Den som spør får svar!

Tidligere har vi nevnt at det kan være lurt å inkludere noen spørsmål til den innsatte i det første brevet du sender - da er det lettere for dem å ha noe å skrive, siden de har noe konkret å fortelle, og det kan være en slags "ice breaker" i starten. Husk - om du synes det kan være vanskelig å vite hva du skal skrive til noen for første gang, er det minst like vanskelig for dem!

Andre spørsmål kan det være fint å stille når dere har utvekslet ett par brev og begynner å bli kjent med hverandre - der må man nesten bare tenke hva som er personlig og ikke. Det er selvfølgelig lettere å svare på spørsmål som "favorittmat" enn "største drøm i livet". Generelt er spørsmål en flott måte å få igang en "samtale" og finne ut mer om vedkommende. Derfor tenkte jeg å fylle dette innlegget med forslag til spørsmål - skriver dem på engelsk da det uansett er det som blir aktuelt, ikke sant? :)

- If you could eat lunch with one famous person, who would it be?
- Gold or silver?
- What was the last film you saw?
- What inspires you?
- Spring, summer, fall or winter?
- Beach, city or country?
- Favorite ice cream flavor?
- Favorite colors?
- Favorite flower?
- Where would you like to retire?
- Can you juggle?
- Favorite day of the week?
- Red or white wine?
- What is your favorite pizza filling?
- What do you think of magicians?
- How was it where you grew up?
- What is the most annoying thing people ask you?
- Who do you resemble most in your family?
- If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?
- Earth, water, air or fire?
- What are you most grateful for?
- What is your favorite holdiay?
- What was the best thing in your youth?
- What is the thing you know most about?
- What is the worst food you know?
- If you could choose any super-power, what would it be?
- What was your favorite toy as a child?
- If you could be any animal, which would you choose?
- If you had a million dollars, how would you spend it?
- If your life was a move, what would it be called?

Der har du noen forslag! Man må tørre å spørre for å lære, sant? Lykke til!

'Till pen meets paper

Julie Wilhelmine

Ideer til samtaleemner

Nå begynner det å være en stund siden jeg faktisk har skrevet noe selv her. Det er så mye lettere å bare skrive ned postene til L og legge inn enn å måtte tenke formuleringer selv, hah. Men ja, bare for å ha det helt klart: De innleggene jeg legger ut som jeg har fått fra L, de er skrevet nettopp for å legges ut her på bloggen. Han er utrolig glad for den muligheten, det å kunne være med og gi et litt annet syn på alt enn hva jeg og Julie kan. Det han - og de andre - skriver utenom de innleggene er selvfølgelig ikke ting vi legger ut.

Tenkte jeg skulle skrive litt om ting det går an å prate med dem om. Bare gi noen eksempler på hvordan små ting kan virke så utrolig stort for dem.

- Jeg er russ i år, og har fortalt om det. Har sendt en liten beskrivelse av hva det er, eksempel på russeknuter, russekortet mitt osv. Og de er så spente på å høre hvilke russeknuter jeg kommer til å gjøre, en helt overraskende respons egentlig. Ekstra kult: L syntes det var så gøy at han fant på en egen russeknute for meg. I går lå tingen for å henge på lua i posten (det er vel kanskje ikke lov, så får vel vente med å henge på til etter russetida).

Spørs om det nok blir så kun nøklene henges på lua, men tøft var det - tommel-håndjern!

- Janteloven, sendte denne til L, fordi jeg snakket om viktige forfattere i Norge, og da kom inn på Aksel Sandemose, som er mannen som først skrev ned denne loven. Måten det ble mottatt på gikk i alle fall over forventninger, og gjorde tydeligvis utrolig med inntrykk. 

- Random fakta, bare for å gi dem noe nytt - som at marken puster gjennom huden 

- Kulturen i Norge - tro meg, mange av dem er interessert i det 

- Har du en hobby? Del det med dem, kanskje du til og med kan inspirere dem ved å fortelle om den? 

- Litt uvanlige ting som skjer i livet ditt: Som å tilfeldigvis se Kongen og Dronninga gå av flyet du straks skal gå på (been there done that!), en konsert du har vært på, eller om en reise som har inspirert deg.

