View of Lew Sterret's South Tower after a visit

This week there was a man in a wheelchair on the median of the two directions of traffic one must cross from the parking lot to the jail. He was panhandling with a lime green cup, Dallas Can Do Better color so how could I resist. After parking I decided how much I would donate to his cause and put the money in my pocket. Normally I don’t take any money in unless it is the day I put money on Ben’s books on behalf of Dallas Can Do Better. Otherwise I prefer to be honest when I tell people who ask for bus fare etc. “I’m sorry I don’t have any money on me.” As I put my donation in his cup I noticed his shirt was busting open and his speech was slurred, not drunk slurred, developmentally challenged slurred and he was an older man, he also smelled of urine, not fresh urine but the deep pungent odor that takes many episodes without a bathroom to build up. I wish I had a magic wand or at least more knowledge of services for the homeless. Did I do everything I could to help him? no. Life is a series of choices and at that moment I chose not to be late for my visit with Ben. While filling out the paper to visit there was a man in a sleeveless shirt (he actually had on two sleeveless shirts over one another) who had just raced in and was told he could not visit because his sleeveless shirts were not allowed -he said he didn’t even have another shirt in his car and something about a grandmother and work and he just raced here to not miss the visit. Sally and I have talked about having some DCDB shirts with us to give out to people in this predicament but of course I did not have one today and could not easily have brought one as I don’t think they would like me leaving them downstairs and I would not be allowed to take it upstairs- but this is an idea to work to work on. Anyway- finally got up to see Ben and there was yelling and cursing coming from the wall behind the visiting area. Ben said he couldn’t here it from his side of the glass. It sounded pretty upsetting to me but I will take Ben’s explanation as I like it more “The people are in single cells and they are just yelling down the line to talk to someone farther away” Good. We talked more about his case. more about the books he has been reading and then our time was up. Just like that. As it always is. Until next week Dallas, keep praying for justice.