Speaker 1: Hm, I walk straight line shackle change, Oh weesome gird
it's calling my name. There is no mercy and it's
been a tentery juice as the huge stream game Rango three.
Speaker 2: Come here, be.
Speaker 3: By me to die inside these walls, inside the wild,
hadn't when the girls as.
Speaker 4: I'm hey everyone, and welcome back to Bloody Angola, a
podcast and forty two years of making the complete story
of America's bloodiest present. I'm Jim Chapman, and today I'm
going to bring you a more positive story than what
you may be used to from this podcast. And when
I came across this particular story, I was blind away.
I'm going to tell you, as a father of two daughters,
it absolutely moved me. And you know, it's rare, at
least for me to come across these nonprofits that function
around prisons that don't appear to be somewhat self serving.
Now that's not to say all of them are like that,
but at least for me, I've seen a lot out
there that it just seems a lot about the money
and a little about the actual convict. But this one's different.
And today I'm going to tell you a little bit
about a nonprofit known as God Behind Bars and what
they did for the very first time inside of Louisiana
State Penitentiary. Adding goal and this is one of those
things that I believe may actually make a difference. So
to start this thing off, I'm going to actually quote
an article by Presley bo Tyler of the Shreveport Times
and it reads, for the first time ever, a daddy
daughter dance was hosted at Louisiana State Penitentiary, also known
as the Infamous in Gola Prison. The fathers, who had
not seen their daughters in years, stood and fitted tuxedos
as they waited to be reunited, with many of them
wearing formal wear for the first time. The very first
time ever, the daughters were able to walk into a
space that had been transformed into a ballroom and share
a special dance, one which many had been waiting their
entire childhood to experience. Guid Behind Bars, which is an
organization that works to introduce inmates to Christianity and connect
them with a local church, partnered with the leadership at
Angola in order to put on a father daughter dance.
Prior to the dance, professional makeup artists tended to the daughters.
Volunteers packed gift bags with donated beauty products and monique
from a more suits designed custom tuxedos for each father.
At the beginning of the event, each father presented his
daughter with flowers, a Bible, and a handwritten letter. More
than just a dance, families were able to share a
Thanksgiving meal prepared by volunteers, and a local artist from
Battonerage painted live portraits of the fathers and daughters. The
night ended with the grand finale as the fathers performed
a choreographed routine they had been practicing for weeks prior,
with many hugs, shared, dances, and memories made. The experience
was centered on dignity, connection and restoration that from God
behind bars and a press release quote, I watched a
group of men stand with pride and dignity, shredding every
label the world had ever put on them. For one night.
They were not inmates. They were dad. The night was
filled with a plethora of emotions for both fathers and daughters. Quote.
When I turned around and saw my baby in that dress,
and she busted out crying. I sobbed. I'm not a crier.
We slow danced and she started crying again. I asked
her why and she said, quote, Dad, I finally get
a chance to dance with you for the first time.
I told my brothers, look, this will make you want
to do right. If you are not doing right, you have.
Speaker 1: To do right.
Speaker 4: That from Leslie Harris assistant Warden and Marie easily remarked
on how important the experience was for the inmate and
their families. Quote, I'm so thankful to God behind bars
for all they did to make this event possible and
such a success. This provided our inmates with an opportunity
to restore and build healthy relationships with their daughters despite
the circumstances. Just a really nice article, and it kind
of gives you an idea of what it was like.
But I wanted to give you a much better idea.
So after I came across this article and accomplish just
what you would think the goal is of these articles,
and that is to get you digging deeper, right, And
I did some digging, and I came across something you
really have to hear now. Bloody and Goal is primarily
an audio podcast, and the clip I'm about to play
you was in video form. I'm going to play it
here for you in audio form. You can still follow
it very easily by just listening to the audio version.
And it is so important y'all that I feel that
people need to hear this. You want to know what
changes hearts inside prism when you're a male especially. Nothing
can do that more than your daughter. So I hope
you enjoy it. And here's that clip.
Speaker 5: My first time in giving my daughter flowers, be the
first man to give her floppers.
Speaker 6: Let her know I love you. You're my angel, You're
my first born. Daddy's always got your bad. She's seventeen
and I've been gone for fifteen years. See me and everything?
She mean my world? Man, I ever put my life
on the line for my daughter. Man, Hey, this moment
right here today, soak it in.
Speaker 7: I pray that we get many more of these moments,
but we don't know how many we have.