Det er egentlig bare fantasien som kan sette grenser - og det går faktisk også helt fint å snakke om framtidsplanene dine. I begynnelsen var jeg litt tilbakeholden i forhold til å fortelle om hva jeg ønsket å gjøre videre, nettopp fordi jeg visste de ikke kan legge planer på samme måte. Når jeg derimot nå kjenner dem vet jeg at de bare er glade på mine vegne. De er så støttende på alt jeg vil gjøre og det er nesten så jeg føler at ved å fortelle dem om planene, får de et smil om munnen. Jeg tror det rett og slett bare er fint for dem å høre at noen faktisk vil noe og gjør noe ut av livet sitt.

Etter hvert som du blir kjent med den eventuelle brevvennen din, vil du lære deg å kjenne ham eller henne. Du vil kunne gjette deg til ting de vil finne interessant - akkurat som jeg skjønte janteloven ville være interessant for L.

Så til slutt minner jeg om spørsmålsrunden vi har åpen for tiden, hvor det bare er å spørre om hva enn du måtte lure på!

Monika

Nyanser og tankespinn

Nå i det siste har jeg og Monika prøvd å nå ut til flere med denne bloggen – vi vil informere, inspirere og dele vår utrolig givende opplevelse med andre. I den sammenheng har jeg beveget meg en del ut på forskjellige forum som jeg ellers ikke har vært stort på, og jeg er utrolig positivt overrasket over responsen vi har fått allerede! Selvfølgelig kommer den en del ignorant, usaklig tull også – men det skal vi verken bruke tid eller energi på her inne.

Men det å bli kontaktet av folk med tanker og spørsmål – som er interessert i å gi dette en sjanse, det gjør alt verdt det. Utrolig gøy. Veldig stas!

Men, de negative vibbene jeg får har jo fått meg til å undre litt. Tenke på hvordan enkelte mennesker ser seg selv og andre. Det kan virke som at enkelte ser på innsatte som en helt egen rase. Som om de kommer fra en annen planet. Er lagd av noe helt annet enn dem selv. Helt annerledes. Mindreverdige.

Og alt er så svart hvitt – når jeg skriver at «jeg har brevvenn i fengsel i USA», tenker enkelte med det samme ‘voldtektsmenn’! Barnemordere! Seriedrapsmenn! Psykopater! Finnes det virkelig ingen nyanser i deres tilværelse? Er alt virkelig kun svart eller hvitt?

I USA er det ikke vanskelig å komme i fengsel. Tvert i mot. Der borte er det jo nærmest et fritidssyssel å anmelde hverandre – for ikke å snakke om at mange befinner seg i veldig vanskelige oppvekstsvilkår. Gjengmiljø. Narkotikamisbruk. Familieproblemer. Pengetrøbbel.

Livet er ikke enkelt. Ikke for meg. Ikke for deg. Ikke for ham. Ikke for henne. Vi er bare mennesker – de er bare mennesker. Vi er i konstant utvikling. Forandring. Hver eneste dag skjer det ting som påvirker oss. Former oss. Ingen dag er lik. Ingenting er forutsett.

Plutselig kan det skje noe. Med deg. Med meg. Med broren eller naboen din. Mennesker du ser på som fantastiske. Ressurssterke. Det kan være tilfeldigheter. Det kan ha bygd seg opp lenge. Men en ting er sikkert – det kan skje absolutt alle. Du nekter kanskje å tro det, men utsatt for de rette omstendigheter kan vi alle være lovbrytere.

Av alle de mange, mange tusen som sitter fengslet i USA, hvor mange tror du hadde vært farlig for deg å ha en samtale med? Hvor mange tror du er helt spik spenna gærne, som ville hensynsløst slaktet oss alle om de fikk sjansen? Hvor mange av dem tror du er helt fri for menneskelige kvaliteter og talent?

Jeg tror ikke det er mange.

Som jeg alltid føler jeg må understreke – jeg prøver aldri å bagatellisere. Unnskylde. Men det må være lov å tenke litt. Kanskje se ting fra en litt annen vinkel noen ganger. Huske på at i fengsel sitter også han som rotet med penger for at han ville gi familien alt de ønsket seg. Han som ble rekruttert til en gjeng i en alder av 11 og i ett gateoppgjør skjøt og drepte noen før han fylte 12. Hun som ikke lengre klarte mer av onkelens konstante overgrep og endte med å ta livet av voldtektsmannen. Han som ble tatt med litt marihuana i lomma. Og så videre…

De er skyldige. De fortjener å sitte inne. Men de er ikke monstre. De er akkurat som deg – akkurat som meg. Så like – så forskjellige.

