Welcome to the PTO Lifers forum! My name is Dawn and I reside in Michigan. I have been involved with my Lifer since 1998. I am 40 years old and have 2 children that I have raised to become wonderful adult individuals. I came to PTO in the hopes of receiving emotional support and meeting those in my situation. This was accomplished and now hope to provide help and support to others.

Having a ‘Lifer Loved One’ brings along many special circumstances, comparable only to those on Death Row. There are situations and circumstances we must deal with in the reality that our loved one may never come home. I hope to help provide a non-judgmental/comfortable place for others to receive support and share. I ask that everyone practice unconditional acceptance of others and the life choices they have made. Not many can understand these choices…please respect individuality.

I treasure the friends that I have found here, and hope that you will also find the joy and support that has helped me so. Please take a minute to introduce yourselves. Also feel free to make any suggestions for the forum...

Dawn

Hey thanks Dawn... this is a great idea, and what you say is so profound about the special realities of lifers' loved ones and the need for a place of unconditional acceptance.

Oh I forgot the intro! Well I am from California and a very close friend is just starting to do 26 to life, which means in reality he may or may not ever be paroled. For a number of reasons we are not a "couple" but we have a lot of love for each other and I am committed to staying by him thru it all. I've already raised a few stepkids and am enjoying life, my career and my friends and family. Through letters, visits and calls, my guy and I try to make the best of what we have now and are not putting off life today to wait for some uncertain future. It's hard (understatement of the year!!!!) but worth it.

~waves to Dawn~

Hi, everyone :D

My name is Susan, and I have been with Shawn for two years now....he is serving a 15-to-life sentence for murder. We met through a co-worker who sent me his online penpal ad; after looking at it for a month, I couldn't put off writing him any longer. Strangely enough, I never got to thank the girl who brought us together, as she left the job before I had the chance.

I am from Providence, Rhode Island, but have just relocated to Kansas in search of a much quieter life...as well as the opportunity to spend time with my guy. Previously, the distance between us made that impossible; now I am less than 25 minutes from his doorstep. I have a beautiful 15-year old daughter who is still on the East coast with my parents for the time being, and I am the proud owner of two of the goofiest dogs ever :cool:

As Dawn mentioned, there are unique challenges to loving a Lifer. Dealing with the system is hard, but it's even more difficult if the light at the end of the tunnel is dimmed by a possibly endless sentence. Since I've been married twice before (and have packed a lot of living into my 37 years, LOL), I feel I am at a stage in my life where I can handle the concept that he may never come home. I may not like it, and have had some sad days mulling over the "what ifs", but overall I try to remain as optimistic as I can. I've researched a lot of similar cases in the Kansas legal system, and was surprised at just how many prisoners made parole on their first or second attempt. It's still a toss of the dice at best....but I try to remain as supportive as I can for him. I have every intention of living my life to its fullest, regardless of his incarceration....and he wouldn't have it any other way. Lots of old hobbies and new pursuits (including gardening!) in my immediate future ;)

He has given me the gift of being able to love again, when I thought that emotion was all but lost to me. So no matter what happens, I will carry his soul in my hands forever.

Much thanks to Dawn for taking on this forum...hugs to you, girl!

Hello everyone!! My name is Donna and I found PTO i think about 2years ago just basically looking into the prison system when the love of my life was sentenced to LWOP (life with out parole) I live in Massachusetts and was attending a group of friends and families meetings,i found i was not really getting the venting and support i needed dealing with this sentence.. i have known brian over 20 years. I met him when i was 15 years old .. i am 38 now.. i live in salem mass the "witch" city just landed here about 12 years ago, through no choice of my own.. :))) but am happy with it, i love my job!! wow.. i am crazy. i go to school full time, i have a gorgeous, charming, self centered 17 year old son.. i have two cats and love nature, yoga, music, reading, and people..!!
i have been in recovery for 11 years this july 27 .. and brian supports me, also emotinally and want s me to continue living my life, i visit reguarly because i am only 1 hour away. ANd i am just praying for the day of contact visits.. or OUT .. for good on appeal.. he is currently in a max.. and has been for 5 years now or 6.. i dont' know i think this is enough out of me.. Thanks.. i need this support group so much.. not everyone in my life understands.. this.. it takes a very strong person to continue living this. but i could not do it any other way..!! I love my man brian.
THanks Dawn

DOnna another scorpio down for life:

Hi everyone, my name is Lisa and I'm from Cincinnati, Ohio. My boyfriend is doing LWOP in a Michigan prison, and as of 10am this morning, I have a nephew doing LWOP plus 50 years in Ohio. As Dawn said, this is a forum for us with "special needs". No children with 2 legs in my house, but I have the 2 most beautiful girls money could buy! I have found the meaning of being loved in the morning before you can comb your hair!
I'm a nurse and I work with the cutest little girl who just turned 1. If I'm not doing peds, I do psych.
I love anything that has to do with the outdoors, as well as holing up in the house and playing hermit with my books and movies.
I found PTO when I got sidetracked and it was the best thing I ever did. This has been a place of much support in my relationship with Gary as well as in my personal life.

