Hope behind walls: Deer Ridge inmates walk for suicide prevention

Fundraising walks are a traditional, even typical facet of many communities, for many worthy causes. But the location of one that happened Friday near Madras made for a very different atmosphere, and plenty of passion and purpose, behind the walls of Central Oregon’s only state prison.

” Whether you attempted suicide at one point or know someone who committed suicide, being incarcerated, you feel the same thing, ” said Robert Newson , an inmate at Deer Ridge Correctional Institute.

” Because you’re alone in the cell by yourself, you have these thoughts about, ‘ What’s my life? What’s my purpose? ”

Newson found himself going through a hard time in his life, after being locked up for a decade, and like many inmates, he found himself contemplating suicide.

On Friday, he joined nearly 300 other inmates in the Out of the Darkness Walk at Deer Ridge.

It’s a walk that takes place in many communities, including Saturday at Pilot Butte in Bend, to focus awareness and fundraising on efforts to prevent suicide.

The Deer Ridge walk came to be after an inmate at the Santiam Correctional Institution in Salem expressed the need for more suicide prevention resources for inmates.

After recognizing that many other inmates at other facilities share the same struggle, Santiam Program Coordinator Dan Bielenberg partnered with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, which organizes the walks.

” In May of 2017 , we held the first Out of the Darkness Walk at a correctional facility in the United States, ” he said. ” We’re very proud to hold that title, and it is a lot of work — but so rewarding to watch that grow. ”

Three years later, six Oregon prisons are holding such walks, and Friday’s event was the first at Deer Ridge.

” Suicide is one of the leading causes of death for people who are incarcerated in prisons and in jails, ” said Ryan Price, AFSP’s area director. ” So it makes too much sense for us to be here in this population. Because like everyone else, they struggle, they have limited resources inside — and they also have people on the outside, like family and friends that struggle, that they worry about as well. ”

Inmates used their own money and purchased care packages costing $10 or $20 to raise for suicide prevention.

The Deer Ridge inmates raised more than $3,200 for the cause. But for these inmates, it’s about much more than the money.

” I want to be that guy — the guy that puts a hand out, the guy that reaches into someone’s darkness, ” inmate Jeffrey Adams said. ” The guy that listens — just simply listens. The guy that gives someone a little hope, that there is a light to guide them out of the darkness. ”

The inmates took the field with name tags of loved ones they were walking for.

Marvellus Lucas walked for a close friend who committed suicide while they were in high school.

” I felt like she could have come to me and could have talked to me, ” he said. ” When she committed suicide, it took a part of me away. I could have been a better friend. I could have reached out to her more. I could have (given) her resources. ”

Inmate Michael Seems walked for his father.

” I’m walking for my dad, Jeff Seems, who died of a heroin overdose, ” Seems said. ” He suffered with mental illness, drug abuse, and ended up taking his own life with drugs. That’s why I’m here, just to support that. I was in prison when it happened, so he really had no one with him. He was alone. ”

Many inmates said they were grateful just to be a part of taking on such an important issue.

Rasheed Lambert said, “I think being able to participate just shows that while even in prison, we still do care just the same as those out in society. These walls we’re confined in still forces us to feel emotion and feel a certain way. ”

The walk also served to encourage the inmates to keep going, despite their tough days and challenging lives

“I know that tomorrow, there is always going to be a better day, ” Seems said. “If tomorrow is not the better day, it could be the day after. I know for sure, if you just wait and give it a few days everything always changes. ”