WriteAPrisoner.com Forum - General Prison Talk

Haven't heard from my friend in a while.

PatsyDahling — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 01:00:43 GMT

does anyone know if something is going on with the post in pelican bay?

I should be due a letter, I sent him two last month and still haven't heard back.

I doubt it very much if I call the prison they will tell me if he is ok?

new here with a question

kleenes_entchen — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:52:53 GMT

hello to you all :)

i am writing my pen pal now since a few months and can just say that it is >>wow<<.. he is an amazing guy, although we are two completely different personalities we have great conversations.. i am so happy whenever i receive a mail from him.. we make each other smile, share our sorrows and feelings with one another and simply just support each other and are there for one another.. unfortunately he had to move to another prison a few weeks ago.. i received a letter from him two weeks ago from his new prison and am waiting now for the next one.. it feels strange that i didn�t hear from him since two weeks now.. usually i receive at least one mail every week.. i am kind of nervous �cause i still didn�t find something new in my mail box.. he�s now in ctf north, soledad, california - my question is --> does anyone know how this prison is?? does anyone has experiences with writing to someone from that prison?? are there problems with sending letters?? do letters get lost there?? the prison where my pen pal has been before has been great.. he told me that he could spend most of the time outside of his cell and i always received his letters quickly, like he received mine without any problems.. i just hope that everything�s fine with him at the new prison.. i know i have to be patient but at least i can share my feelings/thoughts here with all of you, which i can�t really do with my family and friends.. thanks for listening :)

am i normal to feel this way??????????

jj34x — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:45:26 GMT

help guys...last night my pp told me that he had been recieving mail from another woman and i couldnt help but to feel really jealous!!!! is this normal i really dont know why im feeling like this as iam not normally a jealous person!!!!

Budget cuts...........

smiley — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:58:46 GMT

A question of risk � Prisonmovement's Weblog

In 2000, Californians passed the Substance Abuse and Crime Prevention Act, or Proposition 36, with a strong 61 percent of the vote. California�s law went into effect in 2001 following the example of a similar successful treatment program Arizona started in 1996. Proposition 36 gives nonviolent drug offenders an option to go into treatment instead of jail. The state originally pumped $120 million annually into the program through the 2005-06 fiscal year. And the program works.

Annual studies by the University of California at Los Angeles found conclusive data that Proposition 36 treatment successfully curbed repeat drug offenses by people who completed the program. Graduates from the program are less likely to commit crimes, the research showed, and the state saves millions of dollars by treating offenders instead of sending them to jail or prison.

But the economy went south and the state budget began to tank. First the Proposition 36 budget was reduced from $120 million to $100 million. Last year, the budget was further reduced to $90 million. This year, the funding was eliminated completely and no one knows whether it will be funded again.

I need your advice...

Tigerrose — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:56:48 GMT

Just two days ago I received a beautiful (framed) portrait from my best friend, it survived travelling across the world and reached me intact.
yesterday I left it on a chair to go get the tools to hang it on my wall when my son came in/accidently sat on it shattering the glass and destroying my image.
I am so devastated no-one has ever given me a gift so beautiful, I don't know what to do, part of me hasn't the heart to tell him (my pal) the gift is destroyed, because I don't want to hurt him but nor do I wanna lie to him. he had no problem using the few $$ he had to have this done/shipped to me...not to mention the time that was put into it. I am soo
I don't know if I should explain what has happened and offer to send money to have it redone or just keep quiet???
I have already mailed a 'thank you' letter to him!
I'd appreciate your 2c Thanks.

AMEN for Law students !!

smiley — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:53:46 GMT

Via email this morning�..