Speaker 8: There's my work there mean everything.
Speaker 6: The reason I keep going every day in this place.
Speaker 9: It reason I fight to get out of here. It
won't make up for the past time, but heaven all future.
Speaker 10: I missed every single event in my little girl's life.
I mean missed her first step, her first words, when
she was younger. I love you, daddy, is something that
I just I rarely hardly ever heard wait, I love you,
not right? Missing all of that affected me little. It
affected most is her. And to have this day and
be able to share this moment to together, it's just
it's it's gonna be magic or it's just want her
feel the love and just have a little good time
and smile.
Speaker 7: Well, it's gonna be a memory that we can hold
on for life.
Speaker 5: Man.
Speaker 10: The last time I saw Shabraino was probably seven years ago.
Speaker 11: To definitely be a a a beautiful reunion.
Speaker 9: I mean it means that I've able to get to
see my daughter and extras sharing experience with her, and
I get to, you know, brid just have a conversation
one on one with her. She's my world. I have two.
They're my world that mean everything to me.
Speaker 6: They the reason, They the reason I keep going.
Speaker 9: They the reason, you know, I push to be a
better person, you know, to learn to grow.
Speaker 5: Oh.
Speaker 6: I love what I love about my daughter's is uh.
Speaker 7: I love these spirit, the the energetic, They like to play,
they like to dance, they like to have fun. This
is gonna be something outside of like a prison visitor.
So it's gonna be a experienced you know, it's feel
like it's weed together outside.
Speaker 6: Man, gotta get ready tu see the looks fly. I
gotta look fly.
Speaker 12: I hadn't seen my daughter since she was six months old,
so she's seventeen now, so.
Speaker 6: She finally gets to spend time with dad, and I'm
I'm gonna spoiler. Let her know. Man, I miss so
much time with you. I ain't missing another minute with you.
Then my first time putting on a text you, Oh
it was nice, real fire. You know what I'm saying.
I felt real good. I felt professional.
Speaker 5: I might need a box of tissue, might crack man,
especially seeing my baby.
Speaker 6: You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 13: In that room, you guys are gonna have the opportunity
to sit down. I mentioned the bibles. Right, you can
write a note in side there, get your suit on,
gather your thoughts, bring over the Bible.
Speaker 2: Or two onsp here. So I'm in this case, I'm
the dad. Okay, I'm on this side, and then.
Speaker 13: Talk to your left, Yeah, to your last. So you
put your arm out.
Speaker 2: First and then she's in. Then she'll put her.
Speaker 13: On and you can she'll have her bouquet.
Speaker 3: Right.
Speaker 13: You can also if you want to take her hands,
you know her rock like.
Speaker 2: You know she didn't have her something.
Speaker 6: Dude, say you feel like you probably feel good.
Speaker 13: I'll be sitting in front of him, put.
Speaker 5: Him on this. I'm feeling excellent, excited, pum fucking that's
all right.
Speaker 6: Yeah, I'm ready.
Speaker 5: You know you're looking for it to be a great time,
great moment. You know, memories, memories that I can just
hold on to for a lifetime and enjoy.
Speaker 9: You know, we're setting up, we're sitting up everything, make
sure everything set up for tomorrow. We got all We
got all first flowers in thanks to God behind boss
got the decorations are amazing.
Speaker 6: Everything's amazing.
Speaker 11: We did.
Speaker 6: We did a lot of decorating the day we.
Speaker 14: Went over all dance.
Speaker 6: It's gonna be amazing.
Speaker 13: What.
Speaker 10: I come over here and almost got tears in mind,
I'm telling you.
Speaker 11: And I walked in, I was like, wow.
Speaker 6: That's all I can tell him is wow, y'all.
Speaker 5: But being here, man, were nowhere in the world, will
be right here and right here. When we walk in there,
you feel free. And then when outside the black gate
and you're not walking outside that black gate unless you're
going home, you.
Speaker 6: Know what I'm saying, So alliver like, man, You're like,
we're free right now. I'm like, yeah, God, just give
us a taste to us to come. We walk round,
hit y'all so much, go behind boss, and it's easy
as it's a blessing. I'm excited to dance with my daughter.
Speaker 7: You never sent me in the text, so I'm excited
to see what they gonna see when uh they see
me walk out of that fresh and fly.
Speaker 2: So what are your thoughts after trying on your texas?
Speaker 6: It's awesome?
