So last night I was talking to one of my e-pal inmates and really let him vent! As from the messages I was getting from him were not all that positive. It was funny though because he had said "well another penpal had blocked me today:)" so I had to ask why he had put a smiley face at the end of it, why was he happy that another one blocked him...in the end he was saying how hes been talking to women and they been asking what he wants and needs so he tells them, he started ranting on how he had spent his last $5 on calling this woman because she said that if he had called her she would help him....She lives in the u.k so each minute cost him $1.
Anyway he was going on saying that people seem to think that people in prison still have it good that they can just get whatever they want, how if you're going to write an inmate that you should only just write one and stop to think that you will be there for them and help them with whatever they need..
my thoughts on that conversation are a bit mixed up, I believe that Yes you should be there for your penpal (s) but to an extent, I went on telling him how Jack had spent $75 on phone calls to me for 5 calls! and thought it was ridiculous that he was willing to spend that much on 5 15 minute calls, so I went and got a skype number to make life a bit easier on him. Yes people need to know that it is very expensive in prisons! and they only have commissary once a week I believe where they can order certain things, that they get paid pennies for jobs, as my friend said he only makes $26 a month, yet hes trying to get money together so he can go for his appeal. As a penpal I do expect myself to be there for my friends someone to vent to let a load off and all that but also to be there when they need a smile. I think he was trying not to direct all this at me but in the end he was because I am writing several others, not only through www.writeaprisoner.com but also through www.prisonvoice.com as well. I wanted to expand my options for finding other inmates to write to instead of just going through www.writeaprisoner.com. I know I can't understand what they go through on a daily basis, but my heart does go out to them because they're going through something I will never go through. but its when they ask for your help financially to help them get out and you have to say no to them, thats the hard part.
It's gotta suck when the penpals block the inmates theyve deiced to be there for know what I mean? like They chose to be that person to give them that support. I shouldnt really talk lol because I have blocked a few for my own reasons though and yes i do feel bad about it because well I've told them I will be their friend for life (that is if they choose to write to me still after they've been released lol) if they do then they will continue to have that positive influence in their life, which I believe is apart of their rehabilitation.
In the end it helps them when they're able to vent to someone and in return they let me vent back lol.
I just wanted to share my thoughts on my previous conversation and wanted to say that if you decide to write anyone then don't think they've still got it easy because they haven't and if they ask for money just say you cant help them with that but you can help be there to support them.
I don't know if this post made any sense but I hope it did lol, my thoughts are jumpy like this all the time. In my next post I plan on sharing somethings that Jarrell has told me as I find them to be very inspirational and and true:)
Thanks for reading
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Friday, 31 January 2014
Tuesday, 28 January 2014
Conversations and thoughts
So I haven't been on top of posts lol, so here I am!
Within the past week I've had nothing but delightful conversation with some new inmates, although one had removed me his list because he was "looking" for something else lol as he's being released sometime this year and as I was asking him for some input from him that I could put up on my blog he passed my email onto someone he knew. This guy was in for drug conspiracy and doing double life or something like that I thought hey! so I have someone that could be interested but then he had though I wanted to be a journalist lol and had wanted me to "meet him half way" with costs so he could post his case info...sending money to someone I don't know and in prison overseas is something I'm not willing to do so I stopped talking to him.
I had received a letter in the post last week from an inmate in Texas (Guillermo) who is doing 14 years but I figured 15 years as he's been in for 15 months so far, I had no idea who he was as I didn't remember his name lol until I read my letter and he had said that his friend or a guy in the same uint had given him my email because (I would assume that he has to many pen pals lol) so he wrote me and sweet of him he had made Darren my son a Christmas card! Which I have shared the pictures. So I wrote back to him the next day (I had to but also because he sounded interesting and has beautiful writing!) I had sent off 6 letters all together last week! I love getting mail! lol who doesn't?
