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U.S. Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Prisons Federal Prisons

VOL.2,NO.4 WINTER 1992 137188- U.S. Department of Justice 137196 National Institute of Justice

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'. I Winter 1992 37

Santeria in Federal Prisons Understanding a little-known religion

Mark S. Hamill

One early morning in 1980, two correc­ tional officers were making a routine inspection of Cellhouse C of the U.S. Penitentiary in Atlanta, when they noticed a peculiar, putrid smell along the corridor. The smell was coming from the cell of one Antonio Garcia Perez, * a Cuban refugee from that year's "Free­ dom Flotilla" who had been sent to the Atlanta Penitentiary for the crime of murder.

The officers were careful; they removed Garcia Perez and his Cuban cell mates from their living area and inspected the cell. The foul smell came from rancid butter stored in a dozen milk cartons under Garcia Perez's bed. A makeshift construction of about 50 empty cereal boxes stood in the corner of the cell, surrounded by cigar butts, coffee, rotten oranges, and rock candy. Pigeon feathers were spread all around the cell. Holy cards, ribbons, and candles added a further touch of confusion.

The officers could only think that they had interrupted "some kind of voodoo."

The Santeria religion and U.S. corrections More than 5,000 Cuban nationals are incarcerated in prisons and jails through­ out the United States. Many of them, such as Antonio Garcia Perez, are devotees of the Caribbean religion known as Santeria (pronounced San-ter­ ee-ah). Yet correctional staff who work with these Cubans often find themselves in the position of the two cOiTectional officers: They don't know much about this complex form of worship.

*A pseudonym.

courtesy USP Leavenworth 38 Federal Prisons Journal

This article explains the Santeria religion mately, the escape from slavery and and its practice among incarcerated oppression) can be accomplished only Cubans. The materials used here are through deep devotion to the orishas. gathered from historical sources and This devotion, which promises both from interviews with and observations of worldly success and heavenly wisdom, Cuban inmates within the Federal Bureau takes four principal forms: divination, of Prisons. sacrifice, spiritualmediul11ship, and initiation (Murphy, 1987). Santeria began in the early 1800's when hundreds of thousands of men and Divination women of the Yoruba people (the Yoruba For the ordinary devotee, Santeria area is now in the nations of Nigeria and provides a means for resolving everyday Benin) were brought to the Caribbean as problems; through the orisha spirits, the slaves to work in the island's booming Santeros receive assistance in hexing and sugar, mineral, and coffee industries killing enemies, protecting themselves (Bascom, 1950; Betto, 1987; Murphy, against physical and spiritual abuse, 1987; Veliz, 1968). During this period outwitting the law, attracting luck in Cuba was a colony of Spain, and the Roman Catholic religiolls objects-slIch as financial matters, and getting and Spanish treated the Yoruba slaves much icon cards (here, of Our Lady of Charity) keeping lovers (Teish, 1985). as slaves were treated in the United and saints' medals-are commonly IIsed in States: They were forced to work long Santeria worship. Sacrifice hours in the tropical climate; they were The divination can be achieved only by owned as property, poorly fed, and Catholicism), a tradition of secrecy deepening the Santero's relationship with uneducated; and they were brutally emerged among the Yoruba in order to the orishas. The truest way for a devotee punished and sexually exploited (see survive the oppression of slavery. Hence, to develop this deep relationship is to MacGaffey, 1962). little was known about Santeria beyond share with the orishas the devotee's most the stories and practices of living important substance-food. That is, the The Yoruba slaves were expected to devotees. divination can be accomplished only "become Catholics" (Kennedy, 1984). through sacrifice. But the Catholic influence was slow to In order to worship the Yoruba spirits, take hold; it did not seem to offer the called orishas, under the guise of Each devotee has a particular orisha that Yoruba salvation from the pitiless Catholicism, later generations began to is worshipped above all others. To conditions of slavery (Bascom, 1950). construct elaborate systems of correspon­ determine which orisha should be Though outwardly accepting the symbols dence between the orisha spirits and followed as the primary spirit, the of Roman Catholicism, the Yoruba slaves Catholic saints. Despite the presence of devotee takes the numbers from the began to reconstruct their religious lives Catholic symbols in Santeria rites, month and day of his or her birth (their by fusing the traditions remembered from however, the Santeria religion has start on "the road of life") and adds them their homeland with the folk piety of the remained, to this day, an African way together. From this sum, one is sub­ Catholic churches of Spanish Cuba. This of worship. tracted. If the number is above 10, the blend of ancient African ancestor first digit is taken away and matched to a reverence and European Catholicism Santeros believe that every person is corresponding spirit. became known by the Spanish word given a destiny, or "road in life" Santeria, or "the way of the saints" (Murphy, 1987). Therefore, each person Each of the 10 orisha spirits (see the (Murphy, 1987:66); the devotees are has the responsibility to understand his or chart) has its number as well as a favorite called Santeros. Because Santeria was her "road in life," and to grow and group of foods, favorite colors, favorite really one religion (African ancestor benefit from it rather than become the animals and objects, and appropriate day worship) concealed in another (Roman victim of it. In other words, Santeria is a of the week for worship. Each orisha also religion of survival. The complete has a corresponding set of Catholic fulfillment of peoples' destinies (ulti- Winter ]992 39

