Crossing the Yard: Thirty Years as a Prison Volunteer

by Richard Shelton

Ever since he was asked to critique the poetry of a convicted murderer, he has lived in two worlds.

Richard Shelton was a young English professor in 1970 when a convict named Charles Schmid—a serial killer dubbed the “Pied Piper of Tucson” in national magazines—shared his brooding verse. But for Shelton, the novelty of meeting a death-row monster became a thirty-year commitment to helping prisoners express themselves. Shelton began organizing creative writing workshops behind bars, and in this gritty memoir he offers up a chronicle of reaching out to forgotten men and women—and of creativity blossoming in a repressive environment. He tells of published students such as Paul Ashley, Greg Forker, Ken Lamberton, and Jimmy Santiago Baca who have made names for themselves through their writing instead of their crimes. Shelton also recounts the bittersweet triumph of seeing work published by men who later met with agonizing deaths, and the despair of seeing the creative strides of inmates broken by politically motivated transfers to private prisons. And his memoir bristles with hard-edged experiences, ranging from inside knowledge of prison breaks to a workshop conducted while a riot raged outside a barricaded door. Reflecting on his decision to tutor Schmid, Shelton sees that the choice “has led me through bloody tragedies and terrible disappointments to a better understanding of what it means to be human.”

Crossing the Yard is a rare story of professional fulfillment—and a testament to the transformative power of writing.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Crime

238 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2007

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My dear daughter read this and recommended it to me, as she became aware of Richard Sheldon and his prison poetry classes for thirty years,while she has been a PhD student at U of Arizona in Tucson. Finishing the book (a 'page turner') on the plane to Tucson, and settling in to this exquisite 'desert habitat', I appreciate the passion of Richard Sheldon to tap into the life force of incarcerated men and women, to help some 'find their voice', to even broadcast their voice through published works, anthologies or personal collections, and some in turn, returning to the very prisons that incarcerated them to continue the work of 'helping flowers bloom in the desert'. The book is a poignant exposition of the injustices of our so called 'justice system', for the 'reactive' 'getting tough on crime response' to a prison riot, and the tragic negative feedback loop of stuffing more people into the prisons, which sets up the rife conditions for more prison rebellions! Many issues are discussed about the life long damaging effects of people being classified as 'sexual offenders', the devastating effects of of violence against fellow inmates so classified, examples of the incompetency of prison management, the powerful clutch of such cults like the 'aryan brotherhood', the internal drug rings, the corruption of some prison officials, the political positioning of prison personnel, and on and on and on. An eye opening, heart breaking, - and heart warming read. Congratulations, daughter, on completing your PhD, and thank you for sharing your vibrant connections with your mother!

[Kathleen (itpdx) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book from the library after seeing this piece on PBS about Richard Shelton's writing workshops in the Arizona State Prison system. href="http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/entert... Poetry
This is one of those rare books where fascinating experiences meet an outstanding writer.
Richard Shelton writes with passion and humor about his 30 years conducting writing workshops in prison.

Some of my favorite quotes:
"Oh, these men in orange. I've learned more from them than I ever taught them, and it's been good stuff. They never tried to teach me how to hot-wire a car or all that business with spoon and the syringe. They have taught me to be patient; never to whine no matter what; to expect the worst and be happy if I get anything else; to be subversive in the face of unjust, cruel, or stupid authority; to be loyal, to be forgiving, to be kind. They have taught me that we are all law breakers and we are all victims of crime. They have taught me that growing old is no disgrace, but that a youth, wasted in prison, is a disaster."

"'What's it like to be illiterate,' I had asked him....
'It's bad,' he said. 'It's like being inside a big, dark box. All you know is what you need--food, water, drugs, sex, You don't know what's outside the box and you don't know how to find out. You're scared all the time.'"

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haunting. I read it in two days. Wonderfully written and full of insight into a hidden world. I want to read more of Shelton now, his poetry and his memoir, and the poetry and work of the inmates. I also like that he has consolidated the successful works of some of the inmates into a suggested reading list at the back.

The ending is heartbreaking, as it is meant to be. I will never look the same way at those men in orange who perform landscape work at the community college.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very insightful. The author certainly didn't sugarcoat the reality of volunteering in prisons. He showed both the positives and negatives of choosing to be a prison volunteer. I could relate to much of what he expressed about the transformational experiences one can have if one is open to them. Most people want nothing to do with anyone in prison but those who choose to offer kindness to those who most of society rejects will find surprising joy as well as great sorrow. This book was an eye opener as well as an affirmation for the prison volunteer.

[Marsha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting story, but the author has been co-opted by the charm of a group of criminals into thinking that they have all been reformed and there is no need to keep them in prison. A very naive perspective which is often held by volunteers in prisons who do not work day to day in this environment.