A couple of days ago I was talking with one of my other e-pals (Brandon) and he has a friend in the same unit as him that had done my numbers (numerology) and so eventually he had passed my email onto his friend as he figured we would have something in common! Tarot and spiritualism and what not lol...So this new one (Jarrell) hes older than me and very interesting! He has a lovely personality and we do have a lot in common! Although it amazes me, I would have never thought there would be an inmate into that kind of stuff! He's very funny as well! But because he has done my life path and what not he knows more about me than I know about myself lol, but its cool:)
It really surprises me what kind of talent and interests these guys have! and deep down they just want to share it (what i believe anyway) I've had so many thoughts when its come to these guys. Like Guillermo how he's doing 15 years for burglary of habitation...5 years less than what Jack got for his crime which was more serious! It's really disgusting! I really think that the "system" in the states is screwed up! Well who doesn't? All the states from what I believe or have seen so far have different laws...and the people doing crime if they do the same crime as another person in another state they will serve different time! It should all be the same! It's unfair..Anyway Guillermo he's got 4 kids and he's 26 years old, when I read that all I could think was "how could these guys do that to their families?" because a few of them they don't talk to their partners (cause they've broken up) so they have to talk to their kids through their grandparents. My heart goes out to them as it must be really hard not being able to see your kids on a daily basis. But life can sometimes send us a "curve ball" we all make mistakes. What doesn't kill us makes us stronger and if that has to be a wrong route that will land us in prison then so be it.
The prices they have to pay when it comes to using the computers 5 cents a minutes for 30 minutes, 6 cents for local calls 26 cents for long distances and 99 cents for over seas. I occasionally talk to Jack on the phone (I baught a www.Skype.com number close to him so it wont cost a bomb on his funds) which I thank Scott for letting me get that and for cheap price as well! £4.03 a month can't go wrong! But it is really nice to be able to hear the voice behind the writing and then pictures, its nice to see who you are writing to! It gives a sense of comfort:)
So to say the least I've had an interesting week interesting conversations:)and surprises!
I would like to just ask, what do you think of this card? I love prison art! like seriously these guys have some real talent!!!! I'm hoping to get some drawings in from Jack and from one of the others soon!
Within the past week I've had nothing but delightful conversation with some new inmates, although one had removed me his list because he was "looking" for something else lol as he's being released sometime this year and as I was asking him for some input from him that I could put up on my blog he passed my email onto someone he knew. This guy was in for drug conspiracy and doing double life or something like that I thought hey! so I have someone that could be interested but then he had though I wanted to be a journalist lol and had wanted me to "meet him half way" with costs so he could post his case info...sending money to someone I don't know and in prison overseas is something I'm not willing to do so I stopped talking to him.
I had received a letter in the post last week from an inmate in Texas (Guillermo) who is doing 14 years but I figured 15 years as he's been in for 15 months so far, I had no idea who he was as I didn't remember his name lol until I read my letter and he had said that his friend or a guy in the same uint had given him my email because (I would assume that he has to many pen pals lol) so he wrote me and sweet of him he had made Darren my son a Christmas card! Which I have shared the pictures. So I wrote back to him the next day (I had to but also because he sounded interesting and has beautiful writing!) I had sent off 6 letters all together last week! I love getting mail! lol who doesn't?
A couple of days ago I was talking with one of my other e-pals (Brandon) and he has a friend in the same unit as him that had done my numbers (numerology) and so eventually he had passed my email onto his friend as he figured we would have something in common! Tarot and spiritualism and what not lol...So this new one (Jarrell) hes older than me and very interesting! He has a lovely personality and we do have a lot in common! Although it amazes me, I would have never thought there would be an inmate into that kind of stuff! He's very funny as well! But because he has done my life path and what not he knows more about me than I know about myself lol, but its cool:)
It really surprises me what kind of talent and interests these guys have! and deep down they just want to share it (what i believe anyway) I've had so many thoughts when its come to these guys. Like Guillermo how he's doing 15 years for burglary of habitation...5 years less than what Jack got for his crime which was more serious! It's really disgusting! I really think that the "system" in the states is screwed up! Well who doesn't? All the states from what I believe or have seen so far have different laws...and the people doing crime if they do the same crime as another person in another state they will serve different time! It should all be the same! It's unfair..Anyway Guillermo he's got 4 kids and he's 26 years old, when I read that all I could think was "how could these guys do that to their families?" because a few of them they don't talk to their partners (cause they've broken up) so they have to talk to their kids through their grandparents. My heart goes out to them as it must be really hard not being able to see your kids on a daily basis. But life can sometimes send us a "curve ball" we all make mistakes. What doesn't kill us makes us stronger and if that has to be a wrong route that will land us in prison then so be it.
