Changed Lives 生命的转变（在线收听）

[00:01.36]Changed Lives 生命的转变

[00:03.75]In 1921, Lewis Lawes became the warden at Sing Sing Prison of New York State.

[00:12.08]No prison was tougher than Sing Sing during that time.

[00:15.57]But when Warden Lawes retired some 20 years later, that prison had become a humanitarian institution.

[00:23.13]Those who studied the system said credit for the change belonged to Lawes.

[00:27.50]But when he was asked about the transformation, here’s what he said,

[00:31.54]“I owe it all to my wonderful wife, Catherine, who is buried outside the prison walls.”

[00:37.67]Catherine Lawes was a young mother with three small children when her husband became the warden.

[00:43.47]Everybody warned her from the beginning that she should never set foot inside the prison walls,

[00:48.72]but that didn’t stop Catherine!

[00:50.90]When the first prison basketball game was held,

[00:53.53]she went into the gym with her three beautiful kids and she sat in the stands with the inmates.

[00:59.30]Her attitude was: “My husband and I are going to take care of these men

[01:03.55]and I believe they will take care of me!I don’t have to worry!”

[01:07.27]She insisted on getting acquainted with them and their records.

[01:11.09]She discovered one convicted murderer was blind so she paid him a visit.

[01:15.60]Holding his hand in hers she said, “Do you read Braille?”

[01:19.42]“What’s Braille?” he asked. Then she taught him how to read.

[01:23.90]Years later he would weep in love for her. Later, Catherine found a deaf-mute in prison.

[01:30.14]She went to school to learn how to use sign language.

[01:33.29]Many said that Catherine Lawes was the body of Jesus that came alive again in Sing Sing from 1921to 1937.

[01:41.63]Then, she was killed in a car accident. The next morning Lewis Lawes didn’t come to work,

[01:47.21]so the acting warden took his place. It seemed almost instantly that the prison knew something was wrong.

[01:53.34]The following day, her body was resting in a casket in her home, three-quarters of a mile from the prison.

[01:59.81]As the acting warden took his early morning walk,

[02:02.97]he was shocked to see a large crowd of the toughest, hardest-looking criminals

[02:07.89]gathered like a herd of animals at the main gate.

[02:10.53]He came closer and noted tears of grief and sadness.

[02:13.58]He knew how much they loved Catherine. He turned and faced the men.

[02:18.06]“All right, men, you can go. Just be sure and check in tonight!”

[02:22.33]Then he opened the gate and a parade of criminals walked, without a guard,

[02:26.58]the three-quarters of a mile to stand in line to pay their final respects to Catherine Lawes.

[02:32.17]And every one of them checked back in. Every one!