[Kony · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Oh, these men in orange. I've learned more from them than I ever taught them, and it's been good stuff. They never tried to teach me how to hot-wire a car or all that business with the spoon and the syringe. They have taught me to be patient; never to whine no matter what; to expect the worst and be happy if I get anything else; to be subversive in the face of unjust, cruel, or stupid authority; to be loyal, to be forgiving, to be kind. They have taught me that we are all law breakers and we are all victims of crime. They have taught me that growing old is no disgrace, but that a youth, wasted in prison, is a disaster." (p. 227)

This book isn't about policy, redemption, or "saving" people through education. It's about how one ordinary poet/academic stumbled into the business of helping prisoners hone their rough-edged literary gifts, and kept at it, and learned many unexpected lessons about prison and what it does to people -- and how people resist its ravages, sometimes with awe-inspiring success and often with tragic consequences. It's an engaging story, told with humanity, humor, and wisdom.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have enjoyed this book not so much for the typical gloominess of its content, but for the enthralling way the story is told by its author. A quote by one famed "Arizona-based" prison writer Ken Lamberton expresses my own thoughts as well: "Crossing the Yard...might shock you. It will certainly make you angry at the justice system that so easily abandons people, particularly minorities and the poor. But it will inspire you because behind the dark words is the best message of all, one that reaches beyond those locked in cages to all of us and says that even the worst of us is redeemable." A terrific book it is, indeed and I recommend wholeheartedly the reading of these memoirs.

[Willa Guadalupe Grant · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful & horrible book by one of my favorite poets. This book is about his 30 years volunteer-teaching creative writing in AZ prisons & some of the infamous & "became famous" people he met there. It is also a strong condemnation of the prison system as a whole & was incredibly enlightening to me as a person who has never dealt with the system first-hand. I recommend this book to EVERYONE. We should all know what really happens in prisons & how they are run. The outcome of the system as it stands is terrifying.

[Jill Kandel · Rating 5 out of 5]

On of the most profound books I've read this year. Beautifully written. I'm amazed by this man and his story. His writing is poetic and transparent. To read this book is to become more aware of what it is to be human. Astonishing.
The last sentence in the book is still rumbling through my mind.
"I want to put my head down on the table in front of me and weep with a pain that will not be comforted and a rage I cannot express."

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gives a glimpse of the prison system (which in Arizona is a disgrace unworthy of human beings - though I do not suppose Arizona is alone in this). We see the system through the eyes of a deep humanitarian. Rather than seeking money, he struggled to uplift people and bring out the best in them - to give them hope and a way to work towards something better. His whole heart was in the project. I wish every person in the U.S. would read this book. We could get to a better place than endangering and degrading people and putting them in cages. How can we keep living with a system from the Middle Ages?

[Kristina Renee · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was enjoying the book until I got to the section where he decides to spend pages defending teachers who have sex with their students as long as the student is willing. Or I guess sees it as a ‘lapse of judgment’ vs a ‘real’ sex crime. As a teacher, this made me feel sick. Teachers are in a position of power. Consent cannot be given. Perhaps given that this book is 20 years old, publishers might want to revisit phrases such as, ‘when the young teacher falls so in love with his willing under age student that he will throw away his entire future life to be with her.’ Love has nothing to do with it. It’s power. I put the book down after that.

[Kaene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cool and true accounts of the 70's in Arizona, specifically the prison system. Crossing The Yard is the author's first-hand accounts throughout the decades from the 70's to 00's. He is a poet and university teacher of creative writing, and he takes his teachings to inmates in the major prisons of Arizona. Florence, Yuma, and many more. Really deep hearted and interesting.

[Lisa Salinas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading about the experiences with his students behind prison walls was interesting and enlightening. His experiences with prison staff and administration were also interesting, but I wish he would have refrained from making sweeping judgments of the entire prison system everywhere and everyone who works in it. His stories would have been enough to allow readers to form their own judgments without needing him to shout his opinions from the rooftops. As a university professor, I would think he should be more open to both sides of the situation and to allow his readers to form their opinions on their own. Plus, as an employee of a state prison system, I took offense at many of the things he said. For example, he said volunteers are I welcomed and undesired. We greatly value our volunteers, knowing we could not do nearly all that we are able to do without the faithful dedication of our amazing volunteers. They are the reason I wanted to read this book. Being in the unnatural environment created by the prison setting can sometimes make life more difficult for the volunteer, but that does not mean we do not value them. Getting fired up by some of these types of comments made the book less enjoyable for me. Still, you have to admire a man who has given so much to so many who will never be able to repay him.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, Shelton's dedication and perseverance are more than commendable! The incredible successes that came from his classes should be looked at by all state correctional facilities. Giving people tools to develop their talents rather than exposing them to elements that encourage their shortcomings--what a concept! Certainly not an "easy fix", and certainly not a blanket solution, but a model to be replicated and developed.

[Davelowusa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The experiences of Richard Shelton, a UA poetry professor who, for decades, has driven to southern Arizona's prisons to lead writing workshops, and has worked with some of the most talented poets he'd ever encounter, in or out of academia. He experiences extreme joy and tragedy, and sees the prison system for what it is: a cruel, broken, hypocritical disaster.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely makes you rethink what you thought you believed about the U.S. prison system! And if you ever have the opportunity to listen to the author, you should! http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/entert...

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was riveting and eye-opening, and it hit so close to home. This is happening in my own backyard. It's happening in yours. This book, and it's author, are proof that even hardened criminals have hearts, and if given the chance, are capable of redemption.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eye-opening. Worthwhile, especially if you've never had any personal contact with prisons and thus lack an accurate perspective of what goes on inside them. First half of the book is better than the second.

[Sloane]

Being a volunteer in the Arizona Prison system, and having read several of the authors who were in Shelton's workshops, I especially enjoyed this book. A clear indictment of the US prison system.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book! A really great read.

[Mills College Library]

Coll.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always had this fascination with Libraries in prisons. Do they educate, help the inmate find solace, etc.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I want to put my head down on the table in front of me and weep with a pain that will not be comforted and a rage I cannot express."