TALES OF A PRISON COWBOY O3|O2

🔵 By Matthew Boivin. Photo by lauragrafie.

What does a prison cowboy’s dream of a future look like? I can’t speak for others, but I know what this cowboy’s dreams are. This cowboy dreams of a ranch built on second chances. Every ranch must have a good name, and the Flying Bar Ranch is a name with meaning. The name reflects the ranches real purpose: rehabilitation, recovery, and rebuilding. The Flying Bar is a common enough brand, but in this instance, it represents the flight from prison bars. The gates of the ranch are open to men and women who want to rebuild their lives after incarceration. Prisons come in many forms, though, and the gates swing for those recuperating from emotional prisons as well. The Flying Bar is a symbol of breaking away from the bondage that keeps us all from being the persons we were created to be. Also, having the word rescue in the name shows that one of the ranch’s missions is exactly that – the rescue of minds and people. The Flying Bar Rescue Ranch is a place for people and minds to find refuge from the captivity of physical and emotional prisons while restoring themselves to healthy images of they are mean to be. The brand for the ranch as its own meaning as well. The wings of the bar are in the upward motion to symbolize the preparation for the work to come. A bird in flight is momentarily suspended on the upstroke as the wing prepares to add thrust on the down stroke, keeping the bird aloft. So, too, are we who live on the ranch: neither falling nor flying, but preparing to surge higher with the next flop of our wings. The bar itself is there to remind us of the past we are working to overcome as we “raise the bar” of our self-expectation. The double-R’s symbolize that work. The reversed R acknowledges the backward lifestyle of self-destruction we lived before the ranch, just as the normal R acknowledges a new forward-facing outlook seeking to leave the past behind.

Even the way the R’s seem to be back-to-back represents a complete turn-around. Finally, the legs of the joined letters form a solid three-point foundation representing the keys to recovery upon which all else is built. This symbolism within a symbol is itself a representation of the ranch: looking within ourselves to find the deeper meaning.

The Flying Bar Rescue Ranch is more than just a symbol, though; it is an operating ranch. The ranch operations combine modern science with traditional ranching to create a self-sustaining enterprise. The first aspect of the ranch operations is the cattle, which will be organic, grassfed beef. The breed of cattle is not specifically important, but I prefer Angus and Hereford for the quality of the beef. The presence of the cattle on the ranch is the important part, as the cattle serve as training aids for the horses and dogs that are the backbone of the ranch. Each rescued animal will have a job alongside the rescued people. An experienced cowhorse is just as important as an experienced cowhand, if not more so. The horses will be trained to compete proving that even neglected animals can become stars with the right guidance. The process will be the same for the dogs, too. The dogs will be picked from the local animal shelters, undergo basic obedience training and learn to be cowdogs. All aspects of the ranch revolve around the cattle.

The people on the ranch have specific jobs as well. These cowboys and cowgirls focus on the cattle as we each focus on healing ourselves. The very act of caring for an animal opens up a deep-seated instinct that naturally extends to self-care. For me, it was the realization that the animals well-being was entirely reflective of how I treated it that led me to fully internalize that my own well-being centered on how I treated myself. This concept is molded into the ranch operations so that we are reminded every day that the human animal also requires diligent care. In the course of any given day, the cowhand is responsible for feeding, watering, watching for signs of illness, and daily training of all the animals. The catch is that the work is carried out by hand without using machinery for every task. The simplification of the lifestyle leaves room for personal growth.

The ranch cannot completely show modern technology, so science is incorporated into the daily operations. Whereas the cowhands use horses to care for the cows, an aquaponic form is used to help care for the people. I envision a set of four climate-controlled shopping containers equipped with grow lights on timers to create a 12-hour growing period. The center of the shipping container holds a large aquarium filled with fish whose waste provides nutrients for the plants lining the walls. The plants are grown on a three-months rotation to ensure fresh lettuce, tomatoes, potatoes, and strawberries all year. As the aquariums become full, even the fish are harvested to provide healthy meals. The farther the ranch strays from processed foods and chemical additions, the better. The human body heals so much more efficiently when it isn’t flooded with chemicals. One of the goals for the ranch is to provide all natural foods. In addition to organic beef and fresh vegetables, the ranch will keep chicken coops for eggs, dairy cows for milk, and maybe even a few pigs for sausage.

