In Episode 35 of the Western Friend Podcast, we chat with Elaine Granata and David Poundstone about their work visiting and conversing men incarcerated in prison. Both Elaine and David are members of Mountain View Friends Meeting in Denver, CO, and both visit men in federal prisons through the Prisoner Visitation and Support (PVS) program.
Read articles related to this interview in the May/June 2024 issue of Western Friend:
“A Certain Naïveté” by Elaine Granata
“In the Twilight Zone” by David Poundstone
Click here to listen to the complete podcast.
Or start by playing the "sound bite" below.
The "chapters" in this podcast:
00:00 – Introduction
1:42 – What is the Prisoner Visitation and Support Program?
3:01 – On getting involved in this work
7:32 – Stories of few memorable and meaningful relationships
11:01 – Do the relationships continue outside of prison?
13:03 – Is volunteering a selfish act? What are some of the benefits?
23:53 – On the power of listening
28:30 – Reflections on the show “Unlocked” and the "entertainment" of incarceration
33:11 – On being “watched” vs being “seen"
34:13 – Question and Answer with the public