We often hear from inmates thanking us for helping them find friendship, and whether their words come in the form of a letter or are taken from a certain phrase in their personal ads, we are often deeply touched by the eloquence with which they express their profound loneliness and sense of hopelessness.  Here, now, in their own words, are a few quotes directly from the hearts of the loneliest people we know - the prisoners who ask only for human contact...

“In here a friend's letter is worth more than gold.  Although I'm surrounded by people 24 hours a day, I often feel as if I'm here alone.  Do you ever feel this way?"  ~Quamone Burnham

“I am on my 5th year in prison, and... the loneliness is starting to get to me.  I guess this is my message in a bottle thrown upon the sea."  ~John Huggins

“I guess nobody wants you when you are down and out."  ~Lucas Byrd

“Mail is the only thing to look forward to in here..."  ~Jason Slagle

“Doesn't everyone deserve a chance?"  ~Sammie Jackson

“I've lived a hard life and want a real friend..."  ~David Perez

“I'm simply looking for a friend... Prison is a lonely place..."  ~Fred Dees

“I'm in search of just one friend..."  ~Michael Davis

“Family and others went away with yesterday's sunset..."  ~Irene Gordon

“I've been in for quite some time now, 10 years to be exact, and it has been so lonely.  My heart aches to care again, and I long to know that someone cares for me."  ~Thongsavanh Vandarack

“I was sentenced to life in prison for a crime that I did not commit... I'm a good person with a good heart.  Please hear my story."  ~Timothy Bailey

"At this very moment while you are reading this, I am trapped in my concrete cell wishing and hoping and praying that you'll decide to write me.  I am extremely lonely and I need friends."  ~Willard Evans

"It is a sad and lonely existence in prison.  If I could get a visit or letter every once in a while it would make a difference."  ~Michael Bennatt

"My situation is not a normal one, and I realize it will take someone with great understanding and special qualities to share their thoughts with me.  All I ask is the chance to share in your friendship."  ~Enrique Garcia

"I yearn to correspond with someone who is down to earth, hospitable, and very caring and kind."  ~Jose Melendez

"I would love to have others to correspond with... my biggest goal is friendship.   It would be nice just to receive mail.  Your thoughts and friendship are most welcome in this lonely place."  ~Darrin Shatner

All my so-called friends have abandoned me, just as my family did many years before that.  I've learned a hard lesson; true friends are hard to come by."  ~Michael Morgenstern

"...to a point, prison has really made me grow up and start making something of myself."  ~Danny Collins

"The loss of freedom, family, friends, and the hardships that have come with this sentence has been a huge, overwhelming experience for me."  ~Rich Halapin

"My hopes are to put criminal life behind me..."  ~Anthony Florczak

"Regrettably, I made some poor choices in the past that landed me behind bars.   However, I am moving toward and pursuing a more positive direction..."  ~Theodore Howard

"My face will not peer from the cover of a national magazine... and no big name legal operation will be around my case.  Instead, I will suffer anonymously with total isolation, totalitarian and apathy."  ~Thurman Fuller

"We all make mistakes, but it's what we learn and how we react that displays our character.  I've truly learned my lesson, grown stronger and more positive about life."  ~Jeffrey Owens

"I don't have much of a family on the outside, nor do I have many true friends.   So, for anyone who would like to get to know me better, please feel free to write me."  ~Farley Major

"Being locked in a cell 23 hours a day with no one to talk to, I've become very lonely."  ~Demond Hicks

"You know, life's full of surprises.  Not all of them are good.  Did I ever think I'd make it to prison?  No!  I could have never imagined how lonely a place this is.  I guess I took life for granted.  Never will I see anything as trivial again.  The little things in life are what mean so much."   ~Paul Huffman

"I won't sit here and try to justify my incarceration as a man framed.  Without a doubt, I'm the guilty party, and for the past 14 years I've paid for mistakes of a youth gone wrong."  ~Michael Thompson

"I've been down for 15 years on a life sentence for murder robbery that I committed when I was 18.  At that time of my life I was very confused and used drugs and alcohol, trying to find myself.  Because of all the choices I made, all those years ago, I have spent my adult life in prison.  Aside from the few family members I have left, I have had little contact with the streets and would like to meet someone who won't pre-judge me because of where I am and for the mistakes I made.  I deserve to be in prison for what I did, but I am no longer the same person who did those things."  ~Thomas York

"I only hope for a better life.  In my heart I will always regret the pain I have caused everybody.  My loved ones are gone.  I never got to see them again."  ~Levi Hernandez

