A Call for Change: The Reality of Prison Living Conditions

The photos below are from a bathroom in a federal prison in Fort Dix, New Jersey—a place where human beings are forced to live in conditions that are nothing short of appalling. Inmates use these facilities daily, surrounded by filth and unsanitary conditions, with no choice but to endure it. How is this acceptable? How can we, as a society, continue to ignore the treatment of incarcerated individuals?

These men and women may be serving sentences for their mistakes, but they are still human beings. They are fathers, sons, mothers, daughters, siblings, and friends. Their humanity does not disappear simply because they are behind bars.

I understand the complexities of the prison system—there are individuals who deserve to be there, and others who should not. My stepfather, for example, committed unforgivable acts and walks free. But for every one like him, there are countless others who are locked up unfairly, many of whom face daily mistreatment and neglect.

This is not about excusing crime. It’s about ensuring that everyone, regardless of their circumstances, is treated with basic human decency.

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The Problem

The conditions in this prison bathroom are shocking. The tiles are covered in grime. The sinks and toilets are filthy, stained with years of neglect. The stench in places like this is unbearable, a constant reminder of the system's disregard for the health and dignity of the people it imprisons.

Imagine waking up every day and being forced to use a facility that feels like a breeding ground for disease. Imagine not being able to clean yourself properly or having to live in an environment where filth is the norm. These are the living conditions that inmates face every single day.

This isn’t just a problem in Fort Dix; this is a systemic issue in prisons across the country. Unsanitary conditions like these create physical and mental health challenges for inmates, reinforcing cycles of despair and dehumanization. When you treat someone like they’re less than human, how can you expect them to rise above it when they leave?

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Why It Matters

It’s easy to write off inmates and say, “They’re in prison; they deserve it.” But let’s ask ourselves: What does it say about us as a society when we allow anyone to live in conditions like this?

Poor prison conditions don’t just harm inmates—they harm society as a whole. Many incarcerated individuals will eventually re-enter our communities. They will be our neighbors, coworkers, or even family members. When people are treated with such disregard for years, they carry the trauma with them. Instead of fostering rehabilitation, these conditions perpetuate cycles of dehumanization and recidivism.

It’s also important to remember that not everyone in prison is guilty. There are countless individuals behind bars due to wrongful convictions, unfair sentencing practices, or systemic bias. Should those individuals suffer because of the system’s failures?

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A Personal Perspective

This fight is personal for me. My husband is incarcerated. Every day, I see firsthand how broken this system is. And while I know he made mistakes, I also know he is so much more than those mistakes. He’s a man who loves deeply, who supports me through my struggles, and who fights daily to stay strong in an environment designed to break him.

My stepfather, on the other hand, is a free man despite causing unimaginable harm. The system isn’t always about justice—it’s about politics, bias, and profit.

These experiences have taught me that not all inmates deserve to be there, and even for those who do, they deserve to be treated like human beings. Mistakes don’t strip away your humanity.

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A Call to Action

We cannot remain silent. We must start speaking up and advocating for these men and women. If we don’t, who will?

It’s time to demand better. It’s time to educate ourselves about the realities of prison conditions and advocate for reform. Start by asking yourself these questions:

• How would I feel if this were my loved one?
• What would I want someone to do if I were in their shoes?
• What steps can I take to demand change in the system?

You can write to legislators, share stories like this, or get involved with organizations fighting for inmate rights. But the first step is to care.

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A Word from Scripture

As we fight for change, let’s remember what God calls us to do:

“Remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.” – Hebrews 13:3 (NIV)

This verse reminds us to show compassion, to see beyond someone’s circumstances, and to care for the forgotten. It is our duty as people of faith to ensure that everyone is treated with dignity and love.

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Conclusion

The photos you see here are more than just images—they are a call for change. We cannot ignore this any longer. Mistakes should not erase someone’s humanity, and we must hold the system accountable for how it treats the people in its care.

Together, we can fight for justice—not just in sentencing, but in treatment. Let’s be the voices for those who have been silenced. Change starts with us.

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Join the Movement

Let’s speak out together. Use your voice, your platform, your passion to demand reform. Share this post, start a conversation, and take action.

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What steps will you take to fight for the change we need? Let’s start the conversation below.