The orisha spirits and the system of sacrifice

Number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 FavorHe Corn, candy, Fish, rum, Roots, Plum, white Ochln-chln, Apples, yams, Cornmeal, Pears, Eggplants, Fruit, rum, foods fish, rum, water water nuts, meat, wine, water honey, oranges, corn, peppers, molasses, coconuts, plums, water served in a served in berries, fish, cinnamon, bread, watermelons, blackeyed grapes, red white cup a white rum pumpkins pineapple juice pineapple juice, peas, chekete wine, beans cup seawater (white wine) Favorite Red, black Brown, Green, black Yellow, Yellow, green, Red, white Blue, white, White with Red, purple, Purple colors green green gold crystal silver sliver or brown, burnt purple orange

Favorite Roosters, Roosters, Qualls, parrots, Horses, rams. Shorebirds, Owls, doves, Sheep, locusts, animals opossums, goats, dogs, vultures, gold, turtles, wood, conch shells, snailS, black horsehair and mice, three machetes, peacocks, bells, pheasants, cockroaches, coconuts, switches, objects stones, all iron fans, mirrors, double aXes gourd rattles elephants copper crooked sticks scallop shells Day of week Monday Tuesday Tuesday Thursday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Wednesday Saturday Catholic St. Michael, St. San St. Anthony, St. Lady of Car/dad Santa Barbara, Lady of Regia Our Lady of Lady of St. Lazaro Saints St. Peter, Noberto SI. George, Francisco del Cobre (Mother St. Jerome (Star of the Mercy Candelaria, San Martine, EI St. San de Asis of Charity and Sea, the Virgin st. Theresa, Nino de Atocha Pedro Owner of Cuba) de Regia) St. Catherine

Place in Behind front Behind Living room Kitchen, Fireplace, Bedroom, Living room Library, study house door front door bedroom business desk children's room, bathroom

Sources: Teish, 1985: interviews with 23 Santeria devotees saints. Because Santeria is African-based, food and icons of Roman Catholic saints This miraculous power is given to the it views spirituality as an integral part of are regarded as empty unless they are stones by treating them with two other everyday life, and its sacrifices are accompanied by various rituals. Fore­ essentials of the Santeria religion, blood offered as household acts (instead of acts most among these rituals is the placing and herbs, which is known as the performed in a church, mosque, or of stones (known as piedras) behind a bautismo, or baptism. Stones which have synagogue). The sacrifices (along with curtain in the lower part of the altar. not been so baptized are calledjudia, pictures of the various saints) are placed Without these stones, no Santeria shrine Jewish, and are thought to be completely on an altar and a candle is lit in honor of can exist. They ar'e referred to as the powerless (Murphy, 1987). the saint. The altar also has an appropri­ "stones of the Saints," and are believed ate place for worship in the home. to have life; some stones can walk and The blood used to baptize the stones grow, and others can have children must come from a sacrificial animal, When a Santeria devotee makes a (Bascom, 1950). These stones ar'e such as a chicken, lamb, or pig. Accord­ sacrifice to the orisha, no one (not even precious to the Santeria devotee; the most ing to ritual rules, the slaughter must be another devotee) may touch the sacrifi­ powerful stones are said to have been performed by a devotee designated by cial offerings, nor may they touch the brought from Africa to Cuba by the others as the matador; the killing is to be icon of the saint that corresponds with Yoruba slaves who concealed them in done quickly and cleanly, and the flesh is the orisha. However, the devotee may their stomachs by swallowing them. to be cooked immediately and consumed join in prayer to the orisha with other by the congregation of devotees as part devotees in an "altar circle" (or the The power of the stones is conceived as of the bautismo rituaL When the stones devotee may choose to worship alone) an invisible fluid whose force can be felt are baptized, the blood must be caliente, (Teish, 1985). by the devotee. This invisible fluid, this or warm, so that the invisible fluid within power, protects the devotee and the the stones may be brought to life. The Spiritual mediumship members of his or her home. It is through warm blood must be allowed to flow Although sacrifices are viewed as this fluid or power that the saints (or over the stones during the bautismo necessary for divination, offerings of "guardian angels") manifest their (Bascom, 1950). divination. 40 Federal Prisons Journal