The concept is to be totally aware of everything that goes into the food we put into our bodies. The all-natural food focus is crucial element of the ranch that extends to the growing process as well. Solar panels create the ranches energy. It is important to me that the ranch remains as far off-the grid as possible. The idea of an aquaponic garden, raising animals and being energy-independent will cost money to implement effectively. This is where the business of ranching enters the dream. One of the ways in which the ranch earns an income is through processing beef. A small meat processing facility on the ranch serves to butcher the beef we raise. This cuts the food bill tremendously and opens the door to profit: the general public can purchase a steer for slaughter knowing every milliliter of medication injected and every pound of forage consumed by that steer. I certainly do not want to build another corporate meat-packing facility, but I am not averse to selling steers in a farm-to-fork scenario. As a means to an end, the ranch operates a meat-packing facility for profit.

Another way the ranch earns a profit is through its animal training programs. The horses and dogs that come through the ranch must earn their keep as ell. For some horses, this may be little more than allowing children to safely enjoy a ride. Other horses, though, will train for competition and bring their earnings back to the ranch. Perhaps the ranch will offer riding lessons to the public as well, but the horses play a role in keeping the ranch operational. Additionally, the dogs also play a role. Each dog will undergo an 8-week basic obedience training program. After a dog graduates obedience training, an advanced service dog training program beings for animals with the right temperament. The focus is for the dog to become a Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder service companion. The ranch may even offer an obedience school to the general public as well, but the service gods are the backbone of the canine training program.

Profitability is necessary for the ranch to complete its goals but the crux of the operation is a substance use disorder treatment facility. The rehabilitation program takes center stage and focuses on three keys to recovery, each a supporting leg.

These keys are:
1) Developing a healthy relationship with self
2) Realizing personal autonomy and
3) Fighting apathy

These core tenets define the ranch and guide the treatment program as well all learn to be better today than we were yesterday. The treatment facility serves clients suffering from chemical dependence, compulsive disorders (such as pornography, gambling, or internet addiction), and emotional trauma. The distinguishing characteristic between other treatment facilities and the Flying Bar Rescue Ranch is that the clients have the option to work in one of the many aspects of the ranch operations while receiving treatment. For some clients, gardening may be the path to emotional healing, while others may find solace with the animals. The ranch offers many work areas to accommodate different personality types. As a final step to continued recovery, clients who successfully complete the treatment program are given the option to join the bunkhouse and be a full-tome ranch hand.

Another aspect of the ranch is a prison outreach program. The ranch itself stands as the Registered Agent for a non-profit organization (NPO) seeking to break the cycle of recidivism. The NPO bridges the gap between society and prison. Throughout my incarceration, I have seen the ravages of addiction and the resulting continued havoc prison wreaks upon a person. Men become trapped in the prison mentality until the only place they can function is behind bars. Th structure of prison becomes an addiction in itself until a man can no longer make this own decision. I run across this type all the time on the Beef Herd: men who function okay as long as they have somebody telling them what do do every step of the way; but, take that supervisor away, and they just sit down waiting to be told what to do next. When someone tells them what to do, resentment builds resulting in a temper tantrum. This type of man in society attracts a bossy, controlling woman, and the relationship becomes toxic as they both struggle with the role-reversal. He then commits another petty crime to run away from the toxicity only to land right back in prison. The entire sad scene is co-dependence at its worst: the prison needs him to justify more funding requests, and he needs the constant supervision to save him from his fear of making decision. The NPO deliberately seeks this man and offers him the skills necessary to break free of this destructive cycle.

The NPO does not limit itself to a single approach, though, and uses several tools to reach the gal of reducing recidivism. One toll the NPO uses is effective prison programming. For example, the NPO sponsors a team that conducts a weekend Alternatives to Violence Project Seminar, which is a three-day workshop focusing on changing patterns of behavior. Another tool the NPO uses is a parole plan assistance program. Many prisoners grew up in foster care or have no outside support. These men are essentially stuck in prison with nowhere to go even though the parole board granted release. The NPO reaches out to these men (and women) to help secure housing and gainful employment – possibly at the ranch. The NPO will eventually grow to include prison podcasts, music recordings, and support of prison authors as funding allows; but, the ultimate goal of the NPO is to help men and women free themselves from prison entanglement.

The Flying Bar Rescue Ranch is more than the fanciful dream of a dusty desperado. It is an achievable goal that I will take action to reach as soon as my feet hit free soil. I am taking action now, even. A business plan for the ranch is drafted, complete with bylaws for the Limited Liability Company that operates the ranch; I am gaining experience with the hands-on of operating a horse driven cattle operation; I am enrolled in another semester of College credits that transfer to my animal Science degree; I tutor men working toward their General Education Diploma, I have experience facilitating programs such as AVP and other cognitive behavioral therapy classes; and, I do what I can to build professional relationships with staff that will help ease my transition back into prison as a free-world volunteer.

A dram without action is just a fantasy, but a dream that guides my daily steps is tantamount to religion. Though it may seem far-fetched to some, I allow myself five years after release to have the foundation poured on the operation of the Flying Bar Rescue Ranch.


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