The prices they have to pay when it comes to using the computers 5 cents a minutes for 30 minutes, 6 cents for local calls 26 cents for long distances and 99 cents for over seas. I occasionally talk to Jack on the phone (I baught a www.Skype.com number close to him so it wont cost a bomb on his funds) which I thank Scott for letting me get that and for cheap price as well! £4.03 a month can't go wrong! But it is really nice to be able to hear the voice behind the writing and then pictures, its nice to see who you are writing to! It gives a sense of comfort:)
So to say the least I've had an interesting week interesting conversations:)and surprises!
I would like to just ask, what do you think of this card? I love prison art! like seriously these guys have some real talent!!!! I'm hoping to get some drawings in from Jack and from one of the others soon!
Friday, 17 January 2014
A message from an inmate penpal of mine, Lawrence.
Laurence Brown |
Lawrence Brown is the author of the upcoming release of the urban crime thriller, The Take, he also writes short stories and poetry. Lawrence currently studies Business Management at Ashworth College. You can follow him on Facebook at L. Brown The Writer.
Hello, my name is Lawrence Brown (L. Brown The Writer), I would like to share a wonderful experience with you.
I am currently incarcerated on federal bank robbery charges. Life in prison is exactly what one can imagine. Boring. Nothing more, nothing less. Monotonous, tedious, and again boring! After all, you are trapped inside a building 24/7. However, despite every situation life whirls you in, there still remains pros and cons. It's up to the individual to identify, weigh, and make use of what life has left you with.
With the world rapidly turning to social media, someone incarcerated can find themselves being thrown from the loop of social evolution. Communication with the outside world, including friends and family, can become scarce or even obsolete. Because of this, some understanding people began creating prison pen-pal sites.
On the prison pen-pal sites (such as writeaprisoner.com) inmates can post a picture, profile, art, poetry, and educational background for the world to see and respond to by letter, email, or both. It's a great way to new friends!
Recently, I was lucky enough to receive a response from my own personal prison penpal profile. A wonderful person name Jamie Jones took the time to write several people, and I was fortunate enough to land within that bunch.
Jamie shared her thoughts with me about writing a blog about her amazing experience to, hopefully, encourage others to become more social with inmates as well.
Jamie strongly believes that all prisoners are not bad, as typically viewed by society, and people should interact with them more rather than shun them. I couldn't agree more so, after Jamie's request, I decided to post on her blog.
Jamie strongly believes that all prisoners are not bad, as typically viewed by society, and people should interact with them more rather than shun them. I couldn't agree more so, after Jamie's request, I decided to post on her blog.
People make mistakes in life and, rightfully so, they must pay the consequences. I'm nicking away at my debt to society. Rehabilitation is real, but it's an arduous process. One the requires true desire and determination for change. That desire exists within myself, and my progress will be shared in future posts.
This is my way of communicating with you, so take a moment to respond to couple of questions in the comments box. All comments will receive a response. Thank you.
- Do you believe all prisoners are bad and should be shunned by society while they are incarcerated?
- Is Jamie crazy for writing prisoners or is her altruism admirable?
- Do you believe in rehabilitation? Why or why not?
Monday, 13 January 2014
What inspired me to create this blog
So a lot of people may not expect to find inspiration from inmates because of the situation they are facing, I do, from talking to jack for the past couple of weeks about his plans for when he gets out, to my plans and what I want to do with my life, I'm a house wife and a stay at home mom with back problems, at the age of 27 I had lost my drive to try and do anything with my life, being a mother/wife and an "inmate supporter" (I don't support what they have done but I do support the fact they still want outside communication with society) keeps me going.
Anyway getting off topic, the last couple of days I've been hit with ideas on top of ideas about what I can do with my writing, the support from my husband Scott, jack and one of the new inmates I'm writing to, Lawrence! has stirred something in me, I was in the middle of cleaning up the mess my rabbits had made, singing along to music and shaking my "booty" lol and then it hit me, the biggest idea I've had in my life when it has come to what I want to do! I got so excited, first I contacted Lawrence, then I phoned Scott who was at work, I told both of them my ideas! then i sent a message to Jack, all three of them think I'm onto something, which is a first in my life, so, here it is.
