Tony McCright

When Tony McCright was sentenced to two and a half years in a federal prison, he never expected the prison staff to be more combative than any prisoner he would come across. Indeed, he was surprised to discover that some of the very people in place to protect the incarcerated instead abused their authority, eliciting apprehension and fear.

In addition to adversarial relations with prison guards, Tony struggled to wrap his head around not being able to have “healthy communication with the outside world.” This lack of stable communication forced Tony to forge tight bonds with strangers. He says, “some of my best relationships started in prison and continue to this day. I even have relationships with their family members.”

The inhumanity and abnormality of prison manifests itself in Tony’s disclosure that he “missed the normal social act of touching: like hugs from family and friends.” He adds: “It seems like going years without touching someone is something that isn’t normal for human beings.” In order to counter this pervasive loneliness, Tony advocates for fostering and promoting relationships between the incarcerated and the outside community, which he fervently believes can produce the types of meaningful connections that are vital for rehabilitation and smooth reentry into society.