Speaker 5: Like I feel like we could just end up saying
that we done have some good times in life, but
this is more likely probably gonna be the one one
of the best ones.
Speaker 4: Right I'm saying that.
Speaker 6: I ain't never had it like this.
Speaker 10: You wanna be nice, I'll go to the nice people.
Speaker 11: I feel free right now. I feel I'm not in prison.
This is just a chance to build memories and show
love to my babies.
Speaker 13: Tell me what you guys are feeling right now?
Speaker 6: Oh, I'm emotional? Will what's going on with that?
Speaker 2: I don't know what you wor? So? Have you ever
worn over one?
Speaker 6: I like this? I use this, I used it? How
you feel good, so I do money. Release date, release day.
I'm nervous.
Speaker 8: I'm nervous about what why I'm seeing my daughter.
Speaker 5: I'm nervous.
Speaker 9: This is the first time man, five years.
Speaker 13: How you feeling brain good?
Speaker 7: Because this is this is the first time I get
to hold my baby girl ten years.
Speaker 6: The last time I keep five years old camping and
so you sit. It gonna be a big, big boy.
Speaker 1: I rolle Chloyd, my baby girl.
Speaker 6: Love you for infinity, Dad, dance with dark.
Speaker 7: I'm just telling her my favorite scripture is a first
correct means ten or thirteen, but I want her to
start off by reading Philippians full thirteen because I believe
she could do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthened us.
Speaker 6: All Right, fuck perfect looking, We.
Speaker 9: Let the know this today is our new beginning for
our relationship with God.
Speaker 6: We're gonna go on this journey together. To me that
I love you, Loriat, Yeah, love you see love you see.
It means a lot. It's it's a moment that I'll
never to bond with my daughter and create a memory.
She means the world to me. More than the world.
The words couldn't even express.
Speaker 14: But I ain't even the girls that she was six
years six years old or so, he returned the heart.
Since she's sixteen now being the boy to college. You know,
so this, this this dance is very important to me.
Speaker 12: You know so for me, you know, this was a
blessing mind that I needed and I needed this time.
Speaker 11: This is a picture of my daughter, my beautiful baby.
I put this picture on my tablet because when I
look at it, it gives me a reality check on
what I have to do to get back to the
things that I enjoy, the reason I love.
Speaker 6: Her, and it just you know how wonderful it is
to be a father.
Speaker 11: Just looking at her, beautiful fee very excited I get
to see my daughter.
Speaker 6: I ain't see her in three years. This is my
first time putting on the tucks. Make me feel like
a gentleman, my first time giving my daughter flowers.
Speaker 1: I'll be the.
Speaker 6: First man to give her flowers.
Speaker 10: Let her know I love you, your mind, angel, You're
my first born.
Speaker 6: Daddy's always got your back.
Speaker 3: Oh you know, I got your favorite girl.
Speaker 5: I've been incncrated fifteen years with my daughter. Man, she
just motivated me so much, like every time I call her,
Like when I'm going through dog Mama. She always lift
me up and tell me that you coming home soon,
and just keep your head up.
Speaker 6: And just keep praying and God go make away.
Speaker 5: I just tell how much I love him until how
apologize for all the years I missed him the luck
and uh she forgive me and I'll make it up
to which this d's seventeen and I've been gone fifteen years.
Speaker 6: See me and everything that she mean my world. Man,
I ever put my life on the line from my daughter.
Speaker 7: Man, some of the moments I'm s I'm sad I
missed since I've been incarcerated.
Speaker 6: It's like the first day.
Speaker 7: Of school, you man, it's uh dance reside the spans
of that nature.
Speaker 6: Man, It's just like I'm supposed to beat. I'm supposed
to support the supposing. I understand when they look up
and see everybody in the crowd.
Speaker 7: You support to see that it sitting there maybe with
a two tune on and support them so you know,
for I missed those stuff. I mean everything mean both
of 'em uh down via antigue, and both of 'em
be around me.
Speaker 3: Man.
Speaker 6: They they real energetic.
Speaker 7: I'm ry about them, gonna tell this place down or
worry about how much energy they have.
Speaker 6: Yeah, so yeah, they mean everything. I mean, I've been
locked up seven ten years.
Speaker 4: What I love about my daughter is she got a
pretty smile. She's part of me.
Speaker 6: She me smart four point on student.
Speaker 11: She's graduating this year.
Speaker 4: So I'm I'm happy that, uh she made the right
decisions in life uh to this point, and I'm so
proud of her.
