by Guest Blogger | Aug 24, 2022 | Guest Blogger
Photo by Dustin Humes on Unsplash
We received permission to share a response to a woman’s question on Quora, after her 20-year old son received a 15 year prison sentence. “I donāt want him to feel depressed and give up. Is there anything I can do for him while he is in prison?”
Don Erving responded with the following, based on his own experience in a California prison:
I’ve been out a year after doing 22 years off a 15-to-Life sentence in the California Dept. of Corrections, and I will say to you that you have NO IDEA what your son will HAVE TO deal with in there, depression, though prevalent, being low on the list. There are no pretty words to alleviate your worries, Ma’am, because prison in America is in no way constructed to be a relief of any kind. Your son will face hardships and challenges and experience loneliness that is quite literally unspeakable, especially in such an environment. And he will either grow and gain knowledge and maturity, and physical as well as inner strengths, and be of so intimate an understanding of the harshnesses of Life that he chooses for himself a greater path than the one he’s knownā¦..or not. What you can do for him, Mom, that would be a godsend through the hardships and conducive to his growth and gaining, is to accept them as the reality they are, and encourage him to be not just ‘strong,’ but to be steel. To be iron. Say to him how you have always known that you gave birth to a lion. A leader. Let him know that there is wisdom to be gained from every situation he may be confronted with, and to analyze EVERYTHING. Not with fear, but for what he can learn from it. You tell your son, Ma’am, that YOU are a warrior, and that YOUR blood is HIS blood, so in THAT way, you are always with him. However unlike you these words may be, it is TRULY the only way your hopes and wishes will have as deep down an impact as they must at this point in his life. Pretty words and cliches phrases of love and care, though meant with all your heart, PALE against the blinding light of a flashbang grenade exploding, guntower block-gun firing, smoke-filled, alarm blaring, prisoner rioting prison yard, Ma’am. It will do his courage and Will To Survive immeasurable good if he can draw from YOU a Warrior Motherās strength and bravery and love, because, please understand, he resides now, and for a generation to come, in a place that can, does, and will become a battlefield, within the span of a second. And it takes a certain level of mental and physical strength to maintain such a constant awareness. To always be ‘on your toes.ā And you, Mom, must be the steel that sharpens that steel in him. I wish I could apologize to you for the picture I painted of your son’s life, Mom, but you can’t apologize for the truth, however harsh. It would mean to live a lie. And sugarcoated lies are not what you and your son need going forward. Be brave, Mom. As brave as you need him to be. BRAVER than you need him to be. The road is long and rougher than you can imagine, Mom. I pray the Lord’s Intervention, but minus that, I wish you, for your son, a Warrior Mother’s heart. This is the best thing you can do for him, Mom. The best thing to BE for him. May God bless you all.šā¤ļøšā¤ļøš
We’re glad you made it through, Don. Thank you for letting us share these uncompromising words of wisdom and experience with our readers.
by Inmate Contributor | Aug 17, 2022 | From the Inside
Photo by tristan on Unsplash
This morning we woke up to gun fire right outside our windows. We look out and there are targets posted in the yard shaped like humans. Officers from the tower were doing live fire target practice drills in our yard. In my whole time ever in prison, I have never not one time seen anything even similar to this. It is an obvious attempt at intimidation. Tensions on both sides are up. We are not animals, we are human beings, we have names!!!
I was in the office this afternoon with the onsite Ashland Unit staff. I was recording my speech and afterwards I was speaking with him and checking his temperature to see were he’s at mentally ya know. So I ask him what he thinks about this place and he says the way they treat the inmates is mind blowing. He never thought, especially in the United States, that it would be even legal to treat human beings like this. He also said that one of the female administration staff asked him why he “talked to us like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like people.”Ā
“They are animals, they aren’t people.”
He told her “I don’t see a zoo, I see nothing but human beings here.”
And she copped an attitude and walked off.
