A 21-year-old ATM thief:
In 2019, I was assigned to Constant Direct Observation (CDO) at the Mark W. Stiles Unit, watching over a 21-year-old African American inmate. Inmates are placed on CDO after being assessed by a mental health provider, usually to prevent them from harming themselves. It was a Wednesday morning, and after about an hour of sitting in silence, both of us just staring at each other, I finally asked how he was doing. That simple question seemed to be exactly what he needed, and he responded to me in a sober, heartfelt manner