Meet with staff, talk with inmates and their visitors, and meet with heads of various inmate organizations. That's what a prison superintendent does on a regular basis, and that's what Gisele Fetterman, Pennsylvania's Second Lady and wife of Lt. Governor John Fetterman, did recently at the State Correctional Institution at Phoenix.
Knowing that Mrs. Fetterman always had an interest in criminal justice and that she's wanted to be a prison warden since she was a child, DOC officials arranged for that to happen … for one day.
Her several-hour visit to the state's newest prison began by greeting prison employees. She then was escorted to one of two visiting rooms where she spoke with inmates and their guests and even played with two young children in the visiting room.
Next, Mrs. Fetterman met with a handful of inmates who represented various inmate groups/organizations, such as Lifers Inc., Grey Panthers and the NAACP Chapter. Members involved in the Fathers And Children Together (FACT) program also provided an overview of their program. She also heard from Barry Johnson the director of Uplift Solutions, a non-profit organization that develops entrepreneurial solutions for reentrants upon their return home from prison, guarantees reentrants jobs and assists FACT Program with funding of various events and portions of their program.
Mrs. Fetterman heard the inmates talk of ways they believed they could help society by expanding their programs to other DOC facilities and how they would like to see hope restored to inmates through a repaired commutation process.
"We thoroughly enjoyed hosting Mrs. Fetterman as 'Warden for a Day,'" said SCI Phoenix Superintendent Tammy Ferguson. "We showed her several areas, and I believe the highlight of the day was watching her interact with inmates and their visitors."
Mrs. Fetterman thanked the Department of Corrections, SCI Phoenix employees and the inmates who welcomed her and shared their experiences.
"I'm incredibly heartened by many of the people I've met today and the stories they've shared with me," Mrs. Fetterman said. "It's inspiring to see people genuinely endeavor to transform their lives, and they deserve our support and our respect."
In a recent Al Dia News article, Mrs. Fetterman said that she plans to play a role in criminal justice reform in Pennsylvania. She also talked about her passion for the issue by saying she's always wanted to be a warden at a men's prison and that that fact was printed in her middle school yearbook.
As part of our Warden For A Day experience with the DOC, Mrs. Fetterman would like to show the human side of inmates in the same way that sharing her personal story has given a personal voice to immigrants.
Mrs. Fetterman is working to find solutions, to bring light to spaces and to humanize people more.
The DOC is excited to work with Mrs. Fetterman as she embarks upon this important mission.
At the conclusion of Mrs. Fetterman's visit to SCI Phoenix, prison staff presented her with a variety of household, hygiene and baby supply items that had been collected with a goal of sending them back to Braddock, Pa., to be shared with residents to benefit from Mrs. Fetterman's charity, the Free Store 15104.