The stones must be baptized at least once Santeria in U.S. a year to keep their power. After they prisons and jails have been treated with blood, a battery of drums is used by the devotees to call In 1980, an estimated 125,000 Cubans forth the orishas to join in dance and left their homeland for a new life in the song. This celebration usually goes on United States. The overwhelming for 3 nights, during which time spiritual majority of these refugees, known as possessions may occur. That is, if an "Marielitos," were law-abiding family orisha so chooses, he or she will descend members, students, government workers, and "seize the head" of a devotee. In this and laborers. However, 350 refugees state, the orisha is thought to be incar­ (less than .5 percent of the entire "Free­ nated in the devotee. As such, the dom Flotilla") were found by the U.S. incarnated orisha may perform spectacu­ Immigration and Naturalization Service lar dances and deliver messages and to have serious criminal backgrounds in advice to individual devotees, thus Cuba, and were immediately transferred bringing sacred knowledge to bear on the to the Federal Correctional Institution at devotees' everyday problems. Talladega, Alabama, to serve an indefi­ An altar located under the sink in an nite period in prison (Chandler, 1987; During the celebrations, devotees view inmate's cell in the U.S. Penitentiary, Dolman, 1986; Sklar, 1984; U.S. a large number of possessions of the Leavenworth, Kansas. Department of State, 1980). Between worshippers as desirable-a sign that the 1980 and 1987, about 7,600 "Freedom spirits are well fed and satisfied-and the believe that a knowledge of the proper­ Flotilla" Cubans violated their conditions fluid and power of the stones are in­ ties and uses of herbs, charms, blood, and of parole in America; they too were creased by the presence of the incarnated stones is every bit as important as incarcerated in State and Federal jails and orishas (Murphy, 1987). knowledge about the system of sacrifice prisons throughout the Nation (Burns, and the promise of divination. 1987). Whereas blood is viewed as the major elixir of the invisible fluid, the stones are Initiatioll Many of these incarcerated refugees were also treated with herbs and kept safe by As the Santero grows in devotion, one devotees of the Santeria religion. resguardos, protective charms, during the particular orisha may begin to assert Deprived of their sacrificial foods, celebrations. Anthropologist Melville itself as the devotee's patron (Murphy, spiritual mediumship to the heavenly Herskovits (cited in Bascom, 1950:67) 1987). In other words, the sincere orishas, and the opportunity for initiation has written that "376 different kinds of devotee will one day come to know his or into the Santeria religion, these Cuban leaves" are used as herbs. Before and her true identity. The profound love of prisoners, like their Y oruba forebears, after the bautismo, the stones are washed this true orisha will then provide the began to design elaborate improvisational in a mixture containing the various herbs, devotee with his or her basic orientation rituals and customs to achieve divination water, blood, and herbs saved from throughout life. in a hostile environment. previous years. As with the system of sacrifice displayed in the chait, each When this orisha calls for it, the devotee My study of incarcerated Santeria orisha has its own particular set of herbs will undergo a demanding initiation into devotees took place over 8 months. The and charms, its own type of stone, and a the study of the patron orisha. An first phase lasted 4 months and was special animal from whom the blood initiation ceremony, conducted in the concerned only with unobtrusive must come for the bautismo. home of an initiate of long experience, observations of Santeria prisoners. will call for a lengthy period of isolation During this phase, I was assisted by a Because Santeria devotees believe that and teaching. During this period, the correctional officer (a student of mine), each person has the responsibility to orisha is "enthroned in the head" of the who was assigned to work in the Cuban understand his or her "road in life," they devotee and the devotee is reborn as the cellblock of a maximum security Federal spiritual child of the blessed orisha. penitentiary. The officer worked 40 hours per week in the Cuban cellblock; he took Winter 1992 41