Hello, my name is Melissa from California and my husband is a lifertoo. We have been doing 14 1/2 yrs already.He was railroaded and I pray God can help me find a way from my husband to come home.We were together before he went to prison. I am 32 and he is 57.I have no children,he has 3 grown children from previous relationships. He is a wonderful man. He has always treated me like a Goddess and put me on a pedistol.It has been 8 yrs since we were able to have family visits.It is very hard being away from Ken.I have been disabled now for 3 yrs due to an injury to my back and ankle. I recently had my 3rd surgery on my ankle last March. I have to be in a cast until Sept. Finances have been rough, I just finally got my Social Security disability.I live alone and I am very stressed. I have faith that God will set me husband free sometime very soon.I look forward to talking to you all.
Many Blessings
Melissa

Hi everyone. I'm Yasmeen from California. My fiance is serving 25-Life, 24 of which he has already served. I work at a Juvenile Detention Facility in San Bernardino. I have 2 children ages 6 and 8. I met Byron in February 2003, so I have been doing this a little over a year now. We met through a co worker of mine who visits her brother in law at Lancaster State Prison. The 2 hours I drive to visit at Donovan State Prison is worth it. I am so happy to have met someone like him! He's a bit older, but we click in every way! I'm finishing his sentence with him and its not easy, but I am determined..this is the man I love and want to spend the rest of my life with. I'm grateful for the love and support I get from PTO.


Yasmeen

Hello everyone,
Im a 30 year young woman inlove with a 10feet tall man that's serving 25 to life with posibility. We will soon be tieing the knott. I do hope to find support on this forum

much love
traviesa

Hello everyone My name is Christy, and my husband is a 15tl Lifer. I have done 8 years with him and we been married almost 2 years. And I'm in Los Angeles. I've been a member on Pto for 2 years and Love to post. I have learned alot from being with my husband, that family will never understand on why I do this. and learning more on the process getting my husband to recieve his date and its all political. My occupation is Professional makeup artist and also going back to school. I love to learn new things!

Hello, ladies. My name is Janis, and I currently live in Oregon. The wonderful man I'm engaged to is serving a life sentence in Florida; I'm moving there next month to be closer to him, and to make my life a bit less demanding and hectic. Michael and I have known each other since long before anyone ever even THOUGHT he'd get in trouble, and have been best buddies until a couple of years ago, when our relationship changed to what it is now; I wouldn't have that part any other way. Despite everything, he's still entirely the person I've always known, loved, and admired, and I'm so proud of him for being able to retain that.

As to me, I have no human kids, but several furry & scaly ones. I was in police work for over 20 years, civilian and military, and am now an EMT, and love it. I'm a pretty quiet person; love gardening, reading, working on projects around the house (this is the third old house I've restored, and am looking at the next one), going for hikes & almost anything outdoors; lots of things. I espeically like doing things I know Michael would enjoy, trying to see everything for both of us, so I can share it with him later.

Since Michael and I were friends when his situation became what it is, I think I'm pretty well adapted to dealing with the fact that he'll probably never come home. Still, I want to make sure he knows that home is there for him. We spend a lot of time pretending, and imagining that we have a normal life; I don't know if that's good or not, but it seems to make him happy, take his mind off where he is for the moment, and give him an anchor to "real life". Shoot, I miss him SO much!

Anyway, thank you all so much for being here, and sharing so unselfishly with the rest of us in this situation. You're SO appreciated!!!

hello< my name is kim and my husband is doing 25 to life. he caught this case on the inside, he was only susposed to do 16 months. he never came home. anyways we have been married 15 years and our daughter is also 15. he has been in 14 years and to make things worse he is doing his time up at the bay (pelican) in calif. i live in the high desert and he is in "shu" has been for 10 plus years. i am a medical assistant

I am back!! under a new name!! due to this being a public forum and my use at work,my boss had access to my forum.. i have been under a lot of stress as you can all well imagine!!

Welcome to the new people in the lifer's forum.. i am sure you will find love, support , and laughter (smiles) here.. vent vent and vent.

SHIVA65 also known as Donna C!!

just dropping by to say y'all are awesome...when I want some real stuff about love transcending, I read lifer ladies! plus it makes ten years look tiny.

My name is Ronnie and I live in Atlanta, Georgia. My husband is in NY and his sentence is 25 years to life. He has done 22+ years already. He goes to the parole board in April 2007; but of course there are no guarantees. We have been married for 11 years. I am with him for the long haul. Our faith in God and in each other gives us the strength and power to keep going.

I just found PrisonTalk yesterday and I am so glad that I did. This is a great forum of support.