Anyhow, that is the culture I’m dealing with and have been dealing with. I’m dealing with a group of people that don’t even think I am human. How can that be in the twenty-first century? How is something like that acceptable? How can people with that kind of disregard for human life be in a position working for the Arizona government? That is a viewpoint that clearly displays dysfunction, and they have no problem voicing that viewpoint out loud which displays a kind of mental instability. Yet, I’m the one that deserves to be in prison for years and years?
I have never been more scared for my own well-being and safety as I have in the last couple of months. This does not stem from my peers either, this genuine fear is rooted in my captors and comes from their utter disregard for human life. How am I to feel safe when my captors legitimately think I’m equal to a dog that needs to be put down?
Arizona Prisoner
by Inmate Contributor | Aug 3, 2022 | From the Inside
Summer in many prisons can be unbearable, as very few have any temperature control or much ventilation, and staff do little to nothing to provide relief. Prisoners suffer heat-related illnesses, and sometimes death, every year. Temperatures inside a cell can be over 110 degrees, at which point a fan does nothing but blow the hot air around. See Boiling Behind Bars, an article from The Intercept earlier this year, about the conditions in Texas prisons.
We received this today from a prisoner in Arizona:
Times on the yard are hard and its getting real. The heat waves are literally killing us as we don’t have any AC, only swamp coolers. The temperature we have been forced to endure all month has been a consistent 97Ā° with 77% humidity inside all day into the night all due to the swamp coolers. This is absolutely insane, and when we have recreation we get locked on the rec field for hours at a time, very limited water supply and when that runs out we have to argue and cause trouble just to get the jugs refilled. A plan that everyone refuses to lockdown is in talks right now. When we engage could be soon. The danger we are being forced to endure with these temperatures is outstanding. I can only imagine with climates changing how bad it will be in the years to come.
by Inmate Contributor | Jul 21, 2022 | From the Inside
From one of our contacts in an Arizona prison:
My yard organized a peaceful protest to our neglect and mistreatment. For all the empty promises made and unfulfilled by the administration. For everything that they have taken from us over these last couple years since Covid. We organized a food strike as a whole cohesive unit over the weekend. It started on Monday, July 18, 2022. The whole yard refused chow at breakfast. They didn’t know what to make of it. Then lunch came around, and again we all refused to eat. Then they start showing concern because they hate it when we show organization against the system. They came around asking questions, and some designated speakers explained what was going on. Our requests aren’t anything that we shouldn’t have coming, food portions, food quality, rec time, extra curriculum, programs, medical, etc. So they tell us to hold back, and give them a week to remedy, if it can’t happen do what y’all gotta do.
So this morning we wake up to an army of K9 units and ninja turtles kicking in doors as a massive show of force and attempted intimidation obviously in retaliation to our peaceful demonstration. This tells me two things, one we touched a nerve, and two we have them worried. I haven’t seen unity like this among the population for a decade. This says that things are truly unbearable and we will not stand idle and just let it happen anymore. There will be consequences for their lack of action and attention. I haven’t heard word about what our next move is yet, but in my opinion we need to step it up if they are gonna answer with attempted intimidation.
The fact that they request we stand down so they can look into things and then they attack says we can’t trust anything they say. When they say peace, they really mean war. That’s what I’m getting from the situation as a whole. If that’s what they want I know the majority of inmates here are down for it because we are all sick of the overstep of power with no accountability. And if no-one is gonna stand up for us, we have to stand up for ourselves.
I may get interrogated for writing this because I know they don’t want this getting to the outside world especially in the wake of the recent scandal this complex was already plagued with concerning Chuck Ryan.
(Two days later …)
Also, there was no more raids today. So I think they just wanted to make a statement that organization will not be tolerated. They won’t stop it though, everyone here is fed up with out treatment and we are realizing that we hold power in numbers especially since they are short staffed. I’m down for the cause but at the same time I can’t get too involved because I have my own future to concentrate on and need to stay out of trouble.
by Inmate Contributor | May 31, 2022 | From the Inside
I was watching the news last night and saw the story of those 19 children and 2 teachers murdered….how does something like this happen? Why does it happen? I don’t even know what to say about a situation like this, what do I say about an act of torment like this? What do I say!!!!! It’s just a shame all those little babies going to school, and get murdered! what the HELL!!!! Then they’re talking about gun bans, but they talked about gun bans every other time some guy woke up on the wrong side of the universe and decided to bring hell to earth. What makes this time any different? It seems like politicians just say what they know people want to hear even if they know what they’re saying doesn’t really solve anything, because it’s politics, and playing politics is a game that affects real lives. As we can see, playing politics has cost us 21 more precious, innocent lives. This drastic event has really saddened me, it angers me, it runs my emotions wild.
