, both Russell and Walter at in the circle with the inmates, listening intently as they told their stories.

Stories of change

One man, 27, has already done a "substantial" amount of time behind bars. Council for Unity, he said, has taught him life lessons. "We're all equal," he said."We all have the same struggles."

He's learned so much from the group, he said. "You get what you give."

Council for Unity, another inmate said, taught him to give and receive in a relationship; he's found respect and inspiration among the inmates every week.

One young man said when he first arrived in jail, he was hesitant to join the group. One day, he decided, "I'm actually going to try to do this."

Today, he said, he's come a long way from a gang banger. "I had a lot of hatred; I could feel it in my heart," he said.

Council for Unity, however, brought him with others sharing a similar journey. "We all had the same pain."

That pain, he said, led many to make poor choices, finding brotherhood in gangs and ultimately, making the mistakes that led them to incarceration.

Opening up, the young man said, "The hatred was there because my best friend got killed." He was consumed with guilt and despair for bringing his friend to the neighborhood where he ultimately died, he said.

Council for Unity, he said, taught him that he needed to let that hatred and despair go.

DeSena addressed the young man, much as a father would a son. "You have no idea how proud I am of you, to see your growth and maturity — your depth of heart," he said. He told him that once released, he had the power to share his wisdom and touch the lives of others.

Another inmate nodded. "Council for Unity, it's a brotherhood. A family."

That family, he said, is created of rival gang members — Bloods, Crips, Latin Kings —who might've been deeply at odds on the outside.

At the lowest point of their collective lives, incarceration, he said, CFU members "lifted each other up. We created a rapport." He added, "I love Council for Unity, mentally and emotionally. It helps you to navigate a difficult part of life. We come together here as one."

Another inmate said he, too, had been consumed with anger, but Council for Unity helps him in his Tier to work out conflicts peacefully; he also helps others and offers counsel based on what he's learned.

"We're really a big family," another inmate said.

"You've got a lot of courage," Russell said, commending the men for having the strength to open up with such honesty and emotion. "Your past does not equal your future," he said. He added that they've already begun making good decisions that will set the path for future success.

Walter said often society teaches young men to bottle up their emotions, leading to suppressed anger and rage. Walter finds church a place to go to diffuse, find spiritual support and relieve stress. tHe commended CFU for giving the inmates a place to learn how to express those feelings. He urged them not to expend energy on hatred.

For 2,000 years, men have been directed to be silent and strong, DeSena agreed. CFU encourages young men to open up, to cry, to take risks and share their deepest emotions. If some of the inmates had had CFU at 12, they might not have ended up behind bars, he said.

"I had a trust problem," one man said. But at CFU, men from different gangs forge new alliances and learn to trust in loyalty and friendship.

Another inmate, 18, said he never found support in his family at home, another said he'd never learned how to talk about his problems until he found CFU.

Each of the men took time to say a hearfelt good-bye to one of the inmates who would be released soon, sharing memories, words of encouragement and positivity, and hugs.

DeSena called him a "messenger," who made a difference in the lives of those he'd met. "You have strong character and integrity," he said. "Go out and change lives."

Interns who observed the program also shared, explaining how their perceptions of inmates changed once they got to hear their stories.

Compassion, DeSena said, comes from suffering and pain.

Next steps, Walter said, include reviving the adult, family and parent partnership in Riverhead.

Butch Langhorn, assistant to Sheriff DeMarco, said he'd like to see Riverhead police officers visiting the program more frequently.

And Russell assured that CFU would be on the table for discussion in Southold in the near future. "I'll speak with Police Chief Martin Flatley right away, to see what we can set up," he said.