I want to thank you for your post. I've been appalled by so much of what I've heard about our nation's prison systems, and this is the first post that I came across while looking online for material written by prisoners about their experience. I've heard in the past that writing to prisoners is a good thing to do, but after reading your post, I feel very inspired to actually be proactive and do so in order to educate myself.

Thank you for writing these. I'm sure that you've gone through a lot and you should know that you are doing a lot of good by expressing the realities of prison life to the outside world. It's (unfortunately) rare to be able to hear from the perspective of someone who's actually experiencing it. I haven't read all of your posts yet, but I plan on doing so. Each one that I've read so far has had a large effect on me.

There are many aspects of the system that anger me, and have angered me for years. I'm sorry that you, among so many others, have had your life so greatly effected by a very flawed system. Know that you've inspired me to do all that I can do, as an individual, to try and make things better.

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Rich,
I tried to comment on a post you made about imagining Homeland Security could do to freeworld people what guards do to prisoners. I could not tell if my comment went through or not, so I'm repeating myself. You are welcome to reuse things you have posted as part of your chapter submission. You are very clear in your presentation and easy to read; even though your vocabulary presents you to be an educated man.

Please hone in on the fact that treating people with so low regard only makes the situation worse, for the guards as well as prisoners. Also pointing out the mis-information that is presented to justify the mistreatment is important. I am working on getting evidence that officers are trained to be felonists by policies that propagate fear among staff and promote the idea that prisoners are unworthy of kindness or consideration. If you know of any specific policy numbers (from your state or facility) fitting that description, please relay them to me. I can probably find them on the internet and use them as footnotes.

I really look forward to working with you further.
Thanks,
Linda Polk

Dear Rich,
I just read your post regarding the cost of incarceration when prisoners are not allowed to work. I have copied it on to a page that will start your chapter in our book - if you agree. I would appreciate it if you could write more about the way prisoners (you and/or others)- or your loved ones - are mistreated, manipulated, etc directly as the result of people thinking felons are worthless, subhuman, inferior, etc. Can you quote anyone who has said something belittling or hurtful specifically because they believe all prisoners are trash? If so, please give details about what happened before, during and after that. I'd also like to hear about the first time you understood the concept of prison - how old were you, who explained it and why, etc, and the first time you pictured yourself as going to prison. these are pretty person questions, so please feel free to omit personal anything you would not feel uncomfortable sharing. Felonism is a practice that has crept up on our nation, and most people just don't realize they are victims or participants because it's a new word. That's just like me not identifying myself as a racist when I was a kid (how could I not be initially since everyone around me a racist). Once I found out what the word meant, I still didn't see myself as having racist thoughts because it was just a normal part of my social group. It's like a fish not knowing what water is because it's such a constant, normal part of their life. If fish suddenly find themselves out of water, then they know what it was/is. So we want true stories that make felonism clear to everyone, but each person needs to take an objective look at their past to really be able to identify it in their past. There are even people who have felonies who are felonists - they have a negative view of prisoners because that is what's normal in their world - I had retired from teaching when we coined the term, but I already knew some students & parents treated me like I was a CO. Looking back from a distance, I can see how much honest conversations about felonism would have helped students feel more comfortable with teachers, staff, and other kids and made them more willing to learn for themselves. This may be a good question to consider: how do you know when a CO is trying to "keep you in your place - low on the food chain so to speak" verses trying to get you to comply with the rules so you (you being a generic term) will be more successful when you get out? I hope this is not too confusing or rambling. You are welcome to send your answers to me at P. O. Box 128071, Nashville, TN 37212. Will the DOC allow me to enclose a few stamps in a letter to cover your costs of correspondence?

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