The spiritual needs of the people are not being cultivated, their psychological needs are not being meet. take a second and actually evaluate the mental condition of the people in this country, and everything that we are going through.
in the past two years people’s whole lives have flipped on them, starting with covid-19. People being locked down in their homes, stripped from their social lives, some stripped from their jobs losing their economical independence, some losing the lives of family members, friends, neighbors. Correctional facilities for example became under staffed because the staff were quitting and dying. This lead to mandating the remaining officers in order to keep the facilities up and running, so they went from working 40 hours a week to 112 hours a week – that’s everyday for 16 hours ….on top of that, every time you look on the news they’re talking about inflation, they’re talking about recession, then every time you stop to get gas for your car, the price just confirms everything you’re hearing on t.v., the prices of food increase, the price for renting homes have more than doubled in some places, little babies are being hospitalized because of the lack of formula, we are fighting for the rights of the woman to govern her own body, police shooting and killing our children, our neighbors, our friends, our loved ones, people losing their family members to wrongful convictions….think about this…really think about this..this has become the everyday normal for us, Every American is going through this alone, on top of the day to day stresses of surviving, without any counsel, and without any psychological support. Statistics show that more Americans are suffering from depression and mental illness dis-eases now than ever before….ask yourself why????
Because to every action is a reaction. and everything that’s going on now is a product of the decisions being made at the top…. Americans need mental support, every American is suffering, we each may deal with it differently and some of us may not know how to deal with it at all, but we Americans need the support If not from our government then from each other during these times of discomfort … .it’s like sending a solider who just fought in a war back home to his family without any psychological evaluations, knowing that the war has impacted him mentally in ways he can’t understand, and he starts drinking and abusing drugs trying to cope with the discomfort. This is us America, we need to get the help we know we need. and stop trying to be strong on our own. stop overlooking what you’re going through and talk about it, or it will come out in ways that will lead to regret and even more discomfort.
People need more counsel, people need to talk more about how they’re feeling and what’s going on around the world and how its effecting us, WE have the right to speak freely, you shouldn’t have to be afraid of a consequence to speak out, the world is changing and the government doesn’t want us talking to each other about it.
Let’s talk about it, Tell everyone what you’re going through. We are at war against our own psychological position and the only way to fight back is to start talking about it, and coming together and being here for one another, listen to one another, comfort one another, we are living through some real drastic times let’s stand together and stand for Justice for all.
If you don’t have anyone to share your suffering with feel free to drop the load off on me I stand with you. for prayer request, a listening ear, and a brother in arms.
contact me Via jpay: www. jpay.com
Sean Daniels #839717
or Via snail mail: Sean Daniels # 839717
Chippewa correctional facility
4269 west m-80
Kincheloe, MI 49784
by Melissa Bee | May 31, 2022 | From the Staff
Friend of Adopt an Inmate Ryan Forbes has a new podcast, The Shakedown, and it’s great!
From Law and Order reruns to cold caseĀ podcasts, criminal justice has a very well known image in the media. However, is this image accurate? Ryan Forbes spent six years in prison after trying to negotiate a legal system thatĀ surprised him at every turn. In prison he met Malone, who spent 30 years in Texas prisons finding purpose in a place designed to instill obedience. Now both are out of prison trying to show the publicĀ that everyday justice is anything but another Law and Order episode. On their podcast, The Shakedown, they share their experiences dealing with the criminal justice system and even offer ways to improve it. Each week they discuss questions like “Who are trustees?” “What is ad-seg?” And “Do we need prisons?” As friends who have been through tough times together, Forbes and Malone try to keep the tone light and want to get listeners in on the jokes they have learned over the years. Even when a friend struggling with addiction crashes the podcast, the two try to handle it with humor and relate it back to experiences dealing with the criminal justice system. If you want to know what a first hand experience with the criminal justice system sounds like, and what can be done to improve it, check out The Shakedown.