The Cost of Silence: Breaking the Cycle of Injustice

As I reflect on the countless stories of injustice I’ve encountered, my mind keeps returning to the theme of silence—how it suffocates the truth, perpetuates harm, and silences the voices that need to be heard the most. For too long, many of us have been complicit in the silence surrounding the injustices faced by those who are incarcerated. Whether by ignorance, fear, or apathy, this silence allows a broken system to thrive unchecked.

The Weight of Silence

Silence has always been a tool of control. In a society where voices are systematically muted, the truth struggles to rise to the surface. How often have we turned a blind eye to the mistreatment of those in prison, assuming it's not our problem? How many of us have been conditioned to believe that those behind bars deserve to be forgotten, that their suffering is their own fault?

The truth is, our silence enables a system that thrives on oppression. When we refuse to speak up for those who are incarcerated, we become part of the cycle that perpetuates their suffering.

A Broken System that Rewards Silence

The prison industrial complex is designed to isolate. Isolation from family, from support, from basic human rights—this is the system we have built. And while the system seeks to keep people apart, it’s the voices of the families, the advocates, and those who have lived through this broken system that can bridge the gap. Without us, there is no pressure for change.

I see this every day as I fight for my husband's rights. I send letters, emails, make phone calls—all of which are met with canned responses and bureaucratic delays. My husband, like so many others, is a part of a system that denies his humanity at every turn. And yet, when I speak up, when I refuse to stay silent, I see glimmers of hope. Change happens when we stop allowing the silence to rule.

A Personal Plea for Change

The pain of watching someone you love endure inhumane treatment is indescribable. It's a constant battle to advocate for basic rights, a battle that is met with resistance and indifference. But I refuse to be silent. I refuse to let my husband, or any other person incarcerated, be left to suffer in silence.

We must demand better. We must stand up against the system that profits from brokenness and abuse. This is not just a fight for prisoners; it’s a fight for human dignity, for the recognition that we are all deserving of respect, compassion, and opportunity.

Why We Must Speak Up

As I continue to advocate for change, I’m reminded of the words from the Bible in Isaiah 1:17:
"Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow."

This is our call to action. We are the voices of the voiceless. We must continue to speak out for those who cannot, to fight for justice, and to expose the truth. We cannot let fear or complacency keep us silent any longer.

Call to Action

I urge you to join me in breaking the silence. Share this message, speak out against the injustices you see, and support organizations and movements fighting for prison reform. The more we talk about it, the harder it becomes for the system to ignore.

Together, we can break the cycle of silence and create a world where justice is for all—no matter who you are, where you are, or what mistakes you’ve made.

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Reclaiming Humanity in a Broken System: A Reflection on “Those in Prison”

 

Today, my heart is heavy yet ignited with purpose after coming across the powerful poem "Those in Prison" by Susan Zalatan. This poem speaks a painful truth that so many of us who have loved ones behind bars know all too well. It's a truth that I have witnessed firsthand as I continue to advocate for my husband's rights and for all those who are stuck in a system that strips away their humanity rather than helping them rebuild it.

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The Contradictions of Our Prison System

We say we want incarcerated individuals to become responsible, yet we strip away every ounce of responsibility from them. We tell them to be positive and constructive, but the system degrades them, leaving them to feel useless. The prison system demands trust and nonviolence, but surrounds these individuals with nothing but distrust and brutality.

Susan’s words hit home:

• We want them to be trustworthy, so we put them where there is no trust.
• We want them to be nonviolent, so we surround them with violence.

How can we expect growth when the very environment they're placed in is designed to crush their spirit? It’s no wonder why so many of them struggle to reclaim their lives upon release. This system is not about correction—it’s about punishment, isolation, and control.

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A Personal Fight for Justice

In my own journey, I have had to send countless emails and make numerous phone calls to state authorities, pleading for basic rights and humane treatment for my husband. What I’ve received in return are “textbook responses,” full of blame-shifting and empty promises. No real solutions, no accountability, just a revolving door of excuses.

The outside world has NO idea what their tax dollars are funding, or rather, what they are NOT funding. This system is not about rehabilitation; it's about exploitation, control, and profit at the expense of broken individuals who are desperately trying to find a way out of the darkness.

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A Call to Action

We need your voices to join ours. We need the outside world to wake up to the realities behind prison walls. Those who are incarcerated are not just numbers; they are human beings, many of whom are more than ready to change, if only given a real chance. But they can’t do it alone, and neither can we.

As Hebrews 13:3 calls us to remember:
"Remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering."