notes on Santeria practices, and entered Notably, four of these occasions hap­ them into a journal. The officer also pened on Sunday, when devotees of the familiarized himself with the limited orisha Obatala gathered together and body of scholastic research on the chanted. Santeria religion. As such, his reflections were based on nearly 1,000 hours of Apples, oranges, coffee, cigars, and observation, study, and scholastic pigeon feathers consistently' appeared on mentoring. the altars. The interview data revealed that these items were offerings to the The second phase included interviews saints. with 23 devotees of the Santeria religion. All interviews were conducted in Spanish Spiritual mediumship by either myself or the officer/criminol­ Some form of rock candy was regularly ogy student. This phase of the research present at 16 of the altars. The interviews also lasted 4 months. revealed that the candy signified the "Stones of the Saints." We observed no Our findings are reported in terms of the other ritual connected to the elaborate four primary aspects of Santeria: divina­ system of spiritual mediumship. tion, sacrifice, spiritual mediumship, and Offerings placed on top of a locker in initiation. the U.S. Penitentimy, Atlanta, Georgia. Illitiatioll Likewise, we found that none of the Divinatioll books, and were usually covered with a devotees had advanced in the Santeria All 23 interviewees indicated that their white piece of cloth or a white t-shirt. religion to the point where they had been worship was conducted to resolve their Altars were not observed in any other "enthroned in the head" by a special most immediate problem in life: impris­ areas of the cell. However, even if the orisha. That is, all of the devotees onment. That is, none of the devotees altar was placed nearest the door, we also indicated that they had selected their were seeking any kind of profound observed Catholic icon cards mounted on orisha spirit though the mathematical "spiritual awakening"; nor were they the glass of the windows. process described earlier. seeking to "hex or kill" their enemies, to protect themselves against abuse, to All 23 altars displayed icons of Roman These findings can be summarized in a "outwit the law," or to attract luck in Catholic saints; icon cards often appeared portrait of the "typical" imprisoned matters of finance and love. Rather, they in basketweave picture frames made Santeria devotee-much like Antonio were just trying to get by under what they from cigarette wrappers and colored Garcia Perez. Garcia Perez was born in thought were unfair and oppressive paper. (These saints are the same ones 1957 in the rugged Escambray Moun­ circumstances. Moreover, the devotees that appear in the chart.) Seventeen tains of central Cuba. His parents were believed that their devotion to the orishas devotees were tattooed with images of campesinos, or peasants, and had lived could get them out of prison and back to the various saints. Some of the tattoos their lives as devotees of the Santeria their difficult task of resettling in were most dramatic. For example, three religion. Although they worshiped the America. prisoners had the image of the Lady of icons of Roman Catholic saints, they had Caridad del Cobre tattooed across the full never seen a Catholic priest in their lives Sacrifice length of their backs, and several others (much less attended church); the legacy As indicated, the orishas are believed to had the image of Saint Lazaro tattooed of secret devotion to the orisha spirits be very hungry and very particular painstakingly from the shoulder to the was instilled into the young Garcia Perez spirits. We observed 23 altars during the hand. by his parents in the mountains of Cuba, research and found that the altars where Roman Catholicism means alternatively shifted from the corner of All altars had some makeshift form of something quite different than it does to the cdl nearest the doorway to the candle as well. We observed on seven Catholics in America. windowsill of the cell. All the altars were occasions the phenomenon of devotees built with discarded cereal boxes or gathering together in altar circles. 42 Federal Prisons Journal