Let�s Celebrate a Victory with Stanford Law! Freedom for another 3-Striker!
This message was sent to various lists and staff at Stanford University, by Professor Lawrence C. Marshall
Associate Dean for Clinical Educations and
David & Stephanie Mills Director of the Mills Legal Clinic
Stanford Law School
I have received permission to send it out.
Thanks,
Barb Brooks, SJRA Advocate
Subject: Yet Another Mills Legal Clinic Victory in a Three Stikes Case
Please join me in congratulating the students, faculty and staff of the Mills Legal Clinic�s Criminal Defense Clinic on a stunning victory yesterday on behalf of the clinic�s client, Kevin Davenport.
In 2006, Mr. Davenport was sentenced to life under the Three Strikes law for the petty theft of a used video camera from a family friend. His prior strikes were committed over 15 years ago and were also non-violent property crimes.
In September, based on briefing and investigation conducted by Cameron Johnson (�09), Clare Reilly (�09), Annie Osburn (�10), and Tiffany Cartwright (�10), a judge in Kern County reversed Mr. Davenport�s life sentence, ruling that he was denied effective assistance of counsel by his original court-appointed attorney. The court ordered a new sentencing hearing, which was conducted yesterday.
Kathleen Fox (�10) and Ashley Simonson (�10) appeared on behalf of Mr. Davenport at his new sentencing hearing in Superior Court. They introduced new evidence that Mr. Davenport has been diagnosed with a serious mental illness (schizo-affective disorder) and presented expert testimony about the gravity of his condition and positive prognosis with medication. Following an hour-long hearing, including oral argument by Kathleen, the judge re-sentenced Mr. Davenport to 6 years for the crime, with credit for the time Mr. Davenport has already served. (He will be released next year.)
Among other evidence, the Court was particularly interested in the contribution from Stanford�s Social Security Disabilities Rights program, directed by Lisa Douglass, which submitted documents pledging to represent Mr. Davenport to obtain disability benefits based on his mental illness upon his release.
Mr. Davenport is the eitth person serving a life sentence for a non-violent and non-serious third strike who has secured a new sentence through the work of Clinic�s students. Lest we llose sight of what that means, each of these inmates would almost certainly have lingered in prison for life had the clinic students not been available to represent them.
The Criminal Defense Clinic is supervised by Michael Romano and Galit Lipa, with the assistance of paralegal Lynda Johnston.
This was a terrific team effort. Contratulations to all.

Professor Lawrence C. Marshall
Associate Dean for Clinical Educations and
David & Stephanie Mills Director of the Mills Legal Clinic
Stanford Law School
559 Nathan Abbott Way
Stanford, CA 94306

REALLY REALLY NEED HELP GUYS :( !!!

Lyly314454 — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:56:19 GMT

OK guys, heres my problem . My boyfriend called me from California Correctional Center. But im in canada and he called me on my cellphone. Her mom got call forwarding so he is calling at her mom's house and the call is redirect to my cell phone. But i was wondering about something..where the bill is going to go for the call ? we talked for 15 minutes but its on my cellphone so they cant know my home adress just by knowing my cellphone number right ? Am I gonna receive a bill at home , or itis gonna be on cellphone bill ? Guys I really need an answer about that because my parents are not okay with my relationship with him and they dont know that he called so i cant receive a bill at home ! I really need an answer, im kind of freaked out here :( Thank you guys !

Federal Prison in FL....question

CeeCeeCherry — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:17:49 GMT

I have a friend who was locked up in 1994 in Coleman, he was released October 7,2009. Does anyone know if he is going to a halfway house since he was locked up for so long? And if he does will he get a letter that was sent to him after his release?

Sheriff�s Office continuing Shop with a Cop

smiley — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:36:46 GMT

11/18/09
Sheriff�s Office continuing Shop with a Cop

ARENAC COUNTY � One repercussion of the state�s decision to close the Standish Maximum Correctional Facility is a loss off community involvement the prison�s employees provided, but the Arenac County Sheriff�s Office is making sure the prison�s �Shop with a Cop� program rolls on despite the prison�s closure.

In the past, the prison staff worked with the Family Independence Agency to provide about 30 kids in Arenac County with a $100 shopping trip to Pamida in Standish, ensuring the children could buy Christmas presents for their family members/friends. The children were also driven to the store and accompanied on their shopping trip by Correction Officers, as well as other area law enforcement agency personnel.

�The prison had done it for years and I just thought �Well, if they can�t do it, we�ll just pick it up and take it upon ourselves,� said Sheriff James Mosciski. �We�ve got an account going now at the county courthouse for Shop with a Cop. � We�ve got some generous donations in already, so I�m pretty happy with how it�s going.�

Despite the donations coming in for the program, Deputy Rachel Vallad said some more donations would be helpful in maintaining and guaranteeing the program�s success.

�We�re about $400 short,� Vallad said, adding that if the office is short, children may receive slightly less than $100 per shopper. �We�re just looking for extra money to make sure the kids get the full $100.�

According to Vallad, the reduced number of personnel who will be available to accompany the young shoppers may also require the FIA and Sheriff�s Office to offer the experience to fewer county kids. However, she said if the money is there, the program would be as similar as possible to the way it was in the past.

Vallad also wrote a grant for Pamida Foundation funds to receive funding for Shop with a Cop.
Winter clothing items � hats, gloves, scarves, etc. � can also be donated for the program.

Shop with a Cop is on Dec. 17 at the Standish Knights of Columbus Hall. For more information, call 989-846-3002, ext. 6870.