We must continue to speak out, to demand change, and to fight for those who are silenced by a system that thrives on their suffering.

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Join the Movement

Let’s amplify this message. Let’s stand up for those who are unable to stand up for themselves. Share this blog, speak out, and use your voice to bring awareness to this broken system. Together, we can create a wave of change.

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🔗 Connect with all my work on Linktree

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"A Reflection on 'Those in Prison' by Susan Zalatan"

Sometimes, words cut deep because they reveal truths we may have sensed but not yet fully faced. Susan Zalatan’s poem, “Those in Prison,” is one such piece. It captures the heartbreaking contradiction in how we treat people in prison, stripping away their humanity while professing to “correct” them.

Reading this poem stirred something profound in me. Every line speaks to the cruel irony of our prison system—how we claim to want those incarcerated to become responsible, positive, trustworthy, and nonviolent, yet we place them in environments where these qualities are nearly impossible to develop. Instead, the system forces them to adopt survival tactics that push them further from rehabilitation and deeper into despair.

The line that struck me most is, “We want them to quit exploiting us / So we cage them where they exploit each other.” It’s an honest acknowledgment of the cycle of exploitation within prison walls—one fueled by conditions that make any real growth feel unattainable. The callousness with which the system destroys self-worth and dignity, all while calling it “corrections,” is devastating.

I've had to witness this contradiction firsthand in advocating for my husband and hearing stories from those directly affected. I’ve reached out to state officials, submitted grievances, filed complaints, and called on anyone who might listen, hoping for change in a system that seems designed to ignore its own failings. Instead of nurturing the qualities that society values—responsibility, compassion, and respect—prisons foster resentment, aggression, and hopelessness.

This poem isn’t just a critique; it’s a call to action. If we truly want people to reenter society as better, more whole individuals, then we need to rethink what “corrections” really means. We need a system that offers education, rehabilitation, mental health care, and a genuine path to reintegration.

As the Bible says, “Remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering” (Hebrews 13:3). This verse reminds us of the shared humanity we all hold, urging us to empathize and care for those who society has pushed aside. It challenges us to see prisoners not as “others” but as people who are still deserving of respect, compassion, and a chance to heal.

Zalatan’s words echo my own resolve. There is so much work to be done, but the voices that speak out—the voices of those who understand the system from the inside—are crucial. The world outside needs to understand where their tax dollars go, what they fund, and what could be achieved if those funds were used for genuine support and transformation.

Thank you, Susan Zalatan, for putting into words the pain and frustration felt by so many. We need these voices, and we need them to be heard.

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#ReformNow #PrisonReform #InmateRights #HumanDignity #PowerOfOurVoices #EppersonEmpowerment

Facing the Wall of Bureaucracy: Refusing to Be Silenced

Advocating for change in a system as complex and flawed as the prison system often feels like facing an immovable wall. Each week, I reach out to officials, organizations, and agencies, laying out the injustices and systemic failures that impact my husband and countless others. But instead of real solutions, I receive a series of “textbook” responses — words that sound polite but ultimately go nowhere. They acknowledge my concerns without actually addressing them, leaving the issues unresolved and justice out of reach.

The cycle is as predictable as it is infuriating. I express concern about Ryan’s neglected medical needs, the ongoing retaliation he faces, and the limitations placed on our communication. They reply with deflections, suggesting I contact vendors or blaming Ryan for his own mistreatment. They assure me that “appropriate monitoring” is in place while sidestepping the real issues at hand. The message is clear: they’re hoping I’ll give up, that I’ll stop questioning, that I’ll fall silent.

But they’ve underestimated the power of persistence.

This isn’t just about Ryan; it’s about standing up for the basic rights of every individual within this broken system. Each “standard” response only strengthens my resolve to push back harder, to make them listen, to break down the bureaucratic wall that protects neglect and abuse. Advocacy isn’t just about filing complaints and waiting for a response; it’s about refusing to be silenced by an indifferent system. Every ignored email, every deflected question, every polite brush-off only fuels my determination.

The sad reality is that too many families face this same struggle. Loved ones on the outside fight tirelessly, only to be met with generic replies and empty promises. And while the system hopes our voices will fade, we have the power to come together, amplify each other’s experiences, and demand real change.

I’m not giving up. I’ll continue to speak out, to call for accountability, and to fight for justice. Because this journey isn’t just about seeking temporary fixes; it’s about transforming a system that has long been allowed to operate in the shadows.

“Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream.” — Amos 5:24

For more on my journey and advocacy: 📖 Read my book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DDQ5M3HV
🌐 Follow my work: https://linktr.ee/EppersonEmpowerment

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The Echo Chamber of Bureaucracy: Fighting for Change in a Broken System

 

Every week, I send out emails and make calls, fighting to address the systemic neglect and violations that impact my husband and so many others within the prison system. I lay out the details — medical neglect, inadequate living conditions, blocked communication, and blatant retaliation — and hope for real answers. Instead, what I receive is a rotation of dismissive responses that often fail to address the urgent needs I’ve outlined. The pattern is so predictable it’s almost surreal: it feels as though I’m talking to an echo chamber of bureaucracy, where issues are acknowledged but never remedied.

Over the past few months, I’ve shared my concerns about the failures in Ryan’s medical treatment, including his untreated PTSD, malnutrition, and need for genetic testing to ensure proper medication. Each response follows the same formula: a scripted acknowledgment, a reminder to submit health requests he’s already submitted, and assurances that the system is "monitoring" his condition. No real solutions, no accountability, just a cycle of “textbook” replies meant to placate without actual action.

Recently, I even reached out to the Governor’s office, hoping for intervention at a higher level. But once again, my inquiry was routed back through the same channels, resulting in the same evasive responses. They ask for “more details” when the details have been in front of them for weeks, AND sent as attachments numerous times. They deflect responsibility, suggesting I contact private vendors for service failures that affect Ryan’s ability to communicate with me. The response to his complaints of retaliation? “Provide evidence.” But how can I provide evidence when every attempt to hold the facility accountable is dismissed or deflected?

The tragic reality is that this isn’t just about Ryan. It’s a widespread issue in a system designed to silence and oppress. The outside world needs to understand the severity of the neglect and abuse that occur within these walls, where people are stripped not only of their freedom but of their dignity and basic rights.

Every email, every call, every formal response is a reminder that this fight is not just for one person — it’s a fight for a humane and just system. I am determined to keep raising my voice, no matter how many "textbook" responses I receive. This journey is about more than temporary fixes; it’s about creating lasting change in a system that has long refused to reform.

“Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream.” — Amos 5:24

For more on my journey and advocacy: 📖 Read my book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DDQ5M3HV
🌐 Follow my work: https://linktr.ee/EppersonEmpowerment

#PowerOfOurVoices #EppersonEmpowerment #JusticeForAll #BreakingTheSilence #SystemicNeglect #AdvocacyForChange #FightForJustice #PerseveranceInAdvocacy

Embracing the Journey of Change

Advocacy is a journey, one that challenges me every day but also fills me with purpose. I knew from the start that standing up to a system as immense and flawed as the prison system wouldn’t be easy. But as each day passes, I’m reminded of why this fight matters — not only for my husband but for all those who suffer silently within the walls of these institutions. Every step forward is a chance to make their voices heard and to expose the truths that are often kept hidden.

Over time, I’ve reached out to everyone who might listen — state authorities, advocacy organizations, even the media. I’ve shared my husband’s story, the barriers he’s faced in accessing basic medical care, and the retaliation he endures as a result of my efforts to protect his rights. It’s both frustrating and heartbreaking to realize just how many people are in the same situation, with families on the outside fighting tirelessly on their behalf.

What I’ve learned is that true change requires both resilience and patience. Each letter, each phone call, each blog post is a brick in the road toward a better, more just system. But I can’t do it alone. This journey is one we must take together. Every person who reads these words, who shares this mission, and who believes in the importance of rehabilitation over punishment is part of the change we need.

Today, I’m embracing the journey itself. Every moment, every challenge, and every small victory fuels my hope. This journey isn’t just about overcoming the system’s barriers — it’s about showing that, together, we can be stronger than those walls. We can create a path toward a future where dignity and justice are available to all.

Thank you to everyone who has stood by me in this journey. Your support strengthens my resolve, and together, I believe we can make a real impact.

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” — Romans 12:21

For more on my journey and advocacy: 📖 Read my book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DDQ5M3HV
🌐 Follow my work: https://linktr.ee/EppersonEmpowerment

#PowerOfOurVoices #EppersonEmpowerment #JusticeForAll #AdvocacyInAction #BreakingTheSilence #StandTogether #HopeForChange #StrongerTogether #PathToJustice