Celaya

Today I experienced many firsts. It was the first time I went to a prison in Mexico. It was the first time I was in a space of maximum security. It was the first time I shared a room with 30 plus men that were accused of committing a variety of heinous crimes. It was also the first time I had a buffet lunch in Mexico. After we arrived and went through the protocol to enter the prison, we gathered in an outdoor room for a presentation followed by a rapid HIV test. Miguel, one of the coordinators from Colectivo 41 led the presentation on HIV. He discussed how it's contracted and the ways in which it can be prevented. Finally, he offered everyone the option to take the test. That is to say the men had the choice to take an HIV test and find out the results, surrounded by their cellmates, in about ten minutes. I was concerned that given a certain result, one or more of the men might not react, let's say...well...to this news. It would be more than accurate to say that I had multiple fears and concerns walking into this space. At the same time, I wanted to be open minded and I wanted to be calm. After the presentation by Miguel, the men started filling out paper work and lining up for their tests. Miguel could only do one test at a time and needed to spend a full 15 to 20 minutes with each person at the testing table. We were going to be there for awhile. A few of the guards called out that "pan" was being given out at the window and they could line up in an orderly manner to get some. I was invited to partake and one of the men kindly handed me three sweet breads out of his stack of ten. I sat down in a chair next to Terry, a lovely woman who was our escort into the prison. She explained to me that the jail wasn't actually a prison but rather a holding place for those that had been accused of crimes and had not yet been committed. Some of the men had been waiting to be sentenced for as much as five years. She told me many of them were visited by their family members daily and that most of their families had to travel for hours to get there. A few of the men engaged me in conversation, asked where I was from and told me of some of their own experiences in the U.S. I was shown a photo of one man's grandchild, a beautiful little girl whom had been born a month ago. Four hours later, Miguel conducted the final test. As far as I could tell, everyone seemed okay. Many of the men kept thanking us for our time. We thanked them and shook hands with many and said goodbye. They were polite and respectful. Any preconceived notions I had about these men were completely eradicated. Obviously, many of these men are in prison for a reason. Many of them might also be guilty of their crimes. Many of these crimes, could very well have been horrifying. It just isn't my job to judge them. They were not animals or inferior human beings. I will never know their stories or why they may have made the choices they did. I was also told some incredibly disturbing stories as to forms of punishment that were carried out there, on the prisoners. Needless to say, it will take an indefinite amount of time to process today's experience...if that's even possible. Thankful to the coordinators of Colectivo 41, whom continually inspire me with their courage and beauty. Thankful to Terry, the fantastic new friend in Celaya, and thankful for the ability to be able to participate in today's activities.