Melissa Bee

Inmate Art

 From Donicio's letter to us: You're right, there are a lot of GOOD people in here with sad stories. I want to say thank you for taking the time to help me out. I would pass along your website to the outside, but have no contacts out there. I have drawn a welcome...

Texas Inmates and the Heat

We have been asking our adoptees in TDCJ (Texas Department of Criminal Justice) how they are holding up under the Texas heat with no air conditioning. (Fortunately, this has not been a record-setting year for summer heat in Texas.) Here are some of their replies:...

Forgive

How can I forgive you and not myself? I can’t forgive myself, yet I can forgive everybody else. I forgive you for never being there. I forgive you for never acting like you cared, when you would leave for days on end. I was all alone with no friends. The drugs took...

Audio – Prison Count and Schedule

To follow up on Philip Brasfield's piece posted yesterday, "To Sleep, Perchance to Dream," about sleep deprivation in prison, this is audio of Rick (via phone), also currently in TDCJ, describing the daily schedule and count procedure. Keep in mind that they go to...

Yvette Louisell – Parole Hearing

Yvette Louisell is one of our adoptees. She was a 17-year old University of Iowa student when she was sentenced to life without parole. She turned 44 in the Iowa Correctional Institute for Woman (ICIW) last July 5th. Because of the work of Brian Stevenson and his...

Cards from Inmates

If you've written to an inmate for any length of time, chances are you've received a card, similar to the ones above. Cartoon characters are a popular subject for artists on the inside. Because no cash is allowed in prison, inmates will trade goods from commissary or...

Inside Angels Spotlight – Jason

Jason in Texas writes often, has a big heart, and has connected us with others on the inside who need adopting. Jason is one of the fortunate ones in that he has access to his own funds for commissary, and wants to reimburse us for the cost of sending him e-mail and...

CHAT