RIP Richard Nethercut

Thurs. Sept. 29th I posted about Richard Nethercut, the Volunteer of the Year missing from the Volunteer Appreciation Dinner, at MCI Norfolk, MA. Well, I received this sad email, today.

For those of you who knew Dick Nethercut, a volunteer at MCI Norfolk who worked with the Alternative to Violence program.....
Dear Friends,
Dick Nethercut's body was found by the police today just a short time ago. They found him in the conservation area where they had searched before for three days. He was actually found near the Carlisle border just over the line in Carlisle. The police think he just walked too far, got disoriented, and fell in a stream near a boggy area. He still had his wallet, credit cards, and car keys and there was no sign of foul play. The police do not have any additional information at this time and requested that we discourage people from calling the police station.
We know that all of you have been deeply concerned by Dick's disappearance and have been praying for him along with us in AVP. Dick has been an AVP leader for 17 years. He has trained dozens of facilitators and hundreds of inmates. His loyalty to the program and to those working to build a better life inspire us. Dick's personal journey of forgiveness and reconciliation stand as a testament to his faith and open heart.
As terrible as Dick's disappearance and ultimate death have been, this ordeal of the past two weeks reminds and inspires us of the need for the work that Dick believed in so deeply, for our continued efforts to bring rehabilitation and compassion to all aspects of our society, and to build caring communities. We hope many will feel led to join us in this essential work rather than give in to voices and promptings of fear or despair.
We have no news yet of any funeral arrangements for Dick, but will send that information when it is available.
Warm regards,
Nancy Shippen, Tim Wilson, and Betty Keddy
AVP MA Board

Lord, now let your servant go in peace.

Richard Nethercut

Dick has been missing since September 19th. Prayers are requested. Dick is a much loved, giving person. He facilitated a group in MCI Norfolk on Alternatives to Violence. He lectured against capital punishment. All this is pretty remarkable since his own daughter was raped and murdered.

Dick thinks you can not justify killing. A life for a life diminishes human kind.

Last night he won the award Volunteer of the Year, at the prison. It was pretty sad to realize that he wasn't there to receive it.

Where is he?

Today is the Feast of the Archangels: Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. May they guide Dick home.

Volunteer Appreciation Night

MCI Norfolk had Volunteer Appreciation Night, tonight. It was a very nice time. We volunteers were honored by the Department of Correction Staff. We got to meet the Administration. We had a meal prepared by the inmates. We even listened to a few speeches by the inmates themselves, telling us what our presence means to them. You can tell these speakers belong to Toastmasters because they were excellent. Good job.

It was good to have a night like this because sometimes it's not easy being a volunteer in a prison. Those who are visiting don't understand our role. They see us waiting, wearing badges and think we're prison officials, and as such are "the enemy." At the least, they resent the time we take going through security. Time that could be better used for their own visit. And the guards, the prison officers think of us as "the enemy," also. They align us siding with the inmates.

So times like tonight are valuable. It validated my beliefs.

But there was a pall of sadness on the festivities. Last Friday, there was another inmate suicide. Prayers are requested for Michael.

Also, throw up some prayers for Richard Nethercutt. He actually won "Volunteer of the Year Award." But he wasn't there. He's been missing since Friday. His car was found but no sign of him. Richard facilitated the group: Alternatives to Violence. How ironic would it be if he were the victim of foul play.