A former inmate of Bayou Dorcheat Correctional Center is speaking out about the prison he once called home for six years.
Dale Argo, who was released about a year ago, says with all the media coverage of the alleged abuse at the prison, he wanted to share his story and experiences, saying they are not a true picture of life there. He also defended Warden John Lewis, who he says is a Godly man, a man who cares about every inmate who serves their sentences there. Lewis is affectionately known as “Big John” by many at BDCC.
“It’s just like any job you go to,” he said. “You’re going to have days where you’re in a good mood and days where you’re in a bad mood. Since I was there, I never saw a guard hit anybody. He would not put up with that. I’m not building the man up to be a saint, I’m just telling you what I’ve seen.”
He didn’t deny the video footage he’d seen on the news, but he said he’d never seen anything of that magnitude while he was there.
“I don’t know what happened with this deal on TV, but all I can tell you is how (Lewis) has helped me,” he said. “From an inmate’s point of view, I have never seen anybody pushed around or guards grab them unless the guard is provoked. When I say provoked, I mean spitting on them or push them or physically threaten them. I can honestly say I have never seen that man even closely condone what they showed on TV.”
Tommy O’Rear, an instructor at BDCC who teaches self-help classes like anger management and parenting on Sunday nights, says Lewis is the epitome of what a warden should be.
He says Webster Parish is fortunate to have a warden like Lewis, because of the programs and services offered at BDCC.
Argo says that while it’s still prison, the inmates are treated with respect, and it’s a lesson Lewis shares with inmates and guards alike.
“When I tell you that he actually cares about everybody in there, he actually does,” Argo said. “He and his wife actually care about what goes on in there. Besides having the classes and gaining the knowledge, they (inmates) get good time for it.”
Good time is when an inmate gets time off his sentence for attending these classes. They have homework and are tested in these courses. If they don’t pass the class, they don’t get the good time.
Argo says it pains Lewis to see a repeat offender return to prison, saying it actually hurts him. He doesn’t get mad, he says.
“You can ask him about any one of these guys out of 400 and something people, and he can tell you something about them,” Argo said.
O’Rear says Lewis is strict, but it’s not out of brute force, it’s out of respect.
As a trustee, Argo worked at the chapel for four of his six year sentence. He says all the services and classes are offered to both the men at BDCC and the women housed on the fourth floor at the Webster Parish Courthouse.
“It’s to prepare the inmates for when they get out,” O’Rear, who teaches the men’s classes, said. “It’s to prepare them to get back into life. There are 90 men in these classes, and all these men love the Lord. These inmates are very concerned about their children and grandchildren and they want to be good examples.”
Argo and O’Rear talked about the chapel that was built at BDCC, saying it was built totally through the generous hearts of churches and community members. Without Lewis, they say, the chapel would not be a reality.
“(The State of) Louisiana or nobody paid for that chapel,” Argo said. “That was all donated. Sheriff (Gary) Sexton and Big John should be known for that. You can go to other places and you never see a church. Ms. Kellye (Lewis’ wife) and Tommy could be making money, but they go out there for nothing, and why? Because of him (Lewis).
“The best way I can put it is this,” he continued. “When you go there, you broke the law. You should be man enough to say I did it, and I’m going to do (my time). You can go to church every day. You can go to classes. He’s got a GED program out there now. He’s trying to make us, when we walk out of there, be better in the community.”
9 comments
Amen and Amen yes Warden Lewis and wife are a tremendous blessing to many people.
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I Like This and I also, got the honor to sing to the inmates there on Thursday, I hope to go back and sing again, I pray for all of them to work to be a better person and to walk as men.
Thank God for people like Big John and Ms Kelly and all the other volunteers who go and minister to these inmates
God bless The Lewis’ God Bless Dale Argo. Praying for everyone !
Amen! #teambigjohn john Lewis is a good man he has helped guide my husband through ministries when he was in bdcc. Our family Thanks God for Big John and Mrs kelly.
This is the biggest load of junk ever. All the inmates called him DEPUTY ARGO because he had his own office. He did a lot of dirty work for big John, he ran a lot of things with the inmates for big John. He was called his pet bc he was free to roam the jail!night and day with him. I swear to GOD I saw big John punch an inmate in the face who was already detained, he maced our entire cell block to suffocation bc a murderer sprayed pee on the janitor. So he maced all of us over an over and wouldn’t let us talk to our families until someone snitched on the guy for spraying. I’ve seen these things first hand he is NOT the godly man he claims to be. And his son messes with everyone in the jail bc he knows he has immunity with his dad being the warden. I can’t believe y’all interviewed the man who was closer to him than any inmate in the history of bdcc of course he’s gonna take up for big John!
I was a convict when Big John came into a jailhouse for the very first time in bossier parish. Has always been a good guy from over twenty-five years ago
I don’t normally respond or react to these types of things. BUT i read one CODY BLAGG’s comments and decided to interject. and i will start by saying that I am very curious to how many lives that YOU Mr Cody, have impacted in a positive way. i happen to be blessed enough to know Big John and Dale Argo. I have seen the work they do on a daily basis and the lives that they impact. As for the way inmates (not Convicts) get treated in Jail. Speaking from personal experience, THEY ALWAYS bring it on them selves. that starts by doing whatever stupid thing that they did by putting themselves in a position to be in jail in the first place. If you have ever come in contact with Big John, in jail or out, and need help, he will be the first to help you. a man like him will help anyone that is willing to help themselves. What most people that have never been in that situation (jail) dont realize is, if for one second you let the inmate feel like he is in control you have lost the battle. AND people that are in jail dont normally do the right thing because they are inherently a good person. Sometimes a little Brute Force is necessary to make others see the wrong that they are doing. in closing…. Who ARE YOU TO SAY WHO IS AND WHO IS NOT A GODLY MAN? J/S
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