“You need to get out there, doing things, while you’re a student.”
Cole Bullock is a Recreation Specialist at Perry Correctional Institution in Greenville, SC. He designs and runs creative and athletic programs for inmates.
About
Cole Bullock double majored in Bible theology, and sports and fitness, which he says basically translates to a sports ethics degree. “The biggest thing, for, I think, any degree, is that once you have it on paper you essentially have to learn how to put it into practice,” he says.
He says that his degree helped him understand why his job helping inmates is important, but it didn’t quite prepare him for the job duties. “There’s not really much preparation as far as what it’s like to train yourself for prison except to go to prison,” he says. “I had no idea what to expect, you know, I’m walking into a prison with Hollywood movies giving me the context for what I’m about to encounter.”
Bullock is a Recreation Specialist at Perry Correctional Institution, a close security facility in Greenville, S.C. He designs and runs the hobby-craft program for the inmates, usually violent offenders with longer sentences.
“Good programs create good security. I’m creating confident individuals that exert their energy in a healthy way, where they establish themselves some discipline, and also giving them something that they enjoy,” he says. “Oftentimes, we’ll get new staff members, and they’ll do their orientation, and they’ll kinda walk into our hobby-craft room and you’ll see their eyes get this big.”
He says that as long as the programs are organized correctly, these recreation programs do far more good than harm. Creativity and physical fitness are “two sides of the same coin.” “Probably the worst thing you could do to someone who’s incarcerated it put them behind a door, lock it away, and then in forty years, unlock it, and let them out, and see if they’re any better for society,” he says. “I grew great compassion once I learned the plight of someone that’s incarcerated. I’ve seen guys create things where I’m like, ‘there is no way you could’ve possibly made this behind bars. This is incredible. This looks machine made.’”
Bullock wants to highlight the creativity of the men he works with. “Some of these guys make amazing things,” he says. “Some artists here draw like you would print a picture off, you know, with the realism. I mean, it’s quite shocking the talent that happens when you have enough time and initiative.”
He wants to emphasize the importance of networking and practical experience over the importance of a degree. He also suggests people interested in working in prisons should volunteer and join programs that come into prisons to run support groups and classes. “You just gotta get your feet wet.”
