December 2020/January 2021 Issue

Page 18 December 2020/January 2021 EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN Everett Tucker, and Invincible Vince at the Blackburn Correctional Facility in Lexington, KY. Tucker was released from Blackburn in July and is working at Spy Coast Farm in Lexington, a breeding facility. Photo by Charles Toler By Suzanne Bush Mark Garner had been on a couple of trail rides as a kid, but he never had a lot of actual, meaningful contact with horses until he arrived at the Central Maryland Correctional Facility (CMCF) in Sykesville. He soon realized that horses could change his life. “I had already been incarcer- ated for a couple of years and it was my understanding that when you go to county from state facil- ities you were able to make some money,” he said. The officer who brought him to CMCF told him that there was a horse farm on the facility. The officer told him that inmates work seven days a week at the farm. “That’s what I need,” he told the officer. “I know what it means to work hard,” he says “and I was eager to do so. Anything to keep me occupied and make my transi- tion as soon as possible.” CMCF is a minimum-security institution, and inmates stay at the facility an average of 18 months. The Behind Prison Walls, Inmates Learn Skills and Horses Thrive “We start with the basics in care, safety, nutrition and history,” she explains. “They then move up, depending on time in the program, through anatomy, behavior, training, advanced handling and all the smaller nuances of farm maintenance and management.” She says that all their programs offer the Groom Elite certification, which provides skills tests and exams for the participants in the program so graduates can demonstrate to pro- spective employers that they’ve qualified through rigorous, accredited training programs. “In addition, inmates in our women's program in Florida are able to learn riding skills and currently they’ve taught two thoroughbreds to drive in harness.” The women are also learning how to drive tractors, build fences, operate brush hogs, etc. First Lesson: Horses Don’t Take Vacations O’Reilly says that TRF farms are just like regular farms, in that there’s important work to be done every day. “At all our facilities there are inmates out seven days a week to care for the horses, overseen by our Farm Manager and Vocational instructors,” she explains. Classes are in session Monday through Friday, and groups of inmates will usually volunteer to work weekends. “This weekend work is often seen as a huge privilege at the facili- ty—to be outdoors during the day and care for the horses,” she says. The men and women learn first- hand how demanding the work is. “And they gain the understanding that horses do not take days off and require care on every holiday regardless of the weather.” Prison life can be monoto- nous, and the Second Chances programs offer inmates extraordi- nary opportunities to learn skills and to get outside for several hours a day. O’Reilly says there’s often a waiting list to get into the program, since the duration of participation varies from one inmate to another. “Many of our programs incorporate inmates who are within 6 months to a few years of parole. They are then in the programs anywhere from 6 months to 2-3 years depending on their sentence and good behav- ior.” She says their programs are at minimum and medium security institutions, where the men and women must have outside clear- (Continued from page 4) ance to participate. “At a given time there are between four and 18 inmates in each program,” she explains. “This fluctuates depend- ing on how many inmates have outside clearance, and currently how the prisons are working within the COVID restrictions and guidelines.” A Steady Stream of Horses Just as there is a waiting list among inmates hoping to get into the Second Chances pro- gram, there is usually a waiting list for horses hoping to get into prison. O’Reilly says that the waiting list varies throughout the year, but they see a surge of horses in the fall. “In cases of neglect, we have partnered with other rescue groups to absorb the horses into our herds,” she says. “Aftercare today is a giant ‘quilt’ where we each play a role. Some groups focused on retraining, some on sanctuary, some are able to take stallions, and some are able to take seniors.” She calls it a “rising tide” that floats all ships. “Wallkill is our flagship facility in New York,” she says. “While it is one of our larger facilities, the correctional farms in Kentucky and Florida are just as large.” The larger farms can have anywhere from 30 to 50 horses. “Space is a big factor, as we want to allot two acres per horse at each facility,” she says. TRF also partners with oth- er groups for joint events and fundraisers. They are accredited by the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance and receive grants from Thoroughbred Charities of America. But, like non-profits everywhere, they are always seeking ways to expand their reach among donors. Their website, www.trfinc.org lists upcoming opportunities for donors. From Dark Days to a Bright Future facility offers several education- al programs to prepare inmates for a successful transition from incarceration. The horse farm is one of the Second Chances operations the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF) runs at several farms in the United States. It was here that Garner found peace, along with the realization that he could change the trajectory of his life. Profound Life Changes “Going into that program, I had a very strong resentment for women,” Garner explains, “because my mother abandoned me when I was younger. So, I never thought I would be able to learn anything from women. I had a lot of mistrust in women.” And then he met Sarah Stein, the vocational instructor at the farm. “Little did I know,” Garner says, “how well Sarah led that program, and how awesome a mentor she is.” Working with the horses, being at the farm, learning about ways to make a better life, Garner began to see life differently. “I’m a recovering addict and alcoholic for more than four years now,” he says. “Everybody has a past; everybody struggles, and their struggles are different to a certain degree. The horses, the combina- tion of all that was life-changing for me.” In the work-release program, Stein and Garner had been talking about a pilot program for Laurel Raceway in Maryland, which would bring Second Chances graduates to Laurel to apply for jobs. “One of the field trips Sec- ond Chances arranged to Laurel Raceway,” he says “I noticed that they gave their backstretch workers places to live and a job. A gentleman there came from the Second Chances program.” He thought about the shape his own future might take. “I considered my circumstances and said, ‘this could be what I need right here.’” A Different Path As it turned out, the pilot program at Laurel Raceway didn’t materialize right away and Garner took a job with J.J. McDonnell and Co., a seafood processing company in Elkridge, MD. “I finally got the job offer at Laurel Raceway,” he says. He spoke to his supervisor and explained that he was considering the offer. “The director of the processing room and a supervisor p ulled me into a conference room a nd told me they understood.” H e said they laid out a training r egimen and showed him how h is pay would increase as he met e ach training milestone. “But y ou don’t understand,” he told t hem. “I don’t even have a place t o live.” Garner paused. “They went a s far as one of the employees t here took me in,” he said. “He d idn’t know me from Adam. I w as on work release. But they t ook me in and helped me with t he transition.” He says that life i s pretty good right now. He e ven has a new car. “Life is just b lossoming!” Mark Garner was surprised to learn a woman could be a mentor when he joined the Second Chances program at the Central Mary- land Correctional Facility. His experiences with the program led to a full time job as a machine supervisor, a place to live, and even Employee of the Month honors. Photo credit: Katie Brown (Continued on page 23)