Also check out Wayword Press. First imagined as a cool name for a comic book company. Now, Wayword Press is all about getting the word out. Wayword Press produces comics, posters, stickers, clothing, and podcasts.produces comics, posters, stickers, clothing, and podcasts.
by Inmate Contributor | May 27, 2022 | From the Inside
I would like to take a bit and tell you about something that a large number of prisoners do, and have done for a very long time, each for their own reasons. It’s something that has helped me in more ways than I can express, yet it is something so simple and pure, it’s pen paling.
I first learned about pen paling when I served my 29-month sentence in prison work camp. Mail call quickly became the highlight of my day, hoping that I would receive a letter from someone I was writing to. I’ve written to people from all over the world, and I’ve created some very special lifelong friendships with some amazing women who have stuck by my side for the past 15 to 20+ years. It’s those dear friends who have always made sure I have not been forgotten in here, and who have reminded me that I am still a human being, even though I live in such an inhumane place. One of my biggest fears has been to be forgotten in here and lose my reason to exist. I’ve seen so many people in prison over the years who have nobody out there in the free world and it’s caused their existence to be limited to the inside of the prison walls and fences. I may be in prison for a very long time, but this is not where I will stay! I have had one constant goal set since the very beginning of my sentence, and that is to reach my release date and enter the free world once again. The many different people I’ve met over the years of pen-paling have helped to always keep my goal focused and clear in my mind as they are a constant reminder of a world I’m striving to get back to.
Over the years the networking system for inmates to meet pen pals has changed in many ways. It’s gone from word of mouth, to posting ads in magazines and newspapers, to FB’s (Friendship Books), friendship sheets and things like that ā to placing ads online. Now that the internet is such a daily part of everyone’s lives out there, many companies have created online pen pal sites where inmates can post profiles in the hopes of meeting someone to write to. Technology has also changed the way we are able to correspond with our pen pals. It used to be old fashion snail mail (pen, pencil, writing paper, envelopes and stamps). But now the prison systems have allowed a handful of companies, such as “Jpay.com,” to set up kiosks throughout the living units which enable us to correspond through a secure form of e-mail. We are also now able to purchase touch screen 7″ tablets that allow us to write our messages then upload and send them. We can also download any messages, photos, or 30-second videograms to our tablets so we can view them anytime we want to.
Even though technology has changed the way we are able to pen pal, the purpose for pen paling will always be the same. Instead of waiting in line for mail call now, I log on to Jpay to see if I have any new messages waiting for me and it always brightens my day when I see that one of my friends has written to me, or sent me photos, or a 30-second video to watch. Even to this day, when I read something I’ve received from someone I write to, I completely forget about where I’m at as I’m caught up in the words they’ve sent to me. It’s those small moments of not having to think about this place that help so much.
*** This was written before covid hit, since covid hit I have lost contact with everyone I had been writing to š
Written by: Terry Chandler WA DOC #941311
by Inmate Contributor | May 12, 2022 | From the Inside
Religion, it’s a complicated subject among a population of many different walks of life and religious beliefs. Wars are fought and people die in the name of Gods and causes. Even today things are the same, take what’s happening in Jerusalem right now with the Israelites. Quarrels are still seriously prevalent among the culture. So this is serious business we are talking about, just to point out the obvious. According to many beliefs the seventh day is for rest, meaning no work or celebration, leisure time only to heal and recuperate. To prepare for the work week to come. To some the seventh day is Saturday, to others its Sunday. To me, only one day can be my seventh day so which will I choose?
Why can’t my seventh day be Monday? Wasn’t I blessed with the freedom of choice by God or was that just something man came up with on his own? Must I conform to what everyone else does and is? I thought I was an individual, and if that’s the case in that I divide myself from what others expect me to be and do. This doesn’t mean I’m a bad person or I don’t believe in God. In fact this character trait is one that God has blessed me with to exercise as I see fit and as long as I show love to my fellow human beings then I am a righteous person. It is in this that I find my strength. Furthermore, who is God?