'Till pen meets paper

Julie Wilhelmine

Det som fikk meg til å skrive

Da jeg lette etter noen å skrive til i fengsel i 2011 kom jeg over dette diktet skrevet av en mann som har sittet på Death Row i veldig, veldig mange år. Jeg har alltid vært imot dødsstraffen blant annet USA fortsatt praktiserer, så det var en av grunnene til at jeg så etter noen med akkurat denne dommen. Men det var altså dette diktet som gjorde at jeg satte meg ned og skrev til min aller første brevvenn:

Who’s to Blame?

A baby is born and the first toy the father gets him to play with is a toy gun and when
the child gets old enough to walk, he goes around pointing the gun at his parents and
others saying “Bang, bang, you’re dead!” And the parents exclaim, “Oh, how cute.”

He gets a little older and is bought bigger and better guns and started playing with
other neighborhood boys playing cops and robbers, cowboys and indians as well as
war and he shoots the neighbor boy who falls down dead only to get up again and
they start all over.

The father teaches him to shoot real guns and if he shoots well, his father doesn’t
praise him like the boy is looking for in a father, but rather puts more pressure on the
boy by the father telling everyone his son shoots as is expected of the offspring of his
family, but will also improve. But if the child shoots poorly, his father makes fun of him
in front of him, even in front of boys friends, putting even more pressure on the boy to
shoot better, so the son shoots straighter and better to please the father.

Later the father takes the boy hunting and if he makes a good clean kill, he is told he
did what was expected, but let the boy miss or make a bad shot and he is not only
made fun of, but a lot of his privileges are taken away from him, so he learns to shoot
better, kill cleaner and is put up against other boys to prove his skills against others,
including grown ups and punished if looses.

So he lives, shoots and kills, night and day to gain his father’s approval. Now the boy
goes into the service and eats, sleeps and breathes kill, kill, kill, and if he doesn’t, he is
punished, so he lives it day and night, awake or sleep.

Then he goes to war or what ever you want to call it and kills, kills, kills, and is even
given medicine whether he wants them or not, and has to act like it is a big thing even
though it makes him sick to be reminded by the medals and people around him of what
he has been made to grow up into at this point.

Later something happens and he kills someone and the same people that put medals on
him now want to kill him.

WHO’S TO BLAME?

bilde fra google.

Med å dele dette diktet prøver jeg absolutt ikke å bagatellisere noe som helst eller ta skylden bort fra den dømte - vedkommende har aldri påstått at han er uskyldig og fortjener også etter min mening å være i fengsel. Han er nå en mann på 70 år, har levd ett hardt liv og tjenestegjorde i Vietnam.

Det eneste jeg ønsker med å dele dette diktet er å minne om at alt er ikke bare svart og hvitt - det finnes så mange nyanser i det hele. Vi er alle bare mennesker og blir påvirket og formet fra det sekundet vi kommer til verden. Vi må alle stå for våre handlinger - slik er samfunnet - men det er viktig å huske at det finnes mye mer ved mennesker enn hva man kan dømme utifra en enkelt handling.

For meg har han vært en utrolig god venn og fått meg til å tenke.

'Till pen meets paper

Julie Wilhelmine

Fengselskunst

En ting som jeg har nevnt tidligere – og som jeg tenker mye på – er alt talentet som finnes bak murene. Det er trist at mange ikke oppdager hvor dyktige de faktisk er før det er for sent. I tillegg så kommer man jo ikke unna det faktum at folk i fengsel har utrolig mye av en ting – tid. Om man har få muligheter og masse tid er det jo en gylden mulighet til å utvikle seg innenfor felt som for eksempel kunst.

Alle mine brevvenner er veldig kreative på forskjellige måter. En lager smykker og andre accessorier, en skriver dikt og lengre skriverier og ett par andre er virkelig dyktige tegnere. Etter min erfaring er folk helt utrolig takknemlige når du tar steget og skriver til dem, og vil gjerne gjøre noe for deg i gjengjeld. Vise at du settes pris på. Da de ikke har så mange muligheter tar de i bruk ferdighetene de har – eller får hjelp av medfanger som driver med slike ting.

