Rare Interview - Pennsylvania Department of Corrections and Mr. Twenty Twenty
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In this powerful and rare interview, Mr. Twenty Twenty—real name John Wingert—shares his harrowing experience as a rookie corrections officer during the October 1989 riot at the State Correctional Institution at Camp Hill, Pennsylvania. He recounts being trapped, beaten, and held hostage for over 24 hours, surviving by using imagination, honesty, and human connection to build rapport with his captors. Despite the trauma, he found healing through neurolinguistic programming and Native American survival philosophies, eventually relocating to Australia—ironically on the same date as his traumatic start at Camp Hill. There, he built a new life as a self-help and spirituality coach, transforming his past into a mission of empowerment. His story is a testament to resilience, the power of imagination, and the possibility of rebirth after profound crisis.
Use imagination and mental visualization to survive extreme stress—Mr. 2020 imagined having children to stay emotionally grounded.
Honest, human connection can be a survival tool: sharing fear and vulnerability helped him build rapport with captors.
Trauma doesn’t have to define your life—recovery is possible through self-directed healing and purpose.
The most meaningful question isn’t 'What do you do?' but 'What are you here to give?'—a core lesson from his experience.
Healing often begins when you stop managing your life and start living it with intention and joy.
Introduction to the Oral History Project
Susan McNaughton introduces the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections Oral History Project and welcomes Mr. Twenty Twenty, a former corrections officer who experienced the 1989 Camp Hill riot.
The First Day of the Riot: A Rookie's Perspective
Mr. 2020 describes being assigned to a remote area of the yard during the riot, witnessing violence, and realizing the severity of the situation as he tried to move inmates back to their cells.
Hostage Experience: Survival Through Human Connection
“I'm scared too. You know, we all don't know how this is going to play.”
The Rescue and Aftermath
“I don't want to be locked in here with these guys.”
From Trauma to Transformation: Healing and Relocation
“It was October 26th, 2010 when I flew down here to Australia... the same day just a few decades later.”
“You came here to live. You came here to give in some way. Find out what that is.”
“It was October 26th, 2010 when I flew down here to Australia... the same day just a few decades later.”
“The number one thing that I took from the Camp Hill Prison Riots was, what am I here to give?”
Host
Guest
Mr. Twenty Twenty
person
October 1989 riot
other
State Correctional Institution at Camp Hill
organization
Pennsylvania Department of Corrections
organization
Australia
place
Susan McNaughton
person
Forex traders
other
John Wingert
person
2020xhostage.com
product
Tony Robbins
person
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