"I've been in prison for almost nine years now, and even though I'm up for parole next year, I'll never forget this place and what got me here.  I know I made some really stupid decisions along my way, but I'm hoping I grew up and learned from my past mistakes."  ~Michael Smatlak

"Since coming here my whole world has changed.  My attitude and my heart have changed, and the world has changed outside these walls.  I no longer wish to be known as a prisoner.  I cannot change the past, but I can change my direction, environment, and make a better choice of friends.  I seek friendship and correspondence, special communication and understanding, someone who will not judge me for my past, but accept me for who I am in spite of where I've been, where I am, or what I have."  ~Lionel Adams

"Correspondence from home and abroad is greatly appreciated because this is the only way I escape..."  ~Ras' Julian George

"I wait for the mailman to deliver to me, as I wipe away tears that no one will see..."  ~Johnny Allman

"I am searching for someone I can call my friend.."  ~David Ortiz

"I know we were raised to believe that you are innocent until proven guilty, but I am here because I couldn't afford legal representation and had no family with the means to help me."  ~Eugene Epperson

"Friendship provides me with more than just companionship.  It gives me a sense of belonging.  Please write.  I need a good friend."  ~Robert Hamm

"Prison has taught me the true meaning of loneliness - what it means to be separated from everything that's real... My struggle is not to become a product of this environment..."  ~George Sanger

"I have friends from every walk of life, from ministers to convicted felons doing life without parole.  I have found that there are good people everywhere... "  ~Cameron Todd

"I accept the responsibility for my actions and vow to never again fall into deceptive behavior of others or be influenced by the wrong doings of those around me.   With that as a 'moral trait' of mine I will go on with my life and learn from the past."  ~Paul Detwiler

"Please write as I am pretty alone.  My parents seldom write."  ~Bernard Wainlaincourt

“We're locked away from the outside world and thrown into an environment of hate. Everyone hates us for one reason or another.”  ~Harris Wilson

"My past is not my future.  Coming to prison has taught me a lot, and I would like to share some of it with you."  ~Raychan Love

"Think, what would it really hurt you by taking a chance to get to know me.   A stamp and few moments out of your day.  Is that too much to ask of a person..."  ~Charles Jines

"I'm happy and optimistic, cheerful letters guaranteed.  I have been on Death Row for 14 years... I am in a cell 24 hours a day... I would like lifelong friends.  Please write soon."  ~Richard Shere

"I am a victim and am totally innocent of firing a gun at anyone.  I am the victim, and am totally innocent of these charges of first degree murder.  Yes, I am a victim of being in the wrong place at the right time... simply because the life of the poor is not valuable enough to expend resources investigating fact."  ~Gary Walker

"As cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from far away."  ~Patrick Destine

"Yes, I'm in prison, and yes, I'm guilty.  I think I've paid my debt to society and definitely have a new attitude and outlook on life!  I need new friends and a new environment to start my life anew."  ~Troy Williams

"I'm confined to a 9x6 cage here on Florida Death Row, where I spend all but 4 hours a week.  For a rich man will walk, and a poor man will die..."  ~Ronald Clark

"I am looking to borrow a bit of your sunshine on my rainy days... All of this with the intentions of returning them to you enriched by the person I am."  ~Nelson Mitchell

“This has been an extremely depressing time for me.”  ~Anthony Andrejic

“It gets lonely in here at times.  I thought I had a lot of friends.  But when something bad happens, like going to prison, you come to realize those so-called "friends" weren't friends at all…”  ~Francis Puente

“I've made a few mistakes in my life, but I'm looking forward to changing, and with a little help I think it is possible…”  ~Bryant Thurman

“Our lives are quite sad.  We're stripped of all friends and family at once when we get locked up.”  ~Harris Wilson

“I have not had mail in years and I am tired of being alone. ”  ~Jerry Hall

“Nobody cares.  You should see the faces of the hundreds of men who wait expectantly day after day at mail-call…”  ~Harris Wilson

“Everyone needs someone.”  ~Ricky Mendoza

“Silence truly has become loud within my life.”  ~ James Chappell

“Prison is very lonely for me… I'm growing weary of being all alone.” ~David Mills

“I have learned an awful lot being in prison, like, how I took things and people for granted.  Today, I value the people around me, family as well as friends.  I might not have a lot, but what I do comes from the heart.”  ~Douglas Kirk

“It’s very lonely behind these steel bars…”  ~Maurice Brewer

“Some people don’t know the meaning of the word friend.  Everybody needs somebody, and right now I need a friend.”  ~Eddie Hall

“Please don't think that since I am presently confined to a world of steel and concrete that I am too hard for love to occupy space within one…  I refuse to allow this place to destroy my spirit the way that it has done many.”  ~Eric Wiggins

