Recently, I got to go on a tour of the historical Wyoming Territorial Prison with my son’s 4th grade class.

As we walked the halls, we learned that the inmates, imprisoned between 1872 and 1903, had to be silent. They were known by numbers instead of names, stripping them of their identities. Even during mealtimes, they weren’t allowed to speak or look up from their plates. If they did, they would be disciplined.

The Territorial Prison used the Auburn Prison System, which aimed to break inmates’ spirits and turn them into silent working machines. It was said that this penitentiary model could punish people with great success but failed to make lasting changes to prisoners.

While I cannot imagine that life for myself or my loved ones, I was struck by the story of May Preston Slosson. She was a well-educated woman, the first to obtain a doctorate in philosophy from Cornell University.

May was often asked to speak at public events. She was a world traveler, an artist, an author, and a poet, and yet, despite all these accomplishments, she cared deeply for people who had done horrible things. She wanted to help them become better humans.

For a while, she was a chemistry professor at the University of Wyoming and organized Sunday afternoon classes for the inmates at the Territorial Prison. In 1899, a chaplain position opened up, and she was voted in by the prisoners.

During her time as chaplain, May spoke to the inmates as human beings, used their names, and listened to their stories. Her goal was to give them hope for a better life. My son and I learned that through her efforts, discipline rates at the prison were reduced by 50%.

I don’t know the number of individuals who May helped nor the stories behind the kindness and love she had for others, but I know we can encourage the same in our communities. We can help our neighbors, support our students, and offer kind words to grumpy employees who might just need a little empathy.

Some of the crimes committed by the inmates in Wyoming Territorial Prison were horrific, and still, treating them as humans made an impact. It really made me think about how we treat each other in today’s world. How do we act when we disagree with one another? How do we treat people at work when things don’t go our way? Can we choose to be the bigger person when we get cut off in traffic?

The bottom line is that we need to treat people with respect. We will mess up and make mistakes, but when we love the people around us — genuinely love them — the world will be a better place.

May we all be a light in the darkness, just as May Preston Slosson was in her little corner of the world. I often feel frustrated about the things Laramie is known for — but she did her most important work here. I want us to be remembered for hosting people like her.

I want to love people the way May loved people.