Who is my God? My God made me who I am today. He made me walk a hard road to strengthen me and ready me for what he has planned for me to do. Looking back He’s shown me signs, symbols of his expectations. He’s sent me blessings when I did good and humbled me when I was arrogant. He’s given me the strength to pick up the pieces when it all fell apart and the knowledge to recognize my mistakes in order to change my behavior. He shows me love by sending fellow humans to love me, His love is through them. He put me in school so I could find myself and who I am. This is the most powerful sign I’ve seen to this day. So this is where I am at in life, walking the exact path He had for me in his sights. My momma always told me “God never gives us more than we can handle.” Now I see that it’s true because out of all the times I thought it was all over I still made it through. At this point I feel I’m only scratching the surface of my purpose in this thing we humans call life. I’ll make today my seventh day to recoup and reflect on what my purpose is for this week that follows.
Christian Ortega in AZ
by Inmate Contributor | May 11, 2022 | From the Inside
This is a subject that is especially personal to me. I have two children. One I have never met and another I barely know and haven’t seen in about 16 years. She and I once had a very strong relationship. But it seems time works both ways. Time will heal wounds and it will also kill relationships. As time goes by I feel just a bit further away from my kids and a little less like their father (even though in reality I’m just their dad by DNA right now). I do have faith that will one day change. But with so much time gone by that faith has taken a hit. The worst lies are the ones we tell ourselves. So I won’t lie and say I have this happy, rosy outlook for the future. My future looks bleak at the moment. But I am holding on to the hope that something will happen that changes things. You can’t go on living without some kind of hope and faith. Otherwise what is the point of life and living?
While I have had such a bad experience in prison with parenthood. I have seen others make it work. I have seen guys see their kids every weekend and have great relationships with their kids. They will talk to them and be in their lives through letters, emails, and phone calls. I have seen though that it only works if the kids have a support system around them that encourages and fosters that connection. During the first years of my criminal sentence I had a great relationship with my daughter because her mother wanted to be in a relationship with me. As soon as she decided to be with someone else she killed my relationship with my daughter.
So with that personal experience I see that the guys who have maintained a relationship with their kids had either a former or current spouse that was approving of that relationship. Or the child’s guardian approves it. Therefore my advice to those in prison is to maintain a healthy friendly relationship with who ever is raising your child. That is just as important as the actual parent child relationship itself. If your child is already grown then you can focus just on that relationship.
I encourage the mothers, fathers, and guardians out there to think long and hard about fostering a relationship between the children and their incarcerated parent. It is not always about you or how the romantic relationship turned out. Think twice before you use the relationship between your kids and their parent in prison to punish the person in prison. A relationship with one’s child is very important to rehabilitation and also the mental health of both the child and the imprisoned parent. Think about it and always remember, with the right thought and care even an already damaged relationship can be healed.
by Inmate Contributor | May 6, 2022 | From the Inside, Inmate Contributors
Hi everyone. My name is Bobby Bostic. Look me up to learn about my story. I came to prison at 16 years old for robbery and I was sentenced to die in prison although no one was seriously injured in my crime. The judge told me “Bobby Bostic you will die in the Department of Corrections.” Now by true grace of God I will be released from prison in November. If you want to know about what life is really like in prison please read my books Life Goes On Inside Prison, and Time: Endless Moments In Prison. If you want to learn about prison please order those books. As for me I am a tutor at the G.E.D. school. I work on my goals everyday. I am doing good work and I have co-founded a nonprofit for single mothers in St. Louis Missouri. I have a lot of work to do in the world once I am released.
If you want to learn more you can look me up and also write me:
Bobby Bostic 526795
Algoa Correctional Center 8501
No More Victims Road
Jefferson City, MO 65101
My story is very unique. Look it up and I look forward to knowing you and working with you.
Sincerely, Bobby Bostic