Anyway getting off topic, the last couple of days I've been hit with ideas on top of ideas about what I can do with my writing, the support from my husband Scott, jack and one of the new inmates I'm writing to, Lawrence! has stirred something in me, I was in the middle of cleaning up the mess my rabbits had made, singing along to music and shaking my "booty" lol and then it hit me, the biggest idea I've had in my life when it has come to what I want to do! I got so excited, first I contacted Lawrence, then I phoned Scott who was at work, I told both of them my ideas! then i sent a message to Jack, all three of them think I'm onto something, which is a first in my life, so, here it is.
I want to get letters from inmates or people who have been in prison/jail with their story! including an idea from Jack, their favorite quotes that they have been told by other inmates, ones that have moved them so deeply and made them think "yeah that's it!" you know what I mean? It doesn't have to be just inmates though, I want to hear from the readers as well, If you've been told something in your life and it's changed you to the point that it's made you a better person, please share or email it to me
When it comes to the inmates I have found they are much more wiser beyond their years! they can be inspirational, because no matter what life throws at them they don't give up! I've talked to a few who are taking culinary courses. Jack has a business management diploma, he's also wanting to go for a diploma in drug and alcohol counseling, Lawrence had a story to tell, so he's written a book which is coming out next month, this is where I am getting all my inspiration from! because I think to myself "if they can do it then so can I!" I will try to get somewhere.
The only thing I have to do is thank them for giving me that boost and drive to want to do something with my writing! as well as thanking Scott lol, he's always told me that I could write a book, (mainly because her letters are like short stories, he's also my editor, I have him to thank for keeping my blog posts tidy replaces full stops with commas and adds ALL of the commas to create paragraphs!! he also ensures my posts are grammatically correct! lol) I don't want to write a book on my life, I want to write one with inspirational quotes and stories from inmates and people outside those walls!
When it comes to the inmates I have found they are much more wiser beyond their years! they can be inspirational, because no matter what life throws at them they don't give up! I've talked to a few who are taking culinary courses. Jack has a business management diploma, he's also wanting to go for a diploma in drug and alcohol counseling, Lawrence had a story to tell, so he's written a book which is coming out next month, this is where I am getting all my inspiration from! because I think to myself "if they can do it then so can I!" I will try to get somewhere.
The only thing I have to do is thank them for giving me that boost and drive to want to do something with my writing! as well as thanking Scott lol, he's always told me that I could write a book, (mainly because her letters are like short stories, he's also my editor, I have him to thank for keeping my blog posts tidy replaces full stops with commas and adds ALL of the commas to create paragraphs!! he also ensures my posts are grammatically correct! lol) I don't want to write a book on my life, I want to write one with inspirational quotes and stories from inmates and people outside those walls!
I would welcome any thoughts on what you think of my idea.
Do you think it's a good idea?
Please comment if you do as I would love to hear from you!
TTFN!
Much Love,
Jamie.
Saturday, 11 January 2014
New friends and the trick for getting a response
I'm back:)
So at the beginning of the week I had gone onto writeaprisoner.com in search for new pen-pals! On the site you can search for inmates of a certain race, age, religion or by what state they are in, because they are all in the U.S and I'm in the UK i had found it easier to write to inmates who have listed on their profile that they are interested in overseas correspondence! I also check to make sure they have an institutional Email such as Corr-links, the one that I have been using since the beginning :)
So I went with that and had emailed the chosen inmates. one who's interests are reading books and writing novels! something we have in common is reading books and i would love to become a writer! the other who is a huge fan of art! He's also covered in tattoos, I'm not completely covered but I do want to get a few more LOL!
Anyway, while checking my email last night I had noticed that i had new corr-links add requests, you have to sign into corr-links and then enter the code they give you, you then have the choice to accept or decline the request, I didn't hesitate for a second and accepted! It was really nice to hear from two others who are needing that friendship in their lives, it gives you a good feeling knowing that someone is interested in getting to know you, they always thank you for reaching out to them as well which i don't feel is necessary, I thank them because I know I've intrigued them with something that I've said, though I never really remember what I've said specifically, especially if it's been a week since I've sent them an email message HAHAHA!!
