Everyone has reasons for volunteering for the Prison Society, but for Dena Jangdhari, it was Destiny.
Destiny, as in Destiny Brown, is another longtime Prison Society volunteer. When Dena first met Destiny, Dena’s son had just become incarcerated at the Dauphin County Prison in Harrisburg. “Destiny helped me cope,” Dena said. “It’s because of her compassion and patience that I said, "I want to do what you do.’”
From Destiny, Dena learned a valuable — and valued — lesson about the Prison Society. As much as it advocates for people inside prisons and jails, it also puts its arms around families and friends outside. And that’s what Dena needed the most.
When Dena’s son went into jail in July 2022, he, his wife, and their little girl were living with Dena. Her son’s grandparents lived nearby. Around them, Dena had to be strong, even when she wasn’t feeling that way. Most importantly, she had to be strong for her son, who called her from jail in despair.
“I had to be strong for my son, but I was able to be vulnerable with Destiny,” Dena said. Destiny visited Dena’s son, checking on his well-being and updating Dena.
But it was more than empathy that drew Dena to the Prison Society. She admired the way Destiny (a “firecracker,” says Dena) advocated on behalf of the Prison Society for the men and women incarcerated at the Dauphin County Prison.
“I needed to know more about this Prison Society,” Dena recalled thinking. “They are the true advocates.”
Advocacy has been sorely needed at the jail, where at least 21 people have died since 2019, according to reporting by PennLive journalist Josh Vaughn. Five people died in one 10-month period ending in January 2022.
Before Dena joined the Prison Society, her advocacy was personal and focussed on why her son didn’t have any deodorant, soap, or toothpaste, supplies the jail was supposed to give him but hadn't.
These days her son is out of jail, reunited with his family, and doing well, Dena said. But she remains determined to help the people in prison and their families, just as she was helped.
Now it’s more than personal for Dena, and it is why Dena looks forward to each month’s regular meeting of the Dauphin County Prison Board. That’s when she raises issues that she observes when visiting the jail.
What struck her lately is the sorry condition of the food served incarcerated people who keep Kosher, meaning they can't eat meat in jail. “You’ve got grown men. The food is not adequate. It’s not enough to hold them over,” Dena said. “The food is absolutely terrible. They might get bread or a green bean salad. They might get some cottage cheese, fruit and maybe extra peanut butter and extra jelly. There are sandwich bags of spinach — raw spinach, broccoli, or sometimes cauliflower, sometimes a few carrots.”
Whatever it is, it isn’t enough.
And she has other concerns. Top of her list:
- The new exercise equipment installed in a block that consists of one pull-up bar. “What are they going to do? Take turns?”
- The fact that Ramadan recently ended and they “didn’t have an imam in there for them to be able to practice the right way. The religious services are subpar.”
Issues abound, but Dena said she never gets discouraged.
“There’s nothing discouraging about going to visit someone,” she said. “I don’t get discouraged. I don’t allow the people I advocate for to get discouraged. I’m giving you 100 percent. I don’t have time to go in there feeling defeated or discouraged because that means I’m not giving you the best.”
Dena’s attitude shows in her work, said Jessica Reed, the Prison Society’s Central Region Prison Monitoring Manager. “Dena is the embodiment of compassion, love, and advocacy,” Jessica said.
“Whether Dena is speaking with prison administrators or incarcerated men and women, she leads with positivity and empathy but will not shy away if hard truths need to be discussed,” Jessica said. “She is seen by some in the prison as a mother figure — strong, loving, and someone who expects more from them when others have long given up expecting anything.
“I have had the privilege of working alongside her for the last year and a half and have learned one of the most valuable lessons to date,” Jessica said. “Don’t just expect more — demand more, and most importantly, demand more only out of love and compassion.”