9-16-2012

<3 :)

Hi Everybody,

Here's a couple of pictures I've been meaning to send. When they come back I'll send two more. Here at this private facility we are allowed to buy ourselves a picture to send out to our family or keep for about three dollars. We can purchase a photo when someone comes to visit us or on our own within the compound.

The fifteenth of every month we prisoners receive our gain time receipt from the previous month. We call it pay day. If the fifteenth falls on a weekend we are given the receipt on Friday. This month my release date whittled down to 5-27-2021. I get 10 days a month until I have earned 15% off of my sentence. Florida is an 85% state with no parole. Well, we are on parole till we reach 100% of our sentence - but no parole prior to 85%. I will be on parole till my late date, everyone with my charge, DUI Manslaughter, is on parole or "conditional release". My early release date is 4-3-2020 (approximately 2759 days away, or 394 weeks, 91 months, or 7 yrs 7 months :), never conceived of counting time until I came to prison), my late date is 1-30-2022 or something like that. If I exhibit good behavior I will continue to earn ten days of every month for the next three plus years, until I reach 4-3-2020. Then I will no longer earn "gain time" or "good behavior" time. I will still get a statement every month but my release will no longer change, kind of like the people serving mandatory minimums. Each woman here serving a mandatory minimum gets a piece of paper like me but it's pointless because their date will not change. I know some of these women, getting our gain time sheet every month hurts them. Even I am not sentenced to a mandatory minimum, I would like to work to change our sentencing laws and structure. These mandatory minimums are not fitting of the crimes that they are attempting to correct or prevent.

Thanks, Heather

[two photos of inmate as mentioned, the first with an older couple]