I'm always interested in hearing about other people's passions, so if you do ever decide to write an inmate, you have to think about what you would like to find in a pen-pal/E-pal, sharing the same interests works well, but you also have to have an open heart and show respect! Inmates deserve respect and as I've told my sister Nadine (been trying to get her to write inmates for a while now!) Treat other how you would want to be treated, show them respect and they will do the same, also if anyone does ever decide to write an inmate then writeaprisoner.com does have a section for inmates who have not received any mail, I have used that section hoping to find a female to write to but funnily enough last time I looked there were only two female inmates on the list in need of mail, but they were only looking for the companionship of a male. which is sad really because I believe you can find that companionship in both male and female.
I am hoping that I will get some art from one of the new inmates as I am very much into that kind of stuff! inmates can be very talented people! I find that they are better with their writing skills than what I am! last year I had written to an Inmate who had actually drawn/made up a tweety bird mothers day card for me which was really sweet of him to do, It's comforting to me that they have something they can do in their spare time when not replying to letters or emails, they get "locked down" for the night near 10pm.
I think I will say "goodbye" for now as I am running out of things to say but to summarize:
If you are up to sharing your thoughts or an opinions please don't hesitate in doing so in the comments! even if you have some tips for me on blogging and such or if you think my blogs need some work, I would very much take the advice with an open mind :D
TTFN!
Much Love,
Jamie.
So at the beginning of the week I had gone onto writeaprisoner.com in search for new pen-pals! On the site you can search for inmates of a certain race, age, religion or by what state they are in, because they are all in the U.S and I'm in the UK i had found it easier to write to inmates who have listed on their profile that they are interested in overseas correspondence! I also check to make sure they have an institutional Email such as Corr-links, the one that I have been using since the beginning :)
So I went with that and had emailed the chosen inmates. one who's interests are reading books and writing novels! something we have in common is reading books and i would love to become a writer! the other who is a huge fan of art! He's also covered in tattoos, I'm not completely covered but I do want to get a few more LOL!
Anyway, while checking my email last night I had noticed that i had new corr-links add requests, you have to sign into corr-links and then enter the code they give you, you then have the choice to accept or decline the request, I didn't hesitate for a second and accepted! It was really nice to hear from two others who are needing that friendship in their lives, it gives you a good feeling knowing that someone is interested in getting to know you, they always thank you for reaching out to them as well which i don't feel is necessary, I thank them because I know I've intrigued them with something that I've said, though I never really remember what I've said specifically, especially if it's been a week since I've sent them an email message HAHAHA!!
I'm always interested in hearing about other people's passions, so if you do ever decide to write an inmate, you have to think about what you would like to find in a pen-pal/E-pal, sharing the same interests works well, but you also have to have an open heart and show respect! Inmates deserve respect and as I've told my sister Nadine (been trying to get her to write inmates for a while now!) Treat other how you would want to be treated, show them respect and they will do the same, also if anyone does ever decide to write an inmate then writeaprisoner.com does have a section for inmates who have not received any mail, I have used that section hoping to find a female to write to but funnily enough last time I looked there were only two female inmates on the list in need of mail, but they were only looking for the companionship of a male. which is sad really because I believe you can find that companionship in both male and female.
I am hoping that I will get some art from one of the new inmates as I am very much into that kind of stuff! inmates can be very talented people! I find that they are better with their writing skills than what I am! last year I had written to an Inmate who had actually drawn/made up a tweety bird mothers day card for me which was really sweet of him to do, It's comforting to me that they have something they can do in their spare time when not replying to letters or emails, they get "locked down" for the night near 10pm.
I think I will say "goodbye" for now as I am running out of things to say but to summarize:
- Be yourself, it's a must!
- Treat them how you would like to be treated by others
- Find someone who shares same interests as you
- Tell them as much as you can about yourself, but don't share too much! Or there wont be much for them to ask you! (I tend to do the opposite lol)
- Have an open heart, and remember that once you start writing know that you have a friend for life! Unless of course they say something to upset you and you decide to block all communication with them..
If you are up to sharing your thoughts or an opinions please don't hesitate in doing so in the comments! even if you have some tips for me on blogging and such or if you think my blogs need some work, I would very much take the advice with an open mind :D
TTFN!
Much Love,
Jamie.
