Michael Drogosz wrote this on the high of a revised facility directive issued by the Indiana Department of Correction. The five-page doc, revised on Aug. 15, pertained to inmates at Indiana State Prison in Michigan City who’ve cats as pets.
“See page 4,” wrote Drogosz, 40, who’s been imprisoned at ISP since 2010.
Page 4 states, “At the time ISP closes the cats assigned to the offenders at ISP may transfer as property, if they are transferred to the new facility located at Westville, Indiana.”
Before this revised directive was issued, Drogosz mailed a letter to The Times in an try to make sure that his cat — and 49 different inmates’ cats — could be allowed to affix them after they get transferred to the brand new $1.2 billion jail in Westville, projected to open in 2027. (Read my earlier column at NWI.com.)
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“We all know what happens to animals that don’t get adopted; the prison calls it Death Row,” Drogosz wrote in his letter.
First off, I had no concept that jail inmates on this state are allowed to have pets of any variety. I then puzzled if I may interview Drogosz, who police advised me was a violent prison, and who a non-public detective advised me was “a dangerous menace to society.” And but he’s writing letters to newspapers on behalf of rescued cats inside one of many oldest and most notorious prisons within the nation.
“Please pray for … these poor animals,” he wrote.
I requested an interview with Drogosz however IDOC rejected it, so I replied to him with a letter. Last week, I obtained one other letter from him, saying he filed a public information request to find out why I wasn’t allowed to go to him.
“If it were anyone else, you would not have such difficulties making contact,” he wrote.
I’ve performed fairly a number of interviews with inmates at IDOC services. This would have been my first one with an inmate and his cat. Drogosz befriended a black cat, which he named Coatek. It means “good kitty” in Polish, he stated.
“On behalf of the 50-75 men and cats at ISP, I thank you for the interest in this issue,” Drogosz wrote in his most recent letter.
Readers confirmed much more of an curiosity on this concern, particularly these imprisoned cats.
“I know this is a dangerous man and should be punished but he is also human and as a cat owner who is single and lives alone, I know how much my ‘Rizzo’ comforts me,” Tracy F. wrote in an e-mail. “I am sure it will be awhile before the prison officials make up their minds about the cats but I sure hope they let them stay. Please let us know any follow up from this story.”
Other readers made it clear they don’t have any comfortable spot for the offenders and but these cats prompted them to rethink their stance on rehabilitation via incarceration.
“Jerry, I’ve never once considered the lives of prisoners behind bars but your column forced me to consider the lives of those cats who depend on those prisoners,” Gary M. advised me over the telephone. “Those poor cats need convicted criminals to keep them off of death row. How odd of a situation is that?”
This facet of the scenario intrigued me probably the most. It was fascinating to problem readers with their very own conflicted feelings relating to their compassion for these cats and their apathy for these prisoners. Which issues extra on the size of justice?
“The cats,” Linda W. advised me. “Their innocent lives matter more to me. Not the offenders, who are anything but innocent.”
Most readers who contacted me shared related ideas. As I famous in my earlier column, these cats don’t know they’re imprisoned with doable life sentences behind bars. They solely know they’re being fed, cherished and cared for.
“Everyone here is nice to me,” Drogosz wrote as Coatek the cat in his preliminary letter.
Gregory Dunn, communications director for Indiana Department of Correction, advised me that the “unofficially adopted” cats are allowed to stick with their inmate-owners so long as no issues come up from them being on grounds. An extended record of different standards is printed within the Aug. 15 facility directive memo, akin to “Cathouses are not permitted.”
ISP directive 06-09 is extraordinarily detailed, addressing each facet of cat possession. So a lot in order that it appears ridiculously complete, from eligibility to leashes to cat care to lack of possession. Page after web page, merchandise after merchandise, high-quality print and daring print. But, I assume, that is wanted at a correctional facility.
“Any incarcerated individual who relinquishes ownership of his cat for any reason will not be assigned another cat,” it states on Page 4.
I’m assuming these inmates might be giving the perfect of care to these cats, who may in any other case be on their very own on the spacious jail property or useless exterior of it. (Watch a video and consider extra images on the on-line model of this column.)
“All we are asking is for the cats that are already here be allowed to live out their remaining days with their current owners,” Drogosz wrote in his letter.
He additionally wrote a letter to Fried’s Cat Shelter in Michigan City, which at the moment has a six-month wait record for cats in want of a home. On Sept. 17, the shelter responded to Drogosz in a letter.
“We did intend for the program to close down. It has been a wonderful thing for you guys to be involved with,” it states. “With ISP closing its doors in four years (give or take) other arrangements will need to be made for the cat program once everyone is moved to Westville. That is too far for us to drive to deliver supplies, vet trips and deliver new cats.”
Drogosz advised me that the inmates pay “premium prices” for cat provides and providers. They’re hoping one other shelter or organization companions with their cat care program sooner or later.
There aren’t many wins inside ISP, a level-four most safety jail that’s housed the worst of the worst of our species for greater than a century. This win, as Drogosz described it, looks as if a win for everybody.
Contact Jerry at [email protected]. Find him on Facebook and different socials. Opinions are these of the author.