Det jeg prøver å si er – det er stor sannsynlighet for at om du får deg brevvenn i fengsel, kommer du også til å motta en del fengselskunst. (:

Jeg synes det er kjempestas. Da jeg fikk min første gave ble jeg nesten litt lei meg. Jeg visste ikke helt hva jeg skulle si. Hvordan jeg skulle få takket han. Ikke ville han ha penger, og noe annet får jeg jo ikke gitt. Jeg ble rørt til tårer da han forklarte hvordan mitt vennskap og mine ord var den aller største gave han kunne få – og at det at jeg ville motta og sette pris på det han kunne gi var all takk han trengte.

Tenkte jeg kunne vise frem noe av det jeg har fått av mine brevvenner:

Håndlagde hårbånd lagd med symboler tilhørende indianerreservatet en av mine brevvenner vokste opp i. Ett til meg og ett som Leo fikk på bursdagen sin. (:

Dette var bare noen veldig få eksempler - jeg har fått nok kunst til å dekke en hel vegg! For ikke å snakke om alle dikt og flotte skriverier. Jeg setter utrolig stor pris på alt sammen, og jeg vet de også får glede av å kunne gi. (:

Minner også om at vi har en spørrerunde som foregår nå - legg igjen en kommentar da vel, spør om hva enn du måtte tenke på!

'Till pen meets paper

Julie Wilhelmine

Of Humility

Jeg poster et nytt innlegg fra L nå. Vet ikke hvor relevant det er for alle, men for de av dere - og jeg vet det er noen - som faktisk har tatt steget og begynt å skrive med noen kan det kanskje være av interesse. Men jeg vil først poengtere det at ved å skrive til en innsatt; du trenger ikke å gå så "hardt" inn i det som de tingene L snakker om her. Du må ikke ta en så aktivt del av livet deres - egentlig er det bare nok at du faktisk skriver med/til dem innimellom. Gir dem noen ord fra utsiden. Men kanskje er det noen av dere som gjerne vil utrette den forskjellen i livet deres, virkelig hjelpe dem til å finne seg selv og bli trygge på seg selv.

Of Humility

You have discussed the idea of mission with your inmate, and hopefully you have helped him determine that mission in the context of his life and each distinct faction of that life. Now it is time to begin to develop the character needed to complete the mission by the attainment of virtue. Virtue gives worthy missions life; the first virtue is Humility.

Humility is defined, for your purpose, as Modesty. It means that someone who has the virtue of humility sees himself as he truly is and does not consider himself superior to anyone no matter what his abilities or accomplishments. A feeling of superiority over another person is of pride and is the antithesis of humility.

Humility is difficult to embrace in most westernized societies. In our cultures, we strive to become superior to each other through our success. We mistake those accomplishments as a testament that we are better than others. We treasure aggressiveness, victory, and status, and we see humility as a weakness. The fact is though, that someone who has a superior attitude will always fall to the someone who has the virtue of humility.

Having the virtue of humility means that you can say, “I was wrong; I'm sorry; please forgive me,” with sincerity. It means that you can ask for and receive constructive criticism; it allows you to take responsibility for your own failures. A person who has humility can learn from his mistakes and grow.

Humility is necessary virtue for any worthy mission, but how do you approach humility with someone who feels that it is a weakness, like most inmates do? Like anything else in a person's life, the desire to change has to be there. You can see where your inmate is by asking him questions about his ability to admit guilt, to accept criticism; does he have any prejudices? Get a feel for where he is at and whether he is ready to take this step, some people aren't. If he seems receptive explain to him about the virtue of humility and what it means. If he is willing, ask him to begin some exercises that will help him keep the goal of obtaining humility. During a month ask him to keep track of how many times he feels that he is better than someone else, for any reason. Then he should write down why he felt that way. Also keep track of how many times he apologized or admitted that he was wrong, and how many times he asked for or was able to accept criticism. He should keep track of all of this in writing and send it to you so that you both can discuss it. The idea is for him to be cognizant of what it means to be humble.

It is difficult to be humble in prison. Many consider it a weakness. Most inmates walk around with a mask of animosity and pride. They feel that admitting to being wrong or imperfect is a loss of face. For some this is impossible to overcome without a radical change in their lives. The thing is, humility is not weakness or thinking less of oneself or one's abilities, gifts or talents. Humility is seeing oneself without illusion, faults and all. Humility is believing that each person has as much worth as you do, as much right to life and to complete their mission. If your inmate is really searching for a better way, then a humble heart is an important virtue in the building of his character.

Peace

Spørrerunde!

Jeg og Monika tenkte at vi kunne ha en slik «Spørrerunde» her på bloggen, hvor dere kan spørre om hva enn dere måtte lure på angående det som er denne bloggens tema – det å skrive med noen bak murene. Ingen spørsmål er dumme og du kan gjerne være anonym om du ønsker det.

Gjerne også foreslå ting du ønsker å lese mer om her inne – hva du synes er interessant.

Håper på å høre fra dere. :)

'Till pen meets paper 

Julie & Monika

A Matter of Social Responsibility II

...her kommer resten av bloggposten til L (første del kan leses her).

A Matter of Social Responsibility

A Mission for life is essential for anyone to succeed. A Mission defines what we hope to accomplish in the totality of life. Missions can be ugly things, but they can also be beautiful. Your goal should be to help your inmate develop a positive Mission that takes his life on a journey that is more about others than self. Each life will have many different Missions, for family, for work, for faith; the ultimate goal of Mission is to get an inmate to think about how he wants to be remembered when he dies.

For instance:
I will be conscious of the harm that I have wrought and how that will perceived by others. I will be compassionate and understanding to those that I meet. I will fight to end the harm that I helped create by dedicating of myself and my material assets in its end.

This is one of my Missions in regards to my duty to the society that I harmed by committing a crime. This was one of the first Missions that I was able to articulate in my life. Since that time, I have striven to be a part of the solution to crime. This Mission is not about self; it is about making the world a better place. It is indicative of all good Missions. This Mission can be measured by me in my daily undertakings and what I have given of myself and material assets to the cause of my Mission.

The way that you go about doing this for your inmate is become involved in his life. If says he is trying to become a better person and then tells you something that contradicts that, confront him about it. Help him determine what it is that he wants to become, not as far as employment (that too) but as far as character.

A worthy Mission has the following characteristics: 1) Service to something beyond personal welfare; 2) Clear, measurable goals; 3) The highest standards. A worthy Mission focuses on the virtues of: Humility, Excellence, Kindness, Discipline, Courage, and Wisdom, and is supported by the pillars of Ethics, Service, and Action.

So what, did you think that writing an inmate was just a lark? Were you just trying to have fun? Just realize that these men and women have, for the most part, had hard and brutal lives. Most of them deserve to be in prison. Their mind set is not the same as yours. Most of my peers will use you and throw you away without even thinking twice. Are you willing to tackle that project? It takes a special person to do it; it is not a thing to be taken lightly, but it is a worthy Mission for you. The ultimate Mission that we should all have is to make our world a better, kinder, more honorable place. Each of us have a part to play in that Mission; could yours be to help change the heart of one of the fallen? I, for one, hope so.

In my later blogs, I will talk about these virtues and how they apply to the completion of any Mission. I would be happy to answer any questions; they can be sent to the blog host [Monika], and I will get them.

A Matter of Social Responsibility I

Neimen ble det ikke litt stille her igjen for en stund. Får vel gjøre opp for det og legge ut en ny post jeg har fått fra L. Som han selv poengterer, er det litt annerledes enn hva han har skrevet tidligere, denne gangen. Men jeg legger det ut likevel. Litt alvorlig er det, og for å fort gi et lite "referat" om hva det dreier seg om, skal jeg sitere ham fra mot slutten: "So what, did you think that writing an inmate was just a lark? Were you just trying to have fun?" 

Dette er del en, siden posten var på ca. to sider. Resten poster jeg i løpet av morgendagen.

A Matter of Social Responsibility

Social Responsibility is the idea that each of us has a duty to ensure that we do our part to ensure that our world becomes a place where we can live out our lives in peace, without fear of harm from those who would harm us. I bring this up because by writing someone in prison, you have embarked on a journey that is full of the obligations that go along with social responsibility. In writing someone in prison, you hold the key to the making of a new man or woman.

I don't know why most people write to someone in prison. Are you looking for love, or a friend, or to make a difference in someone's life? I don't know; what I do know is that once you take this step, once you enter the life of someone who is incarcerated, you must make a choice as to what you will offer this person who is at your mercy.

No matter what your goal is in writing to someone who is incarcerated, you should include making a difference in that life. I've mentioned before the power that you have to make a positive change in the life of someone in prison but I wonder, do you know how to do that? Well just in case you don't, I am going to give you some lessons. :) ::sheepish look:: I know, I know, who am I to give you lessons? The only thing that I can tell you is that I have been through it; I know what it is to be damned and to be saved. I would be honored if I could help one of you save one of us. ;p

Here in prison most of us live with little of the things we took for granted in the free world. Things like spices for our foods, adequate cleaning supplies, adequate hygiene items (such as deodorant), adequate space, and many other things. Of course you might say it is the price we pay, and you would be correct. What happens, though, when we have an avenue to get those things, like through the prison black market. I point this out not to talk about the black market, just to tell you that it is difficult for anyone to live here and not go against the rules, to live a life that follows all the rules. This breaking of a few rules can lead to the breaking of more and so on and so forth. This breaking of the rules leads many of my peers to feel that there is no use in trying to become something better. The thing is that it is not everything. So what can you do?

One of the most difficult things for an inmate to do is to realize that he must give of himself before he can gain any ground in life. He must understand that there is more to life than personal gain; there are people who need what he has to offer. You can be instrumental in helping an inmate realize this. To do this you must also make a choice that this is something that you want to do; it is not easy.

Many inmates will talk to you about their lives, tell you how some weak guy got beat up or raped, tell you about how they were in a riot, or how they got into a fight over the TV or some such thing. They will tell you about their lives on the street full of drugs; they will tell you about the anger and hate that they feel. Believe me, our lives are full of darkness. More often than not, we have no goal for the future that we can articulate; and if we can, it is almost a pipe dream and full of self-gain. The reason for that is because we have no direction for our lives. We have no Mission.

...resten kommer i en egen post i morgen.

Ønsker om brev

Her kommer flere forslag til folk å skrive til - poster som vanlig ikke bilder, hva de er dømt for osv. men ta gjerne kontakt med meg om du lurer. :) Kanskje i dag er dagen for å kaste seg ut i noe som kan tilføre livet ditt noe nytt og positivt?

Julio
Hello, for starters, I would like to say I appreciate you stopping by my page to show some love! A little attention from time to time is always welcomed. To those close to me, I'm known as Jae, and I believe good people make bad decisions. I know I am one of those people! I wish I could have greeted you under better circumstances, but this is my reality.

The real, sole purpose of this page is to meet someone who knows, understands, and lives by loyalty! I'm looking to find a special person to help me take my mind off prison and someone who doesn’t mind me putting and keeping a smile on their face! I would love to find that special lady friend to confide in. It takes time to learn someone's true self, but you can be guaranteed, there are no lies or illusions in anything I say or do.

I could sit here and fill you in on all of my interests but that would take the excitement out of you actually having to take the time to get to know me. However know that I will always make the best of any situation. During this time I have obtained my GED and am producing my own music, which is been helpful to free my mind and speak my soul.

I love to write! It's not about the walls around me, but who cares/loves me enough to climb over them.... until then.....

Peacefully,
Jae

Julio Calderon #22239-045
USP Leavenworth
P.O. Box 1000
Leavenworth, KS 66048 USA

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Joseph

Making the quality of life better for others is what I do here at the medical center. I devote my efforts to being a hospice volunteer providing comfort and care to many that have died and are dying from painful and sickening terminal medical issues. It's so important to them in here, going through treatment, to have friends. Being incarcerated as well myself with cancer I go through serious stages of sickness and pain. I spend my days here as productive as possible by putting others first. I love to make people smile and laugh. I have a great sense of love and caring that developed from my parents.

I plan on creating a nonprofit organization once I'm released that focuses on needy people in cancer patients that need support to make it through the suffering stages of cancer. I have found redemption and peace sitting beside many men's dads as I performed vigils and sadly watched with a crying heart their lives slip away. My soul has been broken and filled with joy that they don't have to suffer anymore.

A military friend said “I just wanted to save the world.” He meant that as much as I want to care for everybody. I look forward to finding compassionate friends who love and respect all races and cultures as I do.

I have written two professional screenplays and I am now looking for an agent to assist me with them. I'm presently working on my B.A. in Pastoral Ministry.

Joseph Poindexter #09517-007
Federal Medical Center
P.O. Box 1600
Butner, NC 27509 USA

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Luis

Hello, my name is Luis but all my family and loved ones call me Silent. I'm 25 years old, 5'6", and weigh 160 pounds. I am joining WriteAPrisoner.com because I'm in search of building a genuine friendship beyond these confined walls. I come from a Mexican-American household. Aside from speaking fluent English and Spanish I also speak fluent Italian. Getting a chance to meet someone from overseas who I can correspond with is something I'm definitely open to and welcome it.

Since I've been incarcerated I've taken advantage of my time and obtained my GED. College has been another educational accomplishment that I have achieved. Now that I have reached certain educational goals I'm focusing more on starting my own clothing line. In my leisure time I enjoy reading books that are entertaining and knowledgeable. Drawing is what I really enjoy doing as well as something I take pride in. Drawing black and gray portraits are what I enjoy most. Working out and listening to music is something I do daily. Working out allows me to stay fit and focused.

Thank you for taking time to read this message. I hope you have enjoyed it and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Luis Rivas #M12078
Menard C.C.
P.O. Box 1000, N2-8-53
Menard, IL 62259 USA

'Till pen meets paper

Julie Wilhelmine

Ønsker seg brevvenn

Her kommer noen flere annonser fra innsatte som ønsker seg brevvenn! Som vanlig poster jeg ikke bilder, hva de er dømt for osv. men hvis du ønsker å vite dette er det bare å ta kontakt med meg. :) Og husk - både jeg og Monika er her for å hjelpe til med hva enn det måtte være til å komme igang med dette!

Ryan
My name is Ryan. I'm 20 years old and I have been incarcerated since I was 18. Although this is my first prison term, I've spent a lot of time in and out of juvenile hall and group homes. This last amount of time that was given to me, helped me realize how much I've been wasting and missing out in life. I'm finally ready to do something different.

I've put distance between me and nearly everyone I once surrounded myself with and I am looking for new friends that can introduce me to new things. Prison issues can sometimes be overwhelming and easy to get lost in. I'd really like to take my attention off of the negativity, and put it towards getting to know someone. Building friendships is always exciting to me. I feel like I'm an interesting person with a lot to talk about, and I'd love to hear from someone who feels the same way about themselves.

Thank you for your time, and I hope to be hearing from you soon.

Ryan Metcalfe #AL-9166
CSP-Corcoran
P.O. Box 3466
Corcoran, CA 93212 USA

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Albert
Hello W.A.P! My name is Albert. I’m here to simply find someone to shoot the breeze with and share a few smiles. We all have endured our own type of struggles in one way or another, and having a friend in our corner makes them that much more bearable. So that’s one thing we all have in common. So we can start from there, because it’s obvious I’m no stranger to the struggle. I consider myself a down to earth and simple man who enjoys good conversation and the company of good hearted people. I like to work out and play sports. However being the size of a Hobbit doesn’t help much! LOL. I pass my days by staying physically active and doing things that stimulate the mind. In my down time, I like to listen to music or read a good book.

Well, this is where I’m going to cut it short. I have to leave some things to the imagination. So I’d like to thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you.

Humbly and Respectfully,
Albert.

Albert Briseno #v92687
CCI
PO Box 1902
Tehachapi, CA 93581 USA

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Rodney
For those of you who are inquiring about the young man in the photo. I would have to say I’m a person trying to learn from his mistakes and by the way of doing so I plan to put new and positive people in my life. Which brings me here. Here’s a little bit about myself. I’m a very loving, out-going type of person. I’m a Cancer to the heart, for those of you who read about Astrology. Growing up in the inner city of Harlem, NYC. I took a big liking to high end fashion and music. When I’m not shopping or running through songs on my iPod. I love to travel. I haven’t been out of the country yet, but it’s on my to-do list. I enjoy cooking at home. I’ve been burning food long enough now to have learned something. (LOL). Movies and a dinner is always a good way to end a great night. I’m always up for trying new and exciting things so the sky is the limit with me. Besides that, all I ask for is a real, genuine friend who I can be myself with. I hope to hear from you.

PS. Some people are in your life for a season, other’s a reason! Which one are you?

Rodney Thomas #992867
Maury CI
PO Box 506
Maury, NC 28554 USA

'Till pen meets paper

Julie Wilhelmine