Friday, 10 January 2014
First blog. My experiences
My name is Jamie, this is something I have been thinking of doing for a while I just didn't know where to start LOL!
In 2012 I had read in a magazine "chat magazine" about women who were writing inmates in the U.S. After reading the stories of other women writing inmates I decided to search on Google for "inmate pen-pals" during my search I came across a website called www.writeaprisoner.com, at first I was very hesitant and had talked to my husband about it, i asked whether or not he was alright with my writing to inmates and to my surprise he said OK!
I started writing to inmates but out of the ones i wrote to only one replied, for this blog I will call my new found friend "Jack", he has been inside since the age of 16, I was very nervous when I started writing to him but at the same time I was overwhelmed by the questions he asked me. he asked me questions no one had ever asked me before! eventually I started asking him the same sort of questions, a lot of his Questions had to do with things like love, life moments and experiences I have gone through.
I was shocked by his loyalty to me as a new found friend when his mom had emailed me to tell me that Jack was in the "hole" and had wanted me to write to him during his time in there, two months of talking quickly turned into a year of lessons and laughter and a strong friendship, he's actually my best friend (besides my husband of course).
I thought that if I could write to an inmate and be someone that is there for them, the one to put a smile on their face and keep their spirits high then it was worth my time, the way i see it is they have already been judged and its not my place to do that, everyone deserves a second chance! anyway it turned out to be the other way around, Jack has more or less been there for me and kept my spirits high when I have talked to him about things in my life, he's given me good advice on how to see things and as I've always said to him "you're so much wiser than me, yet we're the same age, you're so much smarter than me" He's told me things about how the correctional system works in the US and how you have to just be ready for anything because of the the things that go on.
At first it was a bit daunting with the things he has told me, I felt sad for him and when i told him he simply replied "don't feel that for me, feel happy for me" but how can i feel happy for a very special friend of mine when hes got so many more years to go? then i realized that he meant "be happy that we know each other that you're making me smile" I thought I could help him to be a better person, then I realized he's done that by himself.
Jack is the most humble person I've ever known and he's true to himself. Sometimes though I find it a struggle when he has "be on my own days" where he just takes time off from talking to people, keeping to himself, all I can think when he does that is, is he OK? Hahahaha, but why worry when he's been doing that for the last 10 years?
You can learn a lot from talking to someone "behind bars" but you can also learn a lot about yourself, from talking and writing to him I've learned to be more open, I've learned I can open my heart to others, I've learned that when you're down you will always have a friend there for you, although the email system takes its time sending the emails. two hours there and two hours back to me a total of 4 hours. In all honesty it was both my husband and Jacks encouragement that got me starting a blog as both have told me that I have the talent and writing is my gift, that I have the potential to become something.
I know as my first blog this is a bit jumpy here and there, as I really don't know how to do it LOL.
Before I go I will say and encourage others to write inmates as we all have so much more to give! as I've told my husband "the world is too small and life is to short to be judgmental" and yet at times I feel judged for writing inmates because of what others think, but I have learned to ignore that feeling because this is something I want to do, something I will continue to do.
Before I go I will say and encourage others to write inmates as we all have so much more to give! as I've told my husband "the world is too small and life is to short to be judgmental" and yet at times I feel judged for writing inmates because of what others think, but I have learned to ignore that feeling because this is something I want to do, something I will continue to do.
I've learned a lot from talking to Jack and I know that we will be friends for life, as for the other inmates...A few stopped writing hahaha, I don't know if it was my super long letters that put them off or not, But i just carry on and write to more, I wouldn't mind having a female inmate to write to but i think that they are more stubborn than men, maybe they are just looking for a man for when they are done doing their time.
The more and more I write the more I want to be a friend to whoever writes back, I believe inmates have more experiences than what we have, it may not be life experiences like relationships, having a family or a new job, but they more or less share experiences of the tougher side of life, the true experience of paying for a big mistake they have made, they will see things we will never see and can share how they had dealt with their experiences, writing to inmates isn't such a bad thing, even Jack has encouraged me to write to as many as I can and honestly it's really nice to know that I can be there for someone as well, it's really nice to have loads of letters (if it happens) being posted through your door!
I will write something once a week to share my thoughts and feelings of how everything is going :P
Thanks for reading.
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