Phone Justice

I am a 31-year-old father of three boys ages 6, 7, and 16, I have been incarcerated for six years and during that time I can count on one hand how many times I've been able to call home and that hurts not only me, but everyone else. It's hard to explain to a six- and seven-year-old that you didn't call on their birthday, first day of school, etc. because you couldn't afford to put money on the phone. I wish I could call home as much as I wanted, but I can't. The high cost of correctional billing makes my family feel like they're failing me because they know that there are only three things I look forward to in regards to my incarceration: 1) mail, 2) visits, 3) phone calls, and the lack of phone calls makes it hard to be a productive parent, and my family feels like it's their fault that I can't be there as much as I want. I also feel like less than a man, son, father, etc., because as a part of a support system there is nothing I can do to help with the cost of the phone, and I feel like I'm a let-down as a parent. My family has had it hard in regards through third parties, I've had to deal with emotional trauma, and life-changing episodes through newspapers, prison staff, etc., because my family can't afford to open accounts. The few times that they could afford to put money on the phone the connection fees were so high that if I called twice there wasn't enough money for a third call. I'm hoping that you'll be able to come to an agreement about how to control the cost of correctional billing, so that people like myself can have and build better relationships with their family, friends, spouses, and others.

Note: Prison is a lonely and hard experience without a support system, and hearing a familiar voice can truly be the difference between someone giving up and someone being motivated to become a better person. The statistics provided by Justice & Mercy Inc., state that "...an ex-offender who learns a trade and maintains good ties with family and friends is 40-60% less likely to re-commit a crime.

[A quill in an inkwell and a piece of parchment set against a yellow circle, the quill emanating white rays. On top of the image is a poem enclosed in a box.]

Pen and Ink

It's rather a wonder, I think,
Friends connecting through Pen and Ink,
A Piece of Paper, blank and white.
Our thoughts take shape as we write,
To someone we may have never seen,
Someplace we have never been.
Our pen becomes our wand,
Words as Runes, we correspond,
Strangers meet and become good friends,
Sentiment shown at the letters end,
How pleasant, their exchange of views,
A meeting of minds on important news,
Two people, so many miles apart,
A safe distance to open our heart,
Connecting with each other's mind,
Experiencing joy in what we find,
It is certainly beautiful, don't you think,
When friendships spring from Pen and Ink?

TO:
Anyone reading this

From:
Amondo Duckworth - 418846
FICI
P.O. Box 200
Fox Lake, WI 53933

Please write me