Garcia Perez had been taken from a Implications for References Cuban prison, placed aboard the "Free­ prison managers Bascom, William R. (1950), "The Focus of dom Flotilla," and sent to the U.S., where The management of religions such as Cuban Santeria." Southwestern Jou/'llal of he was first confined in Talladega, and Anthropology, 6:64-68. then sent to the U.S. Penitentiary in Santeria has always been a complex and Betto, Frei (1987), Fidel and Religion. New Atlanta as one of the institution's first of difficult problem for correctional York: Simon and Schuster. many dangerous "Marielitos." Garcia administrators. Granted that prisons have Perez's primary spirit was Oshun (see the no right to attempt to influence what Burns, Arnold I. (1987), U.S. Department of chart). When the two correctional individuals believe, how do they deal Justice Press Release (December 11). with sincere religious practices that may officers entered Garcia Perez's cell one Chandler, Kurt (1987), "Despite INS Parole undermine fundamentals of sound morning in 1980, Garcia Perez was Plan, Uncertainty Remains for State's Mariel sacrificing all he could to Oshun. correctional management, such as Cubans." Minneapolis Star and Tribune sanitation? It is unquestionably ludicrous (August 23). He had no Ochin-chin (a plant indig­ to envision animal sacrifices taking place in a correctional institution, and equally Cosman, J.W. (1989), "Declaration of Basic enous to Cuba) to offer the orisha, and Principles for the Treatment of Prisoners." offbeat to imagine 3-day celebrations, no honey, cinnamon, or pumpkins. He The Journal of Correctional Education, did, however, have half an orange. spiritual possessions, and "infusions" of 40:56-59. Garcia Perez placed the orange on an blood, herbs, and water being applied to Dolman, Joe (1986), "Locking Up Liberty in altar built from discarded cereal boxes, the heads of incarcerated devotees. Yet it is pathetic to witness holy altars being the Atlanta Pen." Southern Changes (Decem­ covered with one of his white t-shirts. He ber). couldn't find a candle in the Atlanta constructed with discarded cereal boxes MacGaffey, Wyatt (1962), Cuba: Its People, Penitentiary, so Garcia Perez made his and inmates tattooing their entire torsos with images of Saints. Its Society, Its Culture. New Haven, CT: own out of a match and butter turned HRAFPress.

C sour in discarded milk containers, which he kept under his bed. Garcia Perez had This article has attempted to provide Kennedy, Richard (1984), The International also ripped pieces of yellow and green some information for correctional Dictionary of Religion: A Profusely Illus­ trated Guide to the Beliefs of the World. New from the top of one of his athletic socks workers who come into contact with a set York: Crossroads. and placed these pieces of cloth on the ' of religious practices that might at first altar. Because he had no access to quails, appear fundamentally alien. Historically Murphy, Joseph M. (1987), "Santeria." In vultures, parrots, peacocks, gold, bells, speaking, the Santeria goal of day-by-day Mircea Eliade (ed.), The Encyclopedia of fans, mirrors, or scallop shells, Garcia survival has been the central premise of Religion, Volume 13. New York: Macmillan. the religion since Yoruba slaves fash­ Perez offered pigeon feathers to his Sklar, Barry (1984), "Cuban Exodus 1980: beloved orisha. ioned it two centuries ago to survive the The Context." In Irving Louis Horowitz (ed.), savage conditions of slavery. If devotees Cuban Communism. New Brunswick, NJ: To make up for his meager offerings, could undergo the brutality of slavery Transaction Books. with increased hope, dignity, and human Garcia Perez also placed a cup of cold Teish, Luisah (1985), Jambalaya. San betterment (evidently they did, or the coffee and a half-smoked cigar on the Francisco: Harper & Row. altar. In front of these items, Garcia religion would have died immediately), U.S. Department of State (1980), Cuban Perez set a postcard image of the Lady of then perhaps their belief system may also help them withstand their experience of Refugees. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Govern­ Caridad del Cobn~. Behind the altar ment Printing Office (June). Garcia Perez placed a piece of stra~berry confinement. Without that possibility of rock candy. His altar, set to the right side improving the conditions of their lives, Veliz, Claudio (1968), Latin America and the of the cell door, caused a strong, unpleas­ life becomes meaningless-in essence, Caribbean: A Handbook. New York: Praeger. ant odor. an absurd existence .•

Mark S. Hamm is an Associate Professor of Criminology at Indiana State Univer­ sity, Terre Haute, Indiana.