Working with Prisoners

Two Massachusetts members whom we've just added to our Gallery of Victims' Stories have in common the fact that they have chosen to work against violence by working with prisoners in some way. Milton Jones, whose son Elijah was killed in 1993, founded the Community Re-Entry Program for prisoners preparing to be released from county jails. Milton, who testified against reinstatement of the death penalty in Massachusetts a few months ago, says, "“At first, we felt that we wanted the killers dead. But at some point, I looked at what being in that frame of mind was doing to me and my family. What does it make me if I continue to harbor those feelings? It makes me no better than the person who did the crime. All the death penalty really does is perpetuate hurt and pain and violence."

Dick Nethercut, whose daughter Jaina was killed in 1978, has been leading Alternatives to Violence workshops in prisons since 1992. Dick also testified against reinstatement of the death penalty in Massachusetts; he says, “From my perspective, the death penalty only adds to the suffering of the victim’s family, rather than lessening it. I believe the work I do now in prison and with ex-prisoners honors and gives significance to my daughter's life."