“If you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime.”
It’s catchy but it’s also misleading. Most people in prison didn’t get a trial. Many are innocent. And the punishment doesn’t stop when the sentence ends.
Melissa Bee
Hug Your Adoptee this Month: June Edition
👋 Note: To all of our new adopters - welcome! You’re bringing hope and human connection to people who need it most. Whether you're already in contact, or are still waiting for your match, we’re grateful you’re here. Each month, we’ll send a short note like this one,...
📉 Policy vs. People: “Good Time” That Doesn’t Count
States say good time credits reward rehabilitation, but many incarcerated people never see the time they’ve earned. This post exposes how vague policies and quiet reclassifications keep people inside longer than they should be.
Civics 101: When Obscure Laws Are Used to Silence Dissent
In this week’s Civics 101, we unpack the case of Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian rights advocate detained under an obscure immigration statute, one a federal judge says is likely unconstitutional. We also revisit a famous quote from A Man for All Seasons about defending even the Devil… for the sake of justice itself.
Bee 🐝 Sides: Shelf Life (Part I)
What do drywall, recalcitrant screws, and agile mindsets have in common? Turns out, quite a lot. This is a story about perseverance, patchwork, and the beauty of trying again, because balance doesn’t come from getting it right the first time.
Memorial Week: “It’s large-scale business built on the bodies of those in its grasp.”
This Navy veteran has spent 30 years serving—from the military to a prison sentence that may last the rest of his life. With no family contact and only one visitor in 8 years, he now dedicates his time to writing and prison reform advocacy. He’s written over 200 essays, and hopes someone will write back.
Memorial Week: “I need to find friends who are gonna have my back.”
This disabled Iraq War veteran suffered a traumatic brain injury from an IED. Now permanently disabled, he’s incarcerated—and searching for community. “I need to find friends who are gonna have my back. People like I had when I was in the Army.”
Memorial Week: “I have almost no support in the outside”
This Army veteran served in the Airborne Rangers and fought in Iraq. After returning home, he struggled, and ended up incarcerated. He takes responsibility for his actions, but what he really needs now is support, connection, and the chance to be seen.
Memorial Week: “A challenging environment to live in and try to better yourself.”
This U.S. Navy veteran is serving a 10-year sentence far from home, making visits from loved ones nearly impossible. He’s doing everything he can to grow in a violent, unstable environment, but prison doesn’t make it easy. For many veterans, isolation is a second sentence.
Memorial Week: “I served overseas. I have no contacts in the outside world.”
He served overseas in the Army for six years. Now he’s in prison, with no outside contacts, and fighting to receive the veterans benefits he earned. This is not what justice looks like. This is what abandonment looks like.