Dick's Blog
Check out the new “In The News” section of my web site. It contains a magazine feature article on my prison ministry. This is the prologue to this article published November 2013.
Dick Sederquist is dedicated to the goal of reducing mass incarceration and recidivism in our prisons. Toward that goal, Dick created and conducts an eight-session workshop motivational program called “Life Change Discussion Group” for inmates in a Connecticut medium security prison. His program has affected the lives of over 120 inmates over the last four years. The objective of this program is to improve communication skills and develop life coping strategies. Dick’s volunteerism was recognized in an article that appeared in the November issue of Inside Middletown. This article is being posted with permission of hibu community magazines.
Dick sees two avenues to changing the present state focus of funding prisons and imprisonment to investing in programs that will ensure successful inmate reentry into our communities. This concept of change in focus is popularly called “Justice Reinvestment”. First, as a concerned citizen, is his commitment to volunteering his talents to serve and show his moral support for those individuals presently in prison. Somebody on the outside truly cares about these individuals. Second, is his advocacy of focusing state and community activities to invest in offender counseling, rehabilitation and support systems including affordable housing and access to education and jobs to ensure success in community reentry.
This is a pitch for citizen involvement both inside our prisons as volunteers and on the outside to support programs providing meaningful encouragement and employment to those reentering society. Successful reentry means returning an individual as an active citizen, spouse and parent and to the rolls of employed taxpayers, a win-win for these individuals and their communities.
Now featured on my web site is a 24-minute lively video interview with me talking about life, my
writing passion, two memoirs, and volunteer motivational program in a medium security prison in
Connecticut. There’s a short bio, how I was motivated to write my memoirs, how hiking with
family and friends helped save me from depression, my legacy of helping others through my
writing and prison program, and a select readings from my memoirs. If you like my “message of
hope” blog of informational and motivational short stories and essays, you will enjoy my memoirs.
When I autograph my books, I write, “Hope you enjoy this hike through life.” Here’s hoping you
enjoy this video interview and share my message with your friends.
Dick Sederquist
October 12, 2013
My regular volunteer discussion class at prison was cancelled this week due to a lock down for facility repairs. The general topic of this fourth session of my “Life Change Discussion Group” workshop was to be “Take a Walk” an exercise in recalling good things from the past, flashbacks like familiar pictures falling out of an overstuffed photo album, creating hope in the form of images you remember or would like to have in the future. I am sure the mood would have been very somber in the wake of the tragedy in Boston. My friends inside the razor wire are patriotic and very protective of children. They feel very strongly about the perpetrators of crimes against country and humanity. They feel grief as much as anybody. It is especially difficult not being able to share it personally with family or the families they have lost. This week we are all at a loss for words.