Colette S. Peters did something strange when she met incarcerated people inside the Federal Correctional Institution in Otisville, New York.
She shook our hands.
Handshakes from officials are unusual in our prison, but so are visits from the director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. In that national role, Peters is in charge of 160,000 inmates, 35,000 staff, 122 facilities, 22 residential reentry management offices, six regional offices and two staff-training centers.
Before she arrived in May, some of the more than 900 men incarcerated in this southern New York federal prison expected her to be standoffish. Instead, she seemed curious on her visit to our housing units, greenhouse, chapel and departments for education, psychology and vocational training.
“She was very approachable,” said William Phillips, who took a photo with her. The way he saw it, Peters, a former Iowa youth counselor and Oregon prison official, was “genuinely interested in whether we have access to meaningful programs and how we’re treated by staff.”
Michael Vado got a photo too and shared his concerns with Peters. Sensing apathy from staff, he had felt annoyed by the lack of incentives for good behavior and has been desperate for substantive programming, he said.
Peters toured the greenhouse, where she was surrounded by cucumbers, green peppers, jalapenos, strawberries and pumpkins.
She asked to try the spoon tomatoes, practically the size of peas, and called them tasty. She also spotted a silver inch plant, mentioning her daughter hadn’t had much success growing her own. The prison system in Oregon, where Peters once worked, includes a state penitentiary noted for a Japanese-style Memorial Healing Garden.
At Otisville’s greenhouse, she was told that visiting the pond here is a kind of luxury for a select few. The horticulture program fosters a calm and therapeutic atmosphere.
“I want it to be like this for everyone,” she said. “I want this to be as close to normal for you guys as we can get.”
Employees had their own set of concerns. I have heard them say they worry about staff shortages, want better pay, and feel overworked. We know what they mean: When not enough of them come to work, we get locked down, resulting in canceled classes and department closures.
Peters spoke to them too and even spent time with them at the shooting range, according to a staffer I spoke with.
President Joe Biden’s attorney general, Merrick Garland, selected Peters to run the Federal Bureau of Prisons in 2022. That’s partly why another senior staff member, who watches Fox News, went into her visit with some skepticism. “My politics tells me that I should hate her, but after meeting her I can see that she’s very genuine and friendly and wants to help,” the person said. Even so, the official said they will be waiting to see what changes Peters brings.
Peters spent most of her time talking to the residents. Jordan Bridges, from Mississippi, was strumming a guitar with the chapel band when Peters walked in.
She asked how long he’d been playing, telling him that she used to play too. Phillips tried to hand over the guitar to her: “Not even on my best days,” she said. “I’m so out of practice.”
When the two talked about legal changes, she encouraged people in custody to write their representatives in Congress.
Some inmates voiced concerns about the Score 7 computer tablets, made by Keefe Group, which is owned by a private equity firm. In response to frustration that they lack educational apps, e-books, word processing and advanced communication capabilities, she said the Federal Bureau of Prisons is looking for ways to provide options that are better and more affordable.
Ronald Feder, from Chicago, is already a fan. Peters is “a welcome breath of fresh air,” he said, “and the embodiment of the change we need.”