For the first time in a very long time, I feel like my voice matters.Stiner Unit has officially welcomed a new Warden, Dan Walker, and a new Deputy Warden, Alan Cuen — and with that change, I’ve felt a shift. A small one, but a meaningful one. After months (even years) of feeling ignored, dismissed, or worse, it’s hard to fully express what it’s like to finally feel heard.Even though they’re both new to Stiner, I can only imagine the mess these two walked into. Long-standing issues, broken trust, lack of accountability — it’s no secret the unit has faced its share of challenges. And yet, Deputy Warden Alan Cuen still found time to reassure me that I was heard. That matters.I recently reached out, once again filled with concern, exhaustion, and that familiar feeling of helplessness that comes from trying to advocate in a system that too often shuts you out. And for once, I didn’t get a cold response, or worse — none at all. Deputy Warden Cuen responded. And not just with words — but with empathy, concern, and basic human decency.He didn’t deflect. He didn’t dismiss me. He didn’t reply with passive aggressive comments like we’ve seen in the past. He responded like someone who genuinely cared.Now, I know — it’s his job to “smooth things over.” But if you knew who we had before, you’d understand why this is such a big deal. We were met with silence, with indifference, and in some cases, outright hostility. To be acknowledged at all — let alone with compassion — feels like breathing fresh air after being underwater for too long.This leadership change gives me something I haven’t felt in a while: hope. Not blind optimism — but cautious hope that maybe things can start to improve. That maybe the people who live in Stiner and those who love them on the outside are finally being seen, and heard.We’re not asking for miracles. We’re asking for fairness. For basic dignity. For someone to care enough to answer.So to Warden Dan Walker and Deputy Warden Alan Cuen — thank you for stepping into a difficult space, and still showing up with professionalism and empathy. That small gesture made a big impact.And to the families who’ve been holding on — don’t give up. Keep raising your voice. Change starts somewhere — maybe this is the beginning.