Trying to Find Closure – Vivian Bodiford looking over her Michigan Department of Corrections Non-Institutional Personnel Daily Pass as a guest speaker for the National Lifers of America. She was representing The New Citizens Press Community Action Network (TNCP CAN), which is dedicated to stopping violence. TNCP Photo
ADRIAN, MI — On Sunday, September 30, 2012, Rina Risper, President of The New Citizens Press Community Action Network (TNCP CAN) and Vivian Bodiford, the mother of James E. “Jillz” Jones, III after months of preparation visited Gus Harrison Correctional Facility. Bodiford’s son, James, was murdered along with his fiancee’, Miranda Garza in a double homicide in May 2008.
Risper was invited to the prison by the National Lifers of America, Inc (NLA). The primary mission of NLA is to effect positive changes in state laws and Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) policies which impact the entire prisoner population not just those affecting prisoners serving life sentences.
Since Bodiford was directly affected by murder in her family she was invited to share her story with the inmates. During the hour and a half visit she told over 40 men about her son’s murder. She shared with them a portion of the details and her experience.
Bodiford said, “I had a chance to share with them how the Lord had instructed me to forgive my son’s murderer before I even knew who he was, and by God’s grace I was able to. The prisoners were very appreciative that I shared my story with them as victim of crime. Some of the prisoners told us that they had never had the opportunity to hear a victim tell of how the crime impacted them.”
It was Bodiford’s first prison visit and she added that she would return along with Risper and that hopefully more families would be able to have representation.
After the trip, when asked why she decided to visit, Bodiford said, “After our visit to the prison my heart all of a sudden was touched by the scripture from Matthew 25:37, “I was in prison and you visited me.”
This was printed in the October 7, 2012 – October 20, 2012 Edition