Speaker 8: That's the moment ever, that's wing when my uh TC
daughter and my my nine year old daughter did do
you rem my nine year old remember me since she
was stree years old? That coulda been the best thing
ever happened to me in here. God, bless y'all, and
thank y'all.
Speaker 6: I love y'all. Ain't go lo y'all. I ain't gonna
cry like that, but I cried. I came on here
walking and see my little girl.
Speaker 13: In a long time.
Speaker 6: I ain't shed a tears like that in a long time.
Speaker 12: And so for me to get that moment and not
re finish realize that I'm finna break down like that
in front of all y'all. It wasn't even by by
no of y'all, just me seeing her and I hadn't
seen her since she was nine months and that's when
I had to see the moment after that moment, because
that's the realization that she never had a memory of me,
and know physically into the night when we.
Speaker 5: Had to turn around. Man, just seeing my baby ain't
the address and she c s bust out crying. Man,
it just made me just ain't no crime. Man.
Speaker 4: I was sloughed.
Speaker 5: Man, it was amazing. Then we slow dance and she
crying again and I'm like, baby, why you crying? She
was just like that, I'm trying to get a chance
to dance with you for the first time, so real
hearty made me feel good. And I'm telling all the
rest of my brother like, look, brother, what we got.
Speaker 6: I said, you got this?
Speaker 5: This he'll make you wanna do right. If you ain't
doing right, brother, I don't get right, you know what
I'm saying. So I wanna say thank y'all.
Speaker 10: Man to love y'all.
Speaker 6: Honestly, my daughter's nine years old. You know I miss
him that you was going. Yeah, she's still I still
treat it like.
Speaker 10: A baby and she don't really go for there.
Speaker 12: But uh, I'm pretty sure that I you know, I
see some of you guys, how you interact with your daughter.
Speaker 6: You know, it plays a me in the park to
be in their lives at the herd these age. Uh
cause I see the difference with mine.
Speaker 12: Though she loves me and everything like that, I still
need that time where her to put more time in it.
Speaker 5: And you got really like encouraged me to like, you know,
be more.
Speaker 6: Involved in our life. We move without this whole difference,
And I'm thankful that everybody had the chance.
Speaker 11: To take part in this home event. You know why,
I even learned how to.
Speaker 6: Do the QB chef right in the whole name you
brother's Dave YouTube. Then where I did not global right,
we had the state penitentiary.
Speaker 2: You know, we're supposed to be the worst of the
worst and the hardest of the hardest.
Speaker 11: Time we walk around like that sometimes even when we
don't do it intentionally.
Speaker 5: Right to be able to see all of this together
with our kids, man, the loves of our lives.
Speaker 3: And with no masks, that was cool though, that was
really cool.
Speaker 14: And all know some name.
Speaker 2: Your daughter's eyes when they saw you in your tuxes
were amazing, And I just want to tell you all
how proud I am.
Speaker 6: I know we spent some days in.
Speaker 2: Here, and I got to preach in and all that,
but the way you all supported each other and the
way that you all because, like you said, a lot
of these a lot of y'all didn't know each other
before this event got organized and y'all became a brotherhood
really really fast. So I'm gonna put some really hard
on you right now. Some of you have said this too,
but I'm gonna say it to all of you. When
you go look in the mirror, are you looking at
the type of God that you want your daughters to
end up with? The type of man? The god there
and man, because you know what, you're her model or
you're their model, and you're going to be the one
that instills in them the type of guy that they deserve.
I know, I just put a heavy burden on you,
but with God, it's all possible, and despite where you are,
it can happen and you can be a dad from here.
Speaker 4: So there you have it a little bit more positive
ending if you will to today's episode talk about life
changing for some of these guys. I mean, if that
didn't move you, you.
Speaker 1: Don't have a heart.
Speaker 4: As far as I'm concerned, I really hope it does
the good that I think it will. And until next time,
I'm Jim Chapman for Bloody and Gola, a podcast one
and forty two years and making the complete story of
America's bloody is present.
Speaker 1: Peace, a Wall Street line, shackle change, Bosome Gurdie, it's
calling my name.
Speaker 2: There is no.
Speaker 1: Mercy and this been a tentery juice as the hugestream
game Wrangle three.
Speaker 2: I'm in.
Speaker 3: Fun me to die inside these walls, inside the wild
and when you walk, as I know, it's oul. Body
anglebody angle,