To this day, I am inspired by those who give without expectation
We don’t earn credits or incentives for our fork as prison facilitators, we do it because we believe in change. When I arrived at California Health Care Facility E-Yard in August 2022, I was eager and confident, ready to introduce myself as a peer mentor, activist, and sportsman. I soon discovered that the Partnership for Re-Entry Program (PREP) Restorative Justice work groups were active on my yard. Excited, I made my way to the chapel, where I met Mr. Cisneros, Deacon of Catholic Services. He welcomed me warmly, and when I shared that I had been a PREP facilitator at my last prison, Ironwood State Prison, he immediately invited me to facilitate a group and co-lead a Spanish PREP group on Wednesdays. Without hesitation, I accepted. My journey with PREP began thanks to Sister Mary Sean Hodges in Los Angeles, who introduced me to the program through correspondence while I was at Calipatria State Prison before my transfer to Ironwood in 2016. As facilitators, we don’t receive credit; our reward is witnessing transformation. Through PREP, we teach inner healing, accountability, and recovery, helping to break cycles of incarceration through lessons on criminal thinking, domestic violence, cognitive anger management, and childhood trauma. I’ll never forget Deacon Cisneros. He sat silently, taking notes as we facilitated, offering wisdom, encouragement, and even lighthearted jokes about our quirks. He truly made an impact. In March 2024, we learned that he was retiring. During our final PREP group, we each took a moment to thank him for his selfless service and unwavering support. We wanted him to know just how deeply he had touched our lives. To this day, I am inspired by those who give without expectation. Deacon Cisneros was and still is a true gift. This moment will always stay with me. Enclosed is a photo of Deacon Cisneros, Chaplain Casamone, myself, and CHCF community members in 2024, as well as a photo of me in 2022.
