FORM MS POST DISPLAY SHOWN ON INTERNET

CAN PRISONS AND PRISONERS BE SAVED? BY HELGA T. SWANSON

Can Prisons and Prisoners Be Saved? is a book written by a volunteer teacher who, without a guard, taught rapists, murderers, drug lords, burglars who had guns, pornographers and sex perverts incarcerated for 25 years to life, in a maximum security prison. Why did they show respect and appreciation for her? Helga Swanson saw that many of them had become criminals because of their low self-esteem, and she found a lot of good in them as they shared their remorse over what they had done. Unfortunately, after a year and a half, she, along with the other volunteers, was asked to leave. Why? Because prison officials felt it was too risky to continue. For the last eight years Swanson has corresponded with five former inmate students whom she felt had much potential and reveal in 1000 letters their thoughts and feelings.

Every page is filled with exciting reading about the life stories of the inmates and the funny and sad happenings in the classroom. Swanson visits prisoners, contacts their families, and has gone to court and two parole hearings. She writes persuasively to the parole board and legislators. The last part of the book concludes with an in-depth study of both positive and negative aspects of the American penal system. She offers suggestions for prison reform, including how taxpayers' money can be better spent. The lengthy incarceration of some inmates imprisoned in tiny cells twenty four hours a day, sometimes, years, allowing only two hours a week on prison grounds, reveals the inner culture of a prison.

There are over two million families of prisoners and thousands of legislators who need to read this book and take heart. Swanson is a speaker at community programs in Martin County and surrounding areas in Florida as well as in Richmond, VA, and Long Island, New York.

Swanson has a BA in English and speech from Adelphi U., went to graduate school at Columbia U. , taught English for two years and was director of speech and drama for two years, spent 40 years as chairman of several charities, including the founding of the Salvation Army Nassau County Women's Division with several hundred members. The Salvation Army gave her their highest civilian award, The Others Award.. She was Woman of the Year covering Long Island's many YMCA's, was chairman of the American Association of University Women, a jumbo branch on Long Island. . Does public speaking on various subjects, has written articles for magazines, and a 265-page family history book while raising two children and as wife of Elston H. Swanson, former Pres. of Instruments for Industry, L.I. When children were grown, she became Director of Alumni Relations at Adelphi U. for two years but preferred volunteerism. Her daughter, Elaine Turner is a doctor whose husband is a real estate agent. Their two children, Petra Harvey. is getting her Ph. D. and their son, Paul his second master's degree in computer engineering at the U. of Virginia. Swanson's son, Mark, is president of Instruments for Industry on Long Island.

At the Sandhill Cove Resident Community Swanson writes a column for the monthly Chronicles, chairs the library committee with 22 volunteers, plays piano at special functions and has lent her time away from her own church to play Sunday mornings at the Palm City Christian Church in the civic center which is soon to build their new sanctuary.

The back cover of her book read as follows. "After 40 years of full-time charity work, Swanson became a teacher/mentor at a maximum security state prison in Central Florida and brings us behind the gun towers and razor wire which most journalists never have the opportunity to see. She taught - without a guard - murderers, rapists, drug lords, burglars, many of whom were in prison for life.. In a piercing expose, Swanson dissects the machination of an American legal apparatus that all too often cages and executes innocent men and women.

Through the life stories of five Florida convicts, she leads us through the soul-numbing quagmire of human despair ... and out into a discovered realm where faith becomes the saving grace. Can prisons and prisoners be saved? The answer to that question lies deep within the pages of this book." 209 pages.

Swanson sends a portion of her profits to inmates who have no funds.