“I committed a costly mistake as a teenager which consequently led to my incarceration, and now my loneliness has become a prison within a prison.”  ~Lazaro Coronel

“I have been confined for approximately 22 years, and I have become neither hard or bitter.  I could use a friend.”  ~David Lani

“I shot my sister’s attacker…  I'm in the 14th year of an unjust life sentence, and this is my first time being in prison.”  ~Cornelius Harris

“Being in prison can be a lonely place, but I've managed to stay focused on bettering myself and preparing for society.”  ~James Broomfield

“I've used prison to transform myself…”  ~John Broyles

“I've been living in prison for the last 8 years, but one thing I know is that God is in this place!”  ~Henry Loera

“I have two brothers and a sister, and I rarely hear from any of them… I have been in and out of prison most of my life.”  ~Kevin Simer

"I'm not looking for sympathy, just a good friend."  ~James Mills

"If it were not for the opportunity of meeting new friends, surely my sparks of hope would flicker out."  ~Angel Medina

"Please break this monotonous cycle of loneliness I'm under..." ~Ciro Sifuentes, Jr.

"...time has its way of severing communications with family, friends, associates, and peers..."  ~Rob Walker

"...during the holidays I begin to get a little lonely... I hope someone reading this will share your friendship with me."  ~Cliff Jackson

"...after all these years I am getting lonely and could use a pen pal."  ~Gary Grasty

"The worst solitude is to be destitute of a sincere friendship!"  ~Ronnie Lusk

"I am bleeding my heart out, asking for any compassionate spirit out there to please contact me and share your encouragement and advice in the best way you can."  ~Eugene Adame

"I'm terribly lonely.  Whenever the mailman passes my door, which is often, my heart sinks to new lows."  ~Ryan Verdugo

"Often I stare out my window at the sky, just to watch the world pass by...   Respectfully, all I ask is for you to acknowledge me..."  ~Nathan Gaustad

"I don't receive any mail except from my mom.  All letters would be much appreciated..."  ~Dale Hines

"Being locked up can get a little lonely sometimes, and the best cure for the ole "prison blues" is hearing my name at mail call.  I love to get mail!!!  Unfortunately, it's been a long time since I've experienced this pleasure. "  ~Eric Kingsley

"I am sure prisoners get talked about outside, as a lot of things which are negative for the most part about us, a lot of what's heard is true and then some.  But everyone here isn't awful and unworthy."  ~Charles Silas

"I ruined my life at 18, been paying for it since. I'm now 31."  ~Edward Bennett

"One thing's for sure, being here like this has given me a new appreciation for life."  ~Vince Brogdon

"I was 18 at the time of my arrest, but if you take a closer look you'll see the man I am today instead of the man I was yesterday.  I've learned from my struggle, pain, and sorrow that there is no promise we will see tomorrow.  Therefore, I'm reaching out in the only way possible to me."  ~Robert Butts

"Throughout my life I've endured much, and have learned how to adapt and deal with most of it, but learning how to master loneliness has always found a way to elude me."  ~Marion Wilson

"While doing time one tends to get lonely and just wants someone to brighten his day now and then."  ~Jerry Verwolf, Jr.

"I have been incarcerated since the age of 15...  I grew up in an abusive home...  I am looking for someone who believes a friend will always be there...   It is definitely lonely in here."  ~Melissa Norris

"This petition for mercy and help is being presented to you, begging you to please... write letters..."  ~Michael David

"So many people make excuses about why not to write to someone in my situation, but I'm human, too.  If you can help me see the world through your letters, then I would very much enjoy hearing from you."  ~Troy Davis

"A friendly letter would be like gold.  Anything more would be priceless. "  ~Richard Dawson

"This situation has given me a complete understanding of life.  Every day seems to be a challenge for me.  I believe everything has a purpose behind it, and you have to find meaning behind your suffering in order to find that purpose...  Prison is not my destiny..."  ~Valentino Dixon

"Right now I am looking for friends.  People who are like myself and are willing to give me a chance."  ~Charles Dorminey

"...at the moment I'm in prison for some very dumb things I did when I was a teenager.  I was wondering if you would help me find some friends to help do this time..."  ~Alfredo Islas

“This world is a world vastly different from the one you know.  It's a dog eat dog world, one where only the strong survive and sometimes even the strong die.”   ~Harris Wilson

