NEWS

January 14, 2011
Inmate group honors veterans/ISP officers for their work

It takes a lot to write a blank check to Uncle Sam and possibly be sent off to fight against hostile forces. There’s the possibility of not coming home. Some people have done that, come home, made some mistakes and have ended up in the Iowa State Penitentiary in Fort Madison.

That doesn’t mean these people are any less patriotic and serious about their service to the nation as shown on Wednesday when the group, Veterans Behind Bars, held an awards and recognition ceremony inside ISP. Several inmates who are veterans were on hand to celebrate the help of two of the prison’s correctional officers for creating the group and keeping it going.

First Sgt. Doug Bolton was honored. He has been called to duty and is serving in Afghanistan. The prisoners hoped for his safe return. The second honored was Sgt. Steve Janic, who has taken up the mission of keeping the Veterans Behind Bars group going while Bolton is gone. Vice commander of the group, Roman Bates, who served in the U.S. Marines from 1980-84, said Janic and the small band of founding members will keep the group “Charlie Mike” (continue the mission).

Group members try to live up to three simple words: courage, honor and duty in their daily lives in the prison, Bates said. He said the two men, Bolton and Janic, have helped reignite the flaming desire and sense of duty to country inside the men of Veterans Behind Bars. “They’ve provided us and them a chance to do something honorable to show our patriotic duty is not over, it’s just changed,” Bates said.

The group has started a mission to help those less fortunate. They have raised money for Coats for Kids, Christmas for Kids and other charity work. They seek to work hard to show they actually care about what happens outside the walls of ISP. “We want to show we’re not just convicts in here sitting around planning our next crime,” Bates said. “We are a few guys who want to do what’s right.” The group started in 2009 when Bates proposed it to the warden. Bolton volunteered to become the inside sponsor of the group.

The group has kept growing thanks to the efforts of Bolton and Janic. Inmates like the day’s master of ceremonies, Bertrum Burkett, acknowledged that the group has given him something to focus on while serving his time. He said without it, he would probably be getting himself into trouble. I

SP Warden Nick Ludwick was invited by the prisoners to say a few words. He thanked the veterans for giving the gift of their time to those who are less fortunate in the world. The Veterans Behind Bars gave inmate-made plaques to Janic and Bolton as well as several certificates of recognition to the prison administration that has helped the group grow into something constructive the prisoners can look forward to in their daily lives.

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