Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary was founded in 1896. It was known to me in childhood, as a maximum security federal prison. Legend said no inmate had escaped. Locals said it was a dark place where the worst of the worst spent their “time”.

It was rumored that James Earl Ray (the man sentenced for shooting Martin Luther King Jr) spent his sentence there. The razor wire, the high fences, and even the armed guards were not the most insurmountable security measures. Brushy Mountain Prison was built at the bottom of what can only be described as a bowl of mountains. Steep mountain sides on three sides. Escape was not an option.

Thirty years ago, there was some religion that thought my being there would help the inmates. My suspicion is that the director of the program knew it would help me more. This was the beginning of my understanding that the help I offer in life, is only the help I am offering myself. The origin of my thoughts, that what I have to teach, should take second place to what I have to learn. In retrospect, it was the beginning of my understanding, that to judge a thing, any thing, is to bring judgement on myself.

As to the interaction with those who called Brushy their home… our only directive was not to ask why inmates were there. Not to ask the question, the crime.

What happened was a game of basketball and two teams meeting on some common ground that was just beyond their normal. I...