"I now realize that I not only hurt myself, but I hurt my family by getting myself into this situation.  I've had plenty of time to reflect upon my mistakes... I took so many things for granted.  Now, I value the simple things in life - the sun, moon, stars, fresh air, trees, birds, Mom's cooking,... I'm lonely for friendship and fellowship, and... I'll keep praying that God touches the hearts of anyone I write that they'll see I'm sincere."  ~Kurtis King

"I got mixed up in drugs in high school.  I ended up strung out on crack when I was 17.  I came to prison when I was 19.  I just want to get out, go to college, and get on with my life."  ~Adam Ellison

"I've spent the last 8 years of my life alone, determined to become a " good man" despite mistakes and I truly believe I've succeeded... Like most people, I have a sincere desire to love and to be loved."  ~Vince Evans

"My friends and family outside of prison have all disappeared. Everyday is a struggle to retain an ounce of dignity. I don't seek pity. I ask you to remember that prison is a very lonely place. Having someone willing to listen, confide in and be an outside source of strength will help to make prison life bearable."  ~Tysann Celestain

"Loneliness...doesn't express the emptiness I feel in my heart!  So, I beseech you to take a few minutes to get to know me..."  ~Gary Chastman

"The world passes by my window full of life and song...But my wings have been broken, my world is gone..."  ~LaJuan Clemons

"One good thing about my prison stay is that I am learning to be more positive and less negative about life in general.  A place like this breathes negativity, which is exactly what I am trying to avoid."  ~Ricky Colston

"Prison has taught me to never take things for granted, and that, for me, starts with people, and real friendship.  I am striving towards getting myself back in the real world and I could sure handle meeting some positive people on the right side of the fence ("the real world") to help me stay positive."  ~David Cortes

"I don't have much contact with anyone on the outside..."  ~Michael Fisher

"...without the love and support from someone on the outside, I've become desperately lonely... I need a true friend."  ~Curtis Guy

"I don't have much experience or knowledge of life as a free man but I would like to make some friends on the outside."  ~Levi Hernandez

"No! No! No!  Please don't overlook me.  I'm in search of friendship... "  ~David Jerome

"...year after year the letters dwindle to zero, and I am thinking, 'Sure would enjoy a shout at mail call today'..." ~Larry Johnson

"I often sit in this empty cell and reflect on life - life inside of these walls, life outside of these walls, and I fight the impossible battle of trying to figure out exactly where it is that I fit in.  The fact, plain and simple, is that I need a friend to help me bridge this gap..."  ~Wil Leslie

"I've lost all I had, including my wife and friends."  ~Pete Lozano

"I will make something good of my life.  Please send mail..."  ~Damien Lucas

"I was 16 years old when I got locked up, so I can't say that I experienced a lot of what life has to offer.  However, I feel that through pen and paper we can share each other's experiences."  ~Max Moussazadeh

"I'm in a place where friends are hard to come by... I thought I could do time by myself, but I was wrong, so now I'm reaching out in the hope of finding someone who can take away the loneliness."  ~Fredrick Paine

"At this very moment while you are reading this, I am trapped in my concrete cell wishing and hoping and praying that you'll decide to write me.  I am extremely lonely and I need friends... I am serving life in prison and I would love to be able to hear my name at mail call..."  ~Steven Parker

"Although I am not destitute, I have lost everything that I held dear."   ~Robert Pearsall

"I feel like I am just going to waste, while having so much to share, with only the feelings of loneliness."  ~Craig Post

"I refuse to accept this graveyard of broken promises and rusting dreams as a way of acceptable life for myself... and as I stand looking out through these bars, again I feel the loneliness and frustrations which are the constant companions of men inside these walls.  Just another nameless statistic?"  ~Louis Scott

"I hope there is someone out there that will take a chance and write."  ~John Sizemore

"I am on death-row, yet my heart and soul are free!  Folks, this is not a sob story, nor a plea for pity. ...this is a request for friendship."  ~Mark Spotz

"Despair, disappointment, anger, frustration, hopelessness and heartache wake us up in the morning and put us to sleep at night.  We have become the forgotten, the faceless, the overlooked, the unwanted, and the unloved."  ~Hasan Stevens

"You will never know what a letter can mean, till you've been where I've been or seen what I've seen..."  ~Michael Storch

"Corresponding helps me shrug off the dark mood of despair which threatens to beset my spirit."  ~Angel Medina

"I've been incarcerated since 1995, when I was 17 years old.  I've been in solitary confinement since 1999, and I'll remain in solitary confinement indefinitely, so I have a little free time on my hands."  ~Gregory Koger

"I know you're wondering why you should write to me.  Well, I'm a good listener and I feel I'm good hearted and funny at times, but there's not much to laugh about in here..."  ~Mark Holscher