The forgotten cop

smiley — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:49:44 GMT

The Forgotten Cop

What would the average citizen say if it were proposed that Police Officers be assigned to a neighborhood which was inhabited by no one but criminals and those Officers would be unarmed, patrol on foot and be heavily out numbered? I wager that the overwhelming public response would be that the Officers would have to be crazy to accept such an assignment. However as you read this, such a scenario is being played out in all areas of the country.

We are Correctional Officers. Not Guards (who are people that watch school crossings). We work at minimum, medium, and maximum security Correctional Facilities. We are empowered by the State to enforce its Penal Laws, rules, and regulations of the Department of Correctional Services. In short we are Policemen. Our beat is totally inhabited by convicted felons who, by definition, are people who tend to break laws, rules, and regulations. We are out numbered by as many as 50 to 1 at various times of our work day and contrary to popular belief, we work without a side arm. In short, our necks are on the line every minute of every day.

A Correctional Facility is a very misunderstood environment. The average person has very little knowledge of its workings. Society sends it's criminals to Correctional Facilities and as time passes, each criminals crime fades from our memory until the collective prison population becomes hordes of bad people being warehoused away from decent society in a place where they can cause no further harm. There is also the notion that prison inmates cease to be a problem when they are incarcerated.

Correctional Facilities are full of violence perpetrated by the prison population against the prison population and facility staff. Felonies are committed daily but are rarely reported. They are called "unusual incidents" and rarely result in criminal prosecution. Discipline is handled internally and, as a rule, the public is rarely informed of these crimes. In the course of maintaining order in these facilities, many Officers have endured the humiliation of having urine and feces thrown at them. Uncounted Correctional Officers have been kicked, bitten, stabbed and slashed with home made weapons, taken hostage, murdered and even raped in the line of duty, all while being legally mandated to maintain their Professional Composure and refraining from any retaliation which could be the basis for dismissal from service.

In addition to these obvious dangers, Correctional Officers face hidden dangers in the form of AIDS, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis B and C. Courts are now imposing longer sentences and the prison population is increasing far beyond the systems designated capacity. As the public demands more police on the street, governments everywhere are cutting police in prison where violence reigns supreme, jeopardizing all those working behind prison walls.

Although you will never see us on "911" or "Top Cops" we are Law Enforcement Professionals. We are the "FORGOTTEN COP," hidden from public view, doing a dangerous beat, hoping someday to receive the respect and approval from the public who "WE SILENTLY SERVE."

Written by Donald E. Premo, Jr.
New York State Corrections Officer

I have not read this before and thought i'd share, looking from a different perspective. I think many do not give these people enough credit for the job they do, especially those that really do make a difference for our loved ones and their families. So i say THANKS to the ones that do a hard days work keeping the peace. :)

CRAIN UNIT: SEXUAL ABUSE BY COs ALLEGED

CHURCHILL — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:21:27 GMT

THIS SPRING TWO COs (guards) AT THE PRISON FOR WOMEN AT GATESVILLE, TEXAS WERE CHARGED WITH SEX CRIMES CONCERNING WOMEN INMATES IN THE CRAIN UNIT. DOES ANYONE KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THIS ?

A potentially stupid question!

Chrissie — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:05:24 GMT

Hi all,

Im filling in the vistor application form for ASPC Florence, and there's a bit that says "Inmate M.I" and "Visitor M.I"...Now, my brain has just gone entirely blank! Does it mean middle initial?

Thanks in advance! xo

:airhead:

HELP!! My PP has asked me to post him a card for his Daughter

samsarah44 — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:24:44 GMT

Hi again,
Sorry to be a pain. One of my PP's Daughter is having her birthday at the end of the month and he asked me if i could get him a card for him to give to her.He said to send it to him, write in pencil inside and he would erase that etc. But, cant i just send him the card with a note from me?
Not sure if that is allowed or not??
Anyone know?
Thanks again,
S x:airhead:

Stuff to talk about

Sin1991 — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:09:41 GMT

Hi,
I was wondering what else i could talk to my penpal about, i dont know what questions to ask i have coverd the general food, films, music ect.:aboot:

Amazon gift wrap and note .

SandyF — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:34:00 GMT

Me again.. :shakehead:

First, I have ordered books on Amazon before (many times actually) but I've never used their gift-wrap options.

Because when you order on Amazon.com, they give you the possibility to send your book "with a gift wrap (for $ 3.99)", with a special gift wrap and a note - which is nice but do you know if we can choose that option for our pps ?

The gift note is free and you can add it to your order - does it work ?

I guess the mail staff will eventually tear apart the whole package and only give the book to our pp ? How will he know it's coming from us ?

Thanks again to welcome a :nekkid: on the block !

Sandy :flasher: