An excerpt of a letter from Rick in February of 2014, when he was still in county jail, and about six months before he was moved to prison. He writes about his idea to start Adopt an Inmate.
I feel as though I am the most well-taken-care-of inmate in Del Valle. Having friends and family who have professed faith in my innocence and pledged support through cards, letters and books is a blessing more valuable than can be conveyed or repaid. It has allowed me to maintain my sanity. Without these blessings I believe I would have fallen into a bottomless pit of despair. This belief and the eye-opening real-life stories revealed to me by fellow inmates drives me to make some difference here. Now and in the future. For a good while I have been contemplating a non-profit I have tentatively dubbed āAdopt-an-inmate.ā
The organization would seek to provide the blessings I have received as well as other services possibly required for those caught up in the system without local resources to help them.
While I suspect it is by design, there is no solid proof of a conspiracy to deprive an inmate the means to defend himself. Conspiracy or not, a confluence of jail conditions can prevent the incarcerated from effectively participating in his own defense. It is this predicament that Iād most like to eradicate. Hope is a scarce commodity in jail. Those who provide it to us are Godās own angels.
Franz Bakery is awarding $5,000 grants to five nonprofits, and your nomination could help us win!
We love Franz Bakery not just for their bread, but also for giving back to their community. Their generosity helps small, grassroots organizations like ours do big, meaningful work. Around here, weāre especially fond of their Cherry Breakfast, 1906 Wheat, and Columbia River Sweet Dark breads. Read their inspiring story.
At Adopt an Inmate, we share that spirit of hard, honest, and meaningful work. Our nonprofit was built by and for people impacted by incarceration ā those whoāve lived it, and those whoāve loved someone through it.
Help us Drop a Dime on Injustice ā without spending a penny.
Franz is asking nominators for a few words (maximum 100) explaining why youāre nominating Adopt an Inmate and how our work benefits the community.
If youād like to nominate Adopt an Inmate, hereās a bit about our organization and work:
š Weāre a grassroots nonprofit, building human connection across prison walls.
š¬ Weāve facilitated over 6,000 connections between people in prison and outside volunteersāoffering friendship, mentorship, and hope.
š Our STEP program partners with universities to create transformative learning through direct engagement with incarcerated individuals.
š We rely on volunteers and small donations, not corporate funding.
š¬ Our board includes people of color, and people who are both formerly and currently incarcerated.
š£ We just launched a national campaign ā Drop a Dime on Injustice ā to raise awareness through storytelling and immersive exhibit about mass incarceration. š£
āØ If our work moves you, weād be honored to have your nomination.
Thank you for being part of this work. Whether youāve supported us by writing a letter, sharing a story, donating, or showing up for our campaigns ā you keep this work alive.
Thank you for standing with us,
āThe Adopt an Inmate Team š
Nominators must be legal U.S. residents 18 years of age or older as of the date of Submission and residing in (a) the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, or Alaska, or (b) Butte, Humboldt, Siskiyou, Shasta, Los Angeles, or Trinity counties in the state of California (collectively, the āTerritoryā).
Submission Deadline: 11:59 p.m. PST on April 30th
Essay portions of Submissions must not exceed 100 words and must be in English. The Submission must be the original work of the Nominator who entered, created and uploaded the Submission. By entering a Submission, each Nominator guarantees that he or she is the author and copyright holder of the Submission and that all content described in the Submission is truthful and accurate.
āWe need more prisons because theyāre full of dangerous, violent criminals.ā
š Fact check: FALSE.
According to the Prison Policy Initiative, only 1 in 7 people in state prisons is incarcerated for offenses categorized as violent by legal standards. The majority are imprisoned for:
Drug-related offenses
Property crimes
Technical parole/probation violations (like missing a meeting or failing a drug test)
Many of these individuals pose no threat to public safetyābut are still locked away in harsh conditions, often for years.
People in prison arenāt monsters. Theyāre our neighbors, our family members, and our fellow citizensāoften struggling with poverty, trauma, or addiction, and in need of support, not cages.
At Adopt an Inmate, we believe that education is a form of resistanceāand truth is a powerful tool for change.
Starting this week, weāre launching Fact-Check Friday, a series that tackles myths, misconceptions, and misleading narratives about incarceration in the U.S. With nearly 2 million people behind bars, itās more important than ever to question the policies and assumptions that keep our friends, loved ones, and neighbors locked away.
Each Friday, weāll spotlight a common claim about the justice systemāthen hold it up to the light.
With facts. With humanity. With hope.
Because behind every statistic is a person. And every person deserves the truth.
At Adopt an Inmate, we believe in the power of storytelling to change hearts and minds. Our Good, Bad, Changecampaign invites people in prison to reflect on three simple yet profound prompts. By sharing these personal responses, we amplify the voices of those directly impacted by incarceration ā voices too often silenced or ignored.
This new series will highlight responses from our inside-outside network. To submit your responses:
Snail mail:
Adopt an Inmate
*Good Bad Change*
PO Box 1543
Veneta, OR 97487
š¬ The Good: Whatās one positive thing youāve seen or experienced in prison?
A: Inmates help each other out regardless of race or color. For example, I have personally done thisāwhen someone does not have soap, I have given them soap or stamps to write a letter. I have done this even when I had very few things or little to nothing. But it is prison, and not everybody is the same. The good people who do good things are fewāat least from what I have seen. As far as officers go, I have seen them help people out, which is part of their job. However, a good officer doing good and treating people like humans is rare. I have seen an officer go out of his way to make something right if it was wrong. For instance, I had just received my Level One status, but they still had me listed as Level Two. An officer helped me get it fixed so I could get my property for my Level One status.
š¬ The Bad: Whatās one negative thing youāve seen or experienced in prison?
A: There are so many bad experiences, and a lot of those things I cannot say openly because they are too severe. But this is prison, so I will try to name a few. I have seen people throw feces and urine on each other. I have seen us get rotten food on our trays. I have seen people fight. A lot of racism exists. There are just so many bad things to name. For one, you do not want to live in prison. Despite everything, it is still prison, and bad things happen here. But there are good things too.
š¬ The Change: If you could change one thing about prison, what would it be?
A: I would say encourage prison reform nationwide for all prisons. This includes improving living conditions, creating second-chance programs, providing better education, offering better food, fixing the grievance system, improving health services, and reforming the parole system to actually give people a chance to go home. There is so much more that can be done.
Responses by:
Iris
(Rayās Adopter)
š¬ Please tell us about your experience adopting an Inmate.
A: When I first encountered Ray at the end of 2022, I couldnāt have imagined how profoundly his story would impact me. What began as an exchange of letters turned into an extraordinary friendship, bridging two vastly different worlds: mine as an insights consultant and his as a former gang member navigating the isolating confines of solitary confinement. Over the past two years, this unlikely connection has become a profound source of learning and growth for us both.
About a year and a half ago, I created a blog to document this journey. Through the posts, I shared Rayās experiences, my reflections, and the insights we uncovered together. Writing these entries gave me a platform to amplify his voiceāa voice shaped by resilience, creativity, and a determination to grow despite unimaginable constraints.
Rayās transformation is nothing short of remarkable. His artistic talent, which he continues to hone, has become a cornerstone of his personal and emotional rehabilitation. Itās not just about the stunning realism of his drawings but about how art provides him a means to process his past and imagine a future beyond the prison walls.
This friendship has deepened my understanding of what it means to extend empathy and support, to see the humanity in someone society has often overlooked. Itās taught me to celebrate progress, however incremental, and to believe in second chances.
Writing about my experience for Adopt an Inmate feels like a natural continuation of this journey. My hope is that sharing our story will inspire others to connect with those incarceratedānot out of charity, but out of recognition of their potential and shared humanity. Adopting an inmate is as much about changing our own perspectives as it is about helping them.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share this journey.
Weāre delighted to share the work of our friend Phillip Alvin Jones, a talented writer, speaker, and advocate. In this post, youāll find links to his website, podcasts, and booksāoffering powerful insights from inside the walls. Donāt miss the chance to explore his work and support his voice!
We are delighted to share Phillip A. Jones, Jr. is the founder and CEO of Phillip A. Jones Consulting LLC, providing a wide range of services to government agencies, educational institutions, and advocacy organizations to bring meaningful and sustainable changes to the carceral system through substantive policy change, focused curricula, and public speaking engagements and events. Mr. Jones is also the founder of Inside-Outside Consults, a comprehensive and full-service nonprofit organization supporting and teaching justice-impacted men and women how to successfully reintegrate into mainstream society. Mr. Jones hosts a podcast called The Wall: Behind and Beyond, talking to guests about topics ranging from mental health support to reentry services. In short, Mr. Jones is a justice-impacted individual who has used his time behind bars to not only change the trajectory of his own life but to help countless other incarcerated men and women as well as their families. Mr. Jones has just published his second book, From Risk 2 Resilience, which is a gang prevention manual for adolescents. This critical work complements his education curriculum, Exit 2 Excellence Workbook, and follows his first book of the same name. This comprehensive workbook teaches about the reentry process from start to finish, with crucial resources, activities and support. Both books can be purchased on Amazon.
Mr. Jones was born and raised on the harsh streets of southwest Baltimore and was unavoidably both the product of his environment, as well as collateral damage in the brutal world of gangs and poverty. At the age of only 19, Mr. Jones got into an altercation over drugs. As a result, he ended up shooting another young man, who thankfully survived his injuries. For these offenses, Mr. Jones was arrested, tried, and sentenced to two concurrent life sentences plus an additional 20 years. He has spent more than three decades behind bars and, despite the statistics and predictions, Mr. Jones has reinvented himself into a hardworking and dedicated advocate of change. Mr. Jones firmly believes that education is the key to growth and has built educational programs and modules to teach what he has learned both through the process of earning various degrees, as well from the demoralizing experiences to which he has been subjected during his incarceration. Mr. Jones uses his knowledge and experience to educate justice[1]impacted individuals, and his expertise to effect meaningful changes within the justice system.
***** PLEASE SHARE WITH YOUR CONTACTS IN PRISON *****
Lately, weāve heard concerns from people inside and their families about rumors that incarcerated individuals are no longer considered U.S. citizensāor that they could be deported after serving their sentences. Letās set the record straight. Current law is as follows:
ā If you were born in the U.S., you are a U.S. citizenāperiod. Incarceration does not change that.
ā If you became a naturalized citizen, your citizenship is permanent. It cannot be revoked unless the government proves fraud in your naturalization process (which is rare).
ā If you are undocumented or have immigration concerns, deportation may be a risk, but you still have rightsāand there are organizations fighting for fair treatment.
šØ What You Need to Know:
š¹ Extreme political statements donāt mean instant law changes. Policies must go through legal challenges before taking effect.
š¹ Fear and misinformation are used to control people. Stay informed and connected to reliable sources.
š¹ You are not alone. We and many others are fighting against policies that harm incarcerated people.
Hereās what happened when we (twice) attempted to share an email from Burke Butler, Executive Director of Texas Defender Service about President Trumpās Executive Order to ārestoreā the death penalty that demanded the United States Attorney General try to overturn long-standing U.S. Supreme Court precedents that protect the constitutional rights of people facing a capital sentence. (Note: You can view the memo here.)
After months of planning, weāre thrilled to kick off this nationwide effort to collect 2+ million dimesāone for every person impacted by mass incarceration. But this campaign is about more than just coins. Itās about raising awareness, sparking conversations, and demanding change. Itās about showing the world that people behind bars are still people and that we must do better.
To mark this milestone, weāve issued a press release announcing the campaignās launch. Check it out below, and help us spread the word by sharing with your networks. Every dime, every conversation, and every voice matters.
VENETA, Ore. ā Feb. 4, 2025 ā PRLog ā Adopt an Inmate, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing mentorship and support to those impacted by incarceration, is excited to announce the upcoming launch of its campaign, āDrop a Dime.ā Founded by siblings Rick and Melissa, the organization was born out of a personal journey that began with Rickās wrongful arrest in 2013. After nearly six years of unjust imprisonment, Rick was released in 2019, and together they have been working tirelessly to foster connections between outside volunteers and people in prison.
To commemorate a decade of impactful work, the campaign aims to collect dimes symbolizing the approximately two million people currently incarcerated in the U.S., along with millions more on community supervision and those affected by loss of voting rights, criminal records, and the ripple effects on families. āReliable estimates indicate that one in three Americans has been touched by the system,ā said Rick. āYet, due to stigma and shame,these stories often go unheard.ā
Campaign Highlights
The term ādrop a dime,ā once synonymous with reporting to authorities, has been reimagined to symbolize the urgent need to expose the shortcomings of the criminal legal system. The campaign emphasizes the lack of rehabilitation resources, harsh prison conditions, and barriers to reintegration into society.
Key Goals of the Campaign:
ā Build empathy and understanding about the realities faced by people in prison.
ā Mobilize communities to advocate for systemic changes that prioritize rehabilitation and reintegration.
ā Raise funds for the build of an interactive prison exhibit.
Interactive Exhibit:
A centerpiece of the campaign will be a prison immersive experience, including a cell constructed by justice-impacted volunteers Oregon. Featuring authentic fixtures and a soundscape that recreates the prison environment, the exhibit aims to provide visitors with a powerful immersive experience of incarceration,fostering dialogue and community engagement.
Our vision is to educate and inspire change by providing a glimpse into the lived experiences of people in prison,ā added Melissa. āWe hope this leads to more inclusive policies and a reduction in recidivism.ā
Adopt an Inmate invites everyone to ādrop their dimesā to support this cause and drive meaningful change.
On September 5, 2024 I celebrated 19 years of sobriety, and honestly, Iām of two minds. On the one hand, it feels great to be able to say I am clean and sober today. On the other hand, I do retain significant shame knowing that if I had been responsible and stayed clean in the first place, I wouldnāt have harmed so many people. I carry that with me, and while my sobriety is certainly an exemplary accomplishment, the celebration is mingled with a heaping portion of torment as Iām haunted by my shameful past.
My journey has been difficult, to put it lightly. I endured trauma, physical and emotional abuse, and a dysfunctional home life during my formative years. I began smoking mĆ rijuana when I was 12-years-old, and I was hooked the first time I inhaled that smoke. I remember it vividly: It was the first time in my young life that it felt \\\āokay\\\ā to be me. My anxiety and self-consciousness were gone as soon as the drug hit my brain. A year or so later I became addicted to sex because although my initiation into the sexual experience was not under the healthiest of circumstances, sex met an insatiable need to be accepted. By 15 I was a problem drinker, consuming Ć lcohol to extreme Ćntoxication every time I drank, and by 16 I was effectively an alcoholic. A few weeks before my birthday in 1997 (I was 17), I snorted mĆØth for the first time with some acquaintances, and I was instantly a methamphetaminĆØ addict.
I spent the first 10 years of my sobriety trying to better understand myself and my struggles. I found that throughout adolescence and young adulthood, I hid my true self behind a mask of toxic masculinity that I used to compensate for my perceived weaknesses, my fears of not being good enough, and my discomfort with all the things that make me unique. I used drĆŗgs and Ć lcohol to numb the pain of feeling so inferior that I required a mask to be accepted, and I used sex as a substitute for intimacy.
After working to remove my mask, which was a real battle in itself, I went through a process of self-discovery and self-acceptance. It took a lot of hard truth, a lot of self-work, a lot of tears, and a lot of talking to and even arguing with a black-and-white photograph, and a lot of failure before I came to any meaningful conclusions about who I am, who I was, and who I want to be. Although that process was indescribably painful, it was worth it, for if I did not commit to the struggle of genuine mental, emotional, and spiritual growth and been willing to put in the work, I would never have been able to overcome my past in order to step into my future.
The last 9 years of sobriety has been a continued process of personal growth with an added element of learning how to use my experiences to positively impact others. Through my sobriety, I have found meaning and purpose I have never known. Today, I can feel. I can experience empathy and compassion, and I don\\\āt need a mask. I know how to love and be loved. I know how to accept the flaws of others because I accept my own flaws. I know how to persevere when things get difficult, and I know how to use those difficulties for growth opportunities. I know how to engage reality in ways that make me better, that make others better, ways that make my community better.
I think that is what life as a recovering addict is all about, for the mess I made of everything never really gets cleaned up. Recovering is an active, present tense, progressive verb: I never reach a point where Iām recovered. I will continue attacking active recovery as I did active addictionārelentlessly. Soā¦ I look forward to the next 19 years of sobriety and the continued evolution of becoming the man I was always supposed to be. I look forward to being able to love back those who love me, especially those who loved me even when it hurt them to do so. I am excited for new opportunities to grow with them, learn from them, and most of all, not hurt them anymore. The privilege of purpose sobriety offers allows me to impact the world powerfully and positively. While admittedly imperfect, Iām a better, truer, more grateful version of me, clean and sober 19 years later.
Back from a lengthy hiatus and reviving our Quarterly-ish Newsletter! Click below for our latest issue. Donāt forget to share, and send a copy to your loved one inside. We welcome your feedback and comments.
