Dear Kelly, I wanted to let you know I received a delightful letter from Dakota, two years and one assignment after you passed my snail mail addy to him! Some little old lady put his envelope in another envelope and forwarded it to my new address (on her dime). Can ...
Well Dymitri, You know I can't keep quiet long. Breakfast is my favorite meal "out." I love places without chain names, places where I might be called "hon" or "dear" or even "sir." I like places where everyone checks out whose coming in and whose going out. The menu under ...
Russ, Snail mail is heading your way. This blog entry, like the other, is an exercise in faith, hope, and love. Keep writing brother, it does you good and as I hope others are helped by your wisdom. Wisdom earned from a journey, a hard difficult path that nevertheless led ...
Russ, when the well runs dry...what then? platitudes won't help and words themselves cannot convey sympathy for loss. in those times...all we have is hope...the hope of God is everlasting...the sweetest water that can never run dry. Even when it is a tiny ember, threatening to snuff out...hope can still ...
Thanks for writing! I finished the transcription for your post. Reading your post Charles made me to feel talking about change is not enough. I am investigating your links to see what else I might do besides talk. Thank you for being a spokesperson for all those incarcerated inhumanely. Your ...
James, Yes, "the Ship Chandler," was published February 17. Nice work, particularly in the ship's rigging. Authentic detail to a period piece. Keep up the good work. Pfister March 5, 2021
Charles, I am following the steps you outline in this article concerning, "what can I do?" This is a disgusting greedy money grab and after the money is so heavily taxed the state sells commissary goods overpriced, and provides substandard necessities to those who cannot pay for the overpriced goods. ...
Guy, This is wonderful news! After looking for your son all these years, in the end it was him that found you! Many people have helped you scour the internet for his presence, and finally your prayers have been answered. I am very happy for you and hope that he ...
James, I was sorry to hear that your last parole hearing was denied. This note is an encouragement to keep hope alive that your next parole hearing will be successful. Your art is a clear sign of the power of reformation and a signal of your creative talent, a talent ...
Charles, It is unfortunate that this bill failed. Oversight is sorely needed for the justice and correction systems of every state. Your oversight of the legislature of Mississippi is impressive and helpful, since so often, failed bills do not make the news (at least nationally). Thank you for your continued ...
Dymitri, It is refreshing to read your posts. Even though I have not replied, be assured I read each one. Your wit, vim, and vigor is so refreshing Dymitri. In the glum circumstance of captivity, you always manage to bring a smile to my face. The blame game you speak ...
Robert, Thank you for your post. It caused me to look up my own state's code concerning the release of inmates in medical distress. If other readers would like to see their state's view on Medical and Geriatric Parole law, it is easily found at the National Conference of State ...
Robert, A federal study showed among healthy offenders age 65 and over the recidivism rate was 13% over an eight year followup after release compared to 67% recidivism rate for those released at 21 years old. I think this study should have delved deeper into the question of the state ...
But you are a civil rights hero, Charles Douglas, you are. May God protect you, cover over you, and protect you from all evil. May Margaret Winter and Sherry Milliken Rest In Peace. May their quest for justice become an inspiration to all those who seek justice on behalf of ...
Dear Joe, I was sorry to read this was your final post. I find your writing to be well-spoken, articulate, informative, and entertaining. Think of this Joe, if your writing influenced one single person, just one, to change their path, your ministry is successful. Think of the power in your ...
Dymitri, Owls will eat rodents, but rodents the size of mice. Some owls eat fish. But owls are nocturnal, they eat at night. Owls will eat "Pocket" gophers. Pocket gophers possess a 6” body and a 3” tail, and weigh 2 to 5 ½ ounces. This is a small gopher ...
As a man who has sat with the dying, I can attest to the emotional strain the experience of death brings to the living. In an infirmary situation, there is often the mentally-ill, housed with the infirm and those suffering from disease, creating a situation of chaos and noise. A ...
Kelly, Encouraging words are hard to find in great suffering. My condolences to you. Consolation is nearly impossible as well. That being said, my heart goes out to what you are enduring. Try your best to find some relief in tiny unexpected moments of joy. Hold your memories close. Try ...
Comments made on these blogs that are specifically tied to public material regarding a case or an appeal are not "just" offensive. They are far more than offensive because information from posts can be shared with those incarcerated in the same prison or even in the same cell, through the ...
For some context, the reply comment I posted to your blog answered a post from you wherein you describe your angst over comments being removed from your blog. Through your post, I understand your preference for direct confrontation versus editorial manipulation of blog interactions with you. As for myself, my ...
Robert, This report is disturbing on so many levels. It smacks of persecution, an absence of empathy and compassion, and a total disregard for the dignity of the human person. It makes me sad, really sad, and in a way, simply angry. My heart goes out to you as will ...
Robert, the Michigan Legislature has moved towards compassionate release. California has done the same, but its process bypasses the parole board so that the existing system does not bog down release with red tape and hoops. What I hope is the governor actually does something. If you read this and ...
Kiyoshi, You can find hope in your ability to translate your experience and feelings into meaningful art, the art of words, that can change other people. In putting your art into a public forum, like a ripple upon a pond going out from a rock sent skipping, you change the ...
I read a poem that made me think Loving deeply is like drawing a drink Love is learned first by feeling it A fire ain't a blaze, unless it's lit Love places the other before the self Love ain't no book, pulled off of a shelf The opposite of love, ...
Your arguments are compelling. State and federal governments spend increasingly more money on consistently inadequate healthcare for their growing populations of older adults. While most studies on the steep costs of incarcerating older people date back at least a decade, their findings are consistently dramatic. For example, in California prisons ...
John, I have read and interacted on this website for years. It is a forum wherein frank conversation of the criminal justice system is fostered. For myself, I look to the website to see if, in empathy or knowledge, I might help those who post. You are probably not surprised ...
Rob, This is well-written and quite moving. You captured the true sentimentality of the humble. The way you describe your experience is heart-warming and I applaud your vulnerability. You are blessed to be as insightful and wise as you are. We should all be so lucky as to feel so ...
William, Let me explain about bulletin boards like Between the Bars. Many, many people read every post. I have been reading here for a long time, perhaps even ten years. Just because people do not reply does not mean they do not read. People often don't know what to say. ...