Quick thinking by The Honorable Larry Eger, Public Defender of the Twelfth Judicial Circuit and Project 180 Honorary Society member, alerted us to the fact that the prison where Calvin Duncan was incarcerated--the infamous Angola Prison--was the childhood home of a local judge, The Honorable Bob Bennett. 

Judge Bennett's recollections of his childhood at Angola give us a glimpse into the years before the "Tough on Crime" era began, a time before public perception shifted from viewing inmates as individuals who had made mistakes to conceiving of all prisoners as predators.

Judge Bennett grew up at Angola in the 1950's and early '60's. Although life was harsh for inmates at Angola, it was a time when prison staff and their families got to know inmates as people and friends. Judge  Bennett's father was employed in various capacities at the prison from 1956 to 1963 and was warden from 1963 to 1964. During Bob's childhood, his family lived in the residential area for staff where the streets were laid out in the shape of a B, thus inspiring the name of his neighborhood, "The Beeline." It was a childhood some would envy. 

Until the age of 18, Bob interacted daily with inmates, reporting that he didn't feel any different than if he "had grown up in a subdivision in Sarasota." Inmates were some of his best friends; they fished together in local Lake Killarney to provide the largely Catholic prisoners with carp and buffalo fish on Fridays and, on weekends, inmates piloted the boat on which he fished and from which he hunted.

The family's housekeeper and cook were inmates. Inmates umpired his Little League games and, when he was older, he played baseball on an otherwise all-inmate baseball team. Inmates ran the local barbershop, the grocery store where his family shopped, and an old-style soda fountain. Bob hunted with inmates. Armed trustees manned the watchtowers. An inmate, Earl Goins, handled the dogs that hunted escapees. It was a different world. 

With regard to Friday's lecture and the chance to meet Calvin, Judge Bennett says, "I couldn't pass up the opportunity to hear someone speak who had been incarcerated in the place I'd grown up, even though I left there before he was born."

In the intervening years, Angola has changed significantly. " I went back to see it for my 50th high school reunion. There's a museum there to which I've donated some artifacts, including a portrait of my mother. My wife and I went to see it and were invited for a tour of the property. They still have death row and a unique form of solitary confinement. Life has improved for inmates according to Calvin but you sure wouldn't have wanted to be incarcerated at Angola back in the 50's or 60's."

Judge Bennett, thanks for joining us at the lecture and for sharing your recollections of life at Angola in a bygone, and in some respects, better era.

Tom Koski, The Koski Family Foundation Strong Voices Lecture Series Lead Sponsor, Founder's Circle Member Veronica Brandon Miller, Goodwill Manasota, Project 180 Board Chair

Calvin Duncan, Keynote Speaker Soros Justice Fellow Echoing Green Fellow Paralegal Studies Student, Tulane University Tracy Pratt, Law Office of Tracy Pratt, Project 180 Board Member, Strong Voices Lecture Series Chair 2017

Arlene Sweeting Tom Melville, Literacy Council of Sarasota County, Project 180 Board Member

Judge Bob Bennett Barbara Richards, CEO/Founder, Project 180, Founder's Circle Member Judge Charles E. Williams, Speaker

Tracy Pratt Litten and Dan Boxser The Boxser Diversity Initiative, Strong Voices 2017 Lecture Series Partner

Jaye Williams Olivia Weinberger, Founder's Circle Member, Project 180 Volunteer

Herald Tribune  Media Group Journalists Gayle Guynup, Style and Social Editor and Ruth Lando

Lois and Bernie Watson

Gina Taylor Paula Murray, Artefact Design, Sponsor

Jessica Gill, Ann E. Fries, Dan and Litten Boxser

Allyson Palmer and Heather Roberts, Roberts Hardwood Lumber & Building Supplies, Sponsor

Barbara Richards Calvin Duncan Judge Charles E. Williams

Charles Clapsaddle Chris Dolan METV, Sponsor

Barbara Richards Veronica Brandon Miller

Alena Scandura Esther Halt

Shelton Bruton Tracy Pratt Jeff Ringle

Anne Wezenter Michael Richker, Patron

Barbara Richards Olivia Weinberger

Tracy Pratt Calvin Duncan

Lisa Coolbeth Suzanne Connor

Judy Rosemarin Barbara Richards

Felice Schulaner  Dennis Rees

Dan Boxser, Barbara Richards, Litten Boxser

June 2nd Audience, The Francis

Sign up now to sponsor the 2018 Strong Voices Series. 

"When People Come Home: 

The Effect of Incarceration and Prisoner Reentry on the Family"
Contact Barbara at ceo@project180reentry.org.