Prison time draws attention to jailed nuns, their cause

PEKIN, Ill. -- They wear prison-issue green clothes, but Dorothy Hennessey, Gwen Hennessey and Elizabeth McKenzie do not blend in with the rest of the prisoners at Pekin Federal Prison Camp.

The most obvious difference is their ages. The average age of a prisoner at the facility is 40; Dorothy Hennessey is 88, her sister Gwen is 68 and McKenzie is 71.

There are other differences, which are not as visible. While most of the inmates are in prison for crimes such as drug offenses, theft, fraud and robbery, the three women are serving six months each for repeatedly trespassing on military property during protests of a U.S. Army school for Latin American soldiers at Fort Benning in Georgia.

They're also Catholic nuns, and the combination of their ages and religious vows has drawn international attention to the women and support for their cause.

"I think the Army made the biggest mistake ever when they sent Dorothy to prison," McKenzie said.

Criticism of graduates

They are among 26 people sent to prison for trespassing at Fort Benning during a November protest against School of the Americas, which is located on the base.

Critics contend graduates of the school have been linked to murder, torture and other human rights abuses. Military officials say the school's goal is to teach democratic principles to future Latin American leaders.

"The law of God is higher than the law of man. We were trained to follow our conscience," Gwen Hennessey said.

Their consciences led them to a lifestyle they did not want to experience. Before they were jailed, McKenzie had a private apartment in St. Paul, Minn., and the Hennessey sisters lived in a Dominican religious center in Dubuque, Iowa.

They've traded those environments and the fellowship of their religious orders for cots in dormitory housing divided into 9- by 10-foot living spaces, each shared by two prisoners. The majority of their companions are felons; 63 percent are serving time for drug-related crimes.

Not used to luxuries

Life at the prison camp, which has no bars or fences, is regimented. Days begin with breakfast at 6 a.m. followed by an inspection. Lunch is served at 11 a.m., and dinner follows a 4:15 p.m. head count. Prisoners are free to move around the campus when not working.

Dorothy Hennessey said the 34 years she spent living in convents helped her adjust. "I'm not used to luxuries," she said.

All three were assigned light duty in the food service department, making less than 40 cents an hour taking care of tasks such as refilling napkin dispensers and wiping down tables.