Dovilė, who worked in Lukiškės prison: on hiding fear, tears after work and becoming a guide | Life

When working in jail, there is no room for fear

Dovilė, who worked in Lukiškės prison for two years, served as head of the resocialization department. His main job was to communicate with prisoners and take care of their integration into society.

“There were programs approved by the prison department, which had to be applied to prisoners, and of course we organized positive jobs so that they would have something to do and not get bored in prison,” explains Mr Jonuškaitė-Zunkienė.

Dovilė names the game of basketball or table tennis, meetings with public figures and priests as positive employment.

“These are various activities that help the convict to communicate with others and participate more in life outside the prison,” says Mr Jonuškaitė-Zunkienė.

Dovilė’s journey to work in prison began 14 years ago: initially she worked with families at social risk, was the director of a child care home, and then decided to familiarize herself with the prison system.

“My family was in Vilnius, so I had to choose whether to stay in Dzūkija or to travel to the capital. I chose Vilnius and a job that seemed interesting to me, quite secret and unknown. This was an area that he still had to work on. I wanted to try my luck in this same activity and apply the knowledge that I had, ”says D. Jonuškaitė-Zunkienė.

Dovilė realizes that Lukiškės Prison is a kind of chamber and therefore differs from the prisoners held in the prison, who live a little more freely. That is why the fears in his work were a little less than those that could sometimes come from the country.

“This means that all the prisoners were in cells, they were locked up, so there was nothing to fear,” says D. Jonuškaitė-Zunkienė. – When speaking with a convict during an individual consultation, think only about work and there is no room for fear. He comes to communicate with you because it is important to him and I need to do what I do best. “

When speaking with a convict during an individual consultation, only think about work and there is no room for fear

However, in the first days of work, Deauville felt an emotion inside. She was worried not only about the new job, which created uncertainty, but also about a completely different atmosphere than usual. And indeed, just by entering the courtyard of a no longer functioning prison you can feel a different lingering aura.

“Probably every new job has a challenge adapting to the changed environment, folks. However, the atmosphere here is certainly not the most welcoming. Everything is different: uniformed officers, convicts trying to get to know you, they investigate how you are, how you behave. However, you know what you have come to look for and what you have to do, so you try to manage your inner state and communicate as you should, ”says D. Jonuškaitė-Zunkienė.

They seized the convicts’ emotions

Dovilė admits that sometimes there were situations at work where the heart started to beat faster, but according to her, the fear she felt could not be strictly demonstrated.

“You have to keep your mind sober, keep your blood cool and do what you have to do. Although at some points it was really difficult to do it, usually when they were trying to provoke you. However, it is necessary to follow certain principles, to be courteous and not to cross borders ”, explains Mr Jonuškaitė-Zunkienė.

Dovilė, who personally worked with the prisoners, says that the prisoners were different. Some communicated amicably, some tactically, and some were manipulative or had a sense of humor.

“There are different people in prison, as well as in freedom. The moods of the prisoners depended on the circumstances: how the family communicates with them in freedom, how the officials communicate and their comments are also related to that”, says D. Jonuškaitė-Zunkienė.

To make communication with the convict as easy as possible, Dovilė had previously taken an interest in human history and delved into the details.

“When you have a knowledge base, it is easier to communicate,” says D. Jonuškaitė-Zunkienė. – The most important thing is direct contact, when you can look into the eyes of a person, observe their body language, see how they respond to your questions, how much they want to open up. Then it’s easier to get in touch. “

The most important thing is direct contact, when you can look into a person’s eyes, observe their body language, see how they answer your questions.

No matter how well Dovilė has prepared for the interviews, sometimes the stories of the convicts hit his heart hard. The woman does not hide the fact that dealing with the emotions she experienced was extremely difficult.

“There were times when I would drive home and wipe away my tears. Their stories live in you: hearing so many terrible things, frustration, sadness, hope … You don’t want to be empathetic. I worked in such a department, which should motivate a person to move forward, therefore, I took care of the emotions of the convicts, – does not hide D. Jonuškaitė-Zunkienė.

– Each officer distanced himself from emotions differently, and I was no exception. I practiced many sports, I meditated to pour out everything that was accumulating inside ”.

Dovilė, who has been working in prison since 2017, describes his work as such, when it was not possible to know what awaited him every day.

“The director told us that we had to be vigilant at all times. Whether you are communicating directly, are in a group, or are walking down the hall alone, you should always be careful because you don’t know what might happen. I have experienced many dangerous situations and it is impossible to avoid them ”, says Mr Jonuškaitė-Zunkienė.

Working at Deauville Prison taught me patience and injustice from other people ahead of time. As a most important lesson, it highlights the possibility of giving a second chance regardless of what the convict has done. Here’s what happened to the woman herself – you know many examples of how a man started a whole new life after getting out of jail.

“Only after seeing that one believes in him, can a person move on,” says D. Jonuškaitė-Zunkienė. – One of the released prisoners is now engaged in sports activities, and another has come to our prison tours. He brought his son, whom he wanted to show that it was wrong to enter such a place. They both live different lives than before, so for me it is the greatest joy. We have good examples and we can safely say that anything is possible. “

While working as a guide, he tells stories based on his experiences.

After graduating from prison, Dovilė was hired as deputy head of resocialization at the Vilnius Correctional Center. Still, in February, the woman left the office and paused for a moment to think about what to do next.

“Unexpectedly, I received an invitation to join the Lukiškės Prison 2.0 team. I thought it would be fun to apply the existing experience in new activities and share with people what the prison was like before, how the prisoners lived, what they were doing ”, recalls D. Jonuškaitė-Zunkienė, who has become the director of the social network . Projects.

Dovilė does not hide the fact that he wanted changes after graduating from the Vilnius Correctional Center, but now hopes to be able to continue activities related to the integration of convicts in the prison that will soon be reopened.

“I am very hopeful that it will be possible to apply my experience here and continue to move forward with the activities we are planning,” says Mr Jonuškaitė-Zunkienė.

While it may partly appear that Deauville’s current job is not much different from the previous one, as it has yet to revolve in a prison setting, the woman laughs and admits that only the venue has remained similar.

“The emotion is completely different. The environment that is visible now breathes life, energy, positive. But again, it should not be forgotten that the prison lasted for more than 100 years and during that time its purpose had not changed.

This means that he served as a prisoner and saw many interesting periods – the sad and painful events that took place in today’s environment. So it’s fun that people can find out what it was like so many years ago, ”says D. Jonuškaitė-Zunkienė, adding that some places are still full of the ancient spirit.

He served as a prisoner and saw many interesting periods, with the sad and painful events that shaped the current environment.

Having gained a lot of experience while working in prison, Deauville is now able to share many of his own experiences with visitors.

“Nobody will change the story, we all tell it in a standard way, but after going through the different places we show, personal stories can be told. Furthermore, each walk is different simply because people’s questions dictate its content, ”explains D. Jonuškaitė-Zunkienė.

Dovilė, who tells visitors about the stories of the two hours in prison, says that what matters most to them is where certain convicts were imprisoned, as well as how they felt they were always kept in cells.

“People are interested in seeing what, for example, the courtyard of the convicts’ walks is, because everyone imagines that they were walking in a large common courtyard,” smiles D.Donuškaitė-Zunkienė.

People are curious to see what a prisoner’s yard looks like

Deauville makes no secret of the time it took him to get used to his different role and the rapidly changing prison environment. It was strange for her to see how the old discipline, the strict structure and everything became more free.

“I miss my colleagues, we have spent a lot of time together. However, I am very happy with the new activity, I keep moving forward and improving every day,” says D. Jonuškaitė-Zunkienė.

Dovilė, who is currently happy with her new job, intends to continue her activities in the prison in the future and, at least in the near future, does not intend to change anything.

“I hope to work here for life,” laughs D. Jonuškaitė-Zunkienė. “Seriously, I’m still living this day and giving my best.”