Hi Cindy. So nice for you to take time so quick to respond.
It is 9:10 a.m. here in my country. Cindy prisoners here
countries are a society more humane then ours. Society in
my country is very unforgiving for people like me and most
people convicted in criminal matters. When I say society I
talk of my own neighbor, who has never been convicted of
any wrong doing. He will not trust me to go into his yard
although we are friends. We speak to each other by he will
not allow his sons and daughter to have anything to do with me.

Things have changed for the better though the years since
my first downfall. But society here is just not yet ready to
figure out how to deal with so much human suffering and
the masses been held locked up like animals with little or
no government support. I could just continue on and on
but enough is for me to say thanks to you for expressing
your kind feelings about prisoners.

I agree with CindyJ, that in our prison systems and societies the human dignity possibly plays a bigger role. It seems in the U.S. would the punishment herself be the operative word. Here should it be the word "reintegration" from the first day of imprisonment, because this is the aim. Inmates stay members of the society, their rights are only in that way limited which the security needs of a prison require. It´s hard enough, i guess. To chain inmates remembers me on the dark ages.

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Do you like that kind of german folk music ?.

Hi Roland,
It's not feelings for prisoners I think, but for people.
When I started working in jail my mom was really scared, just because she didn't knew any better.
Then I said to her, but mom when you are in a bar of in a shop you don't know what the person next or before you has done in his life.

I don't think people can judge other people on their past without knowing, without talking, without being there themselves.

By the way, I couldn't call that neighbour friend if I where you, but respect for giving him so many chances to act normal...

Andreas in my country things are changing. Prisoners chained together
by the neck is something of the past. Some might even imagine this
scenario as a myth. I know that here in this forum we have members
who have served prison sentences in Texas. I have to think however that these people are too young to have seen prisoners chained by the neck. But I can guarantee you that they have heard this tales and know
its true. Older ex convicts like me carry this horror embedded within
like a tattoo, never to be erased. Here in this country, one who gets
convicted of a state law violation will be hurt for the rest of his life, even
if he only serves one year in prison. Society here will remind you of who
you are the minute you need a job, government assistance, and things
of that nature..I was truly amazed to have found this website. Things
are truly changing.

Cindy, when I speak of my neighbor friend, I speak of society in
general. If I enter any bar, restaurant or any neighborhood where I
am known -- people in these places are programed to see me as threat.
I am supposed to be the last thing they want in their presence. And
you know why?

Because when I was a very young kid a Judge told me I was a menace
to be removed from society because I have stolen a neighbors clothes
iron in a burglary to feed a drug habit. Today I would have been given
treatment for my habit. I would have received counseling but not prison
and would have prevented me from going to the best criminal eduction
facility in the world -- a prison by professional criminals. I graduated
with flying colors and spent most of my life in prisons.

ah, sorry, I took it to litterly I believe, I thought you really ment your neighbour, but now I know what you mean.
And I still think it sucks that people think that way....

Rolando, the good thing is that i know that America is too progressive to deny the progress, that´s why things become changed. I never was in America (but i will come for sure ), that´s why i would never say, i would know the american society. But i can see several differences in our societies, some of them are good, some of them are not. Despite a perfect world nowhere can exist, it´s a lot to do, i think.

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Do you like that kind of german folk music ?.

Andreas you are absolutely right, this country has done many good things also, other than enjoying the distinction of having the largest prison population is the world -- I believe other than China or Russia. Politics is what keeps the heart of this nation pounding, for a better way of putting it. It was not too long ago that I was permitted under law -- to vote! -- due to my criminal record. It was not until I moved
myself away from the environment of bad influences in my home
state of Texas -- up north to the state of Wisconsin did I find peace of
mind. The climate here is different and more tolerable. The people are
nicer than those I left behind. Although like they say that you cannot
teach an old dog new tricks, I fell into my own accustomed pitfalls
and ended up in prison here...yes on account of my drug habit!

I saw myself like the old World War veteran coming home from war. He
never talks about the war or how he saw his best friend torn apart by
gun fire. I have seen this for real. Until they are very old and senile
they suddenly open up and talk of the war. They just know that they
must let the world know how painful his life is in war.I felt just like that
and could never before talk about my life in prison, not even to my own
children(now grown and college educated), until I found this website.
I know that here people will understand.
sometimes. Until by accident I stumbled into this website.

Rolando, believe me, you are really welcome to WAP. You mentioned how important it is to find peace in mind, i think you are totally right, it is important. This is what i learned by my own life experiences. When you feel comfortable enough to talk about your own life experiences, and when we could give you assistance to get a better feeling/self-esteem, be sure we do it...

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Do you like that kind of german folk music ?.

Andreas thank you for yet another welcome to WAP. You know something?
When I found out that I was actually interacting with people from other parts of the world in this particular website I was dumbfounded. I first
learned to start a computer when I got this hand-me-down-computer
from my daughter in 1994 as I

Andreas sorry for short changing you with my response. I seem to let
my finger get tangled up at times and click submit message by mistake.

So yes I found out through the internet what I know today mostly about
websites. I am still learning. But about interacting with people so far
away from me amazes me, a lot. I never knew people could be so
nice and caring, and sometimes curse for not having finding them
before.