by Dora Muhammad

(Finalcall.com) --The first official MGT Prison Reform representative in Chicago has been further distinguished by receiving an annual volunteer award from the Department of Corrections.

Paving a way in the prisons for sisters to transform their lives, Sister Marilyn Muhammad was one of nine recipients of the 2001 Superintendent�s Volunteer Service Award for Cook County. Her work within the special needs division for the past two years has touched the hearts of many while laying a foundation for future sister prison representatives.

"The Nation of Islam has a very crucial role in the prison reform ministry particularly for the women," Sis. Marilyn said, "because the women are going in at an alarming rate. Cook County is overpopulated with women. It would be much better to tap into people�s lives before they enter the prisons. But some of us have to take that path. We have to have certain trials and tribulations to get us on the right path."

Every Tuesday, Sis. Marilyn steps into the corridors of Division Three to deliver a message to the female inmates who wish to listen. In a population which is 80 percent Black, most of the women have been incarcerated for selling drugs. Awaiting bail, sentencing or a move to a permanent facility, the women will stay, on average, for four months. Within this transitory environment, the greatest task is getting the women to develop enough self-esteem to want to change their lives, noted the division�s superintendent Joclede Benn.

"You have to stop them long enough to listen so that they can make a change. That�s where it�s very serious for me and it�s almost scary. Even if I don�t see it. It doesn�t matter," said Sis. Marilyn, "Just to know that God is in there and a change is going to be made once they are released. That�s the key."

"I selected Sis. Marilyn because she is consistent," Ms. Benn said.

Maintaining a constant presence throughout the erratic nature of prison life is only the beginning of the challenge. As one of two Black female superintendents, among six white men and one white woman, Superintendent Benn supervises the care of male and female inmates with special needs. Sis. Marilyn, along with 14 other volunteers from different organizations, works in the female division, dealing with women suffering from health problems, such as hypertension, diabetes and HIV/AIDS. Most of them have abused drugs and approximately 30-40 women are pregnant.

Nevertheless, Sis. Marilyn has forged friendships where others have failed, which is another reason Superintendent Benn selected her for an award. "There are some who come into the prison for their own glory to boast that they work with the inmate population," Ms. Benn regrettably told The Final Call. Sis. Marilyn however is "down to earth" and the women tell me that they can talk to her, said Ms. Benn.

The familiarity that Sis. Marilyn enjoys with the women is reflected in the laughter, smiles and nods during her lectures. In a prison chapel filled with a dusty piano, an old organ and 15 women filling three pews, they openly share their experiences without any hesitation.

"The peace of Ramadan (Muslim holy month of fasting) purified my mind and taught me how to take care of my body. I had a craving to feed my body and mind," inmate Callie told Sis. Marilyn during a group discussion.

"I choose to be spiritual not religious," said Lois, another inmate, admitting that the Muslim dress may hinder her total acceptance of Islam but won�t stop her from praying and studying. A Latina sister in the audience leaned closer to listen.

"The most important part is that there�s hope," Sis. Marilyn said. "When you�ve been downtrodden so much and you�ve been beat up so much, you really don�t know where to turn. The Honorable Elijah Muhammad�s program is the most precious thing to me because it doesn�t matter where you came from, it�s where you�re going that�s important."

"We would like the sisters to firmly grasp the teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and spread them throughout the prisons on the level that the brothers do," said Minister Abdullah Muhammad, National Director of the Prison Reform Ministry. "We would like to see that desire in the hearts of the sisters to establish these study groups in the prison systems."

Although there are other sisters currently in the process of obtaining clearance to become prison representatives, Sis. Marilyn did not seek her position. She began helping Min. Abdullah administratively. When Min. Abdullah was looking for a sister to replace him at Cook County, she was the only one who committed herself to helping the women in prisons, said Min. Abdullah.

While allowing her to "experience the magnificence of the teachings," working with the women, Sis. Marilyn said, "is like watching a rose blossom."