Hi, my name is Lori. I am 43 and living in California. Two of my kids are grown and gone, but I still have an older teen living at home. I have a very close friend serving a life sentence at New Folsum. We've known each other since we were kids and by marriage, we became relatives. He is always on my mind and forever in my heart. I just don't want to ever make him a promise I can't keep. I am single by choice and I really love my independence, but I admit it can get lonely sometimes..... Since loving a lifer is the topic of this forum, I'm in. Thank God there is a place were we can be accepted, not judged for who we love!

geee :D so nice to meet every1!!! I'm very happy to know more about every1=)

I am not that good at introductions, I have a hard time talking about myself! hehe :) But since I am here, I will say this......I am in the "lifer" forum for a reason. So if ever any1 needs to talk I am here and will be here awhile =)

Hi! My name is Carina, I´m 40 years old and I have 6 children, I met my fiancé through a penpal ad 14 months ago.I live in Sweden and my fiancé is doing 27 years to life in NY, he has already done 24 years. I will be going to visit him for the first time next weekend.

Hi all- My high school sweetheart is locked up in the SHU at Pelican Bay. He is doing 28 to life and has been down since 1997. We have a daughter together who is 9 yrs old. I graduated with my BA in criminal justice and am currently working towards a masters degree in criminal justice. We broke up a while before he got locked up but have always stayed in touch because of our daughter and our rich history. Lately we have started communicating better than ever b4 and I think reviving our love. He has grown up alot and shows signs of maturity. I wanted to introduce myself and will be visiting this site more frequently. I am currently working on my thesis that has to do with how the SHU's are damaging to inmate mental health, so im always happy to hear peoples views and thoughts on the issue. He has an indeterminate Shu sentence so he will probably never get out of there. I fear he will die in there cause he was involved with NF.

Hi,
I originally posted in this thread because my boyfriend (now my ex) was a LWOP. I remain here because my nephew Adam was sentenced to life + 50 here in Ohio. Although I don't require the type of support that somebody with a husband, wife, etc.... might require, I still need support. I'm trying to help and be there for him as much as I can, but without some support myself, I won't be able to do it.

Hey Lisa, there are several of us here who have lifer loved ones who aren't spouses/boyfriends/girlfriends... but being there for someone doing life is a still a big commitment for anyone and support is where we're at. So I'm glad you're sticking around! :)

I've been posting in the lifers forum for a few months on a regular basis and never thought to post an introduction..some of you know me and my situation but the new members may not, so that is why I am posting my introduction at this late date!
I've been married to my husband for 19 years. We've known each other since childhood dated most of our teen years and back together again a year before he fell. I left him for a year and a half after he went to prison....pretty much didn't want to deal with the prison scene, realized I was miserable without my love and came back.
He's been in prison for 21 years and has adjusted very well in spite of his sentence. I joke about him alot to the ladies here but I do love him more than anything and he has all of my respect.

hi pto my name is danielle and my special friend is a lifer he's been down for 10 years we have been friends for five years and i love him to death he ask me to be in serious relationship haven't said yes yet but i'm in for the long haul of coarse my family thinks i'm insane he's the sweetest man i meet

Hi, Im Tara. Im 26, never been married, no children, live and work in New York. I met my boyfriend through a pen pal add almost 2 years ago and have been together about 8 months. He is also 26 and in a FL prison serving lwop.

Hello,
I just registered today and this is my first post. I am unsure as to if I should be here or not. I am in love with a lifer but I met him in an awkward way and I hope that I can find support here without resentment. I was a CO at the prison and actually just lost my job yesterday because of our relationship. I may even be charged with a felony because they know I kissed him. That is all we ever did but they said that is sexual contact with an inmate therefore a felony. Our relationship was never sexual but we are very close and I love him. He is now in seg. because of all of this and I am out of a job. I don't know how I can write him. I can't imagine my life without contact with him. I know I won't be able to visit for at least two years but that I can deal with as long as I can find a way to communicate with him. I was quiting my job anyway because I could not deal with the way people are treated in there. I was always fair but that got me in trouble sometimes. Thanks for listening.

Wow.. well welcome anyways.. :) and i am sure you will fit right in.. i have not seen a post in the lifers forum .. bashing any co's.. ok.. i am sorry for your situation.. love is love.. and sometimes we pay HIGH prices.. for it... follow your heart.. good luck


Peace
Donna

Hello,

I am Anjeweleyes. I'm 36.
I met my lifer on a favor for my best friend (at the time). She wanted to meet his cell mate, I got on his visiting list so he could come to the VP when she went to see her bro. That was 14 years ago.
I fell really, really hard...real fast. He was so kind and loving to me, never almost a word out of the way. We could talk about ANYTHING. It got to where we almost felt like we were just living off one central brain...But, I was always afraid to totally let go and trust him. He was a hustler back then. And, as much as I loved him...I just couldnt' believe that he could love me like his letters described (no man had EVER expressed himself like that to me before). We went through alot of ups and downs. I went through alot. But, that's just how much I loved him.
After about five years, I got into some trouble, couldn't deal with it. I took some pills and they baker acted me. My mom had to keep the girls for three days and so she told me that if I didn't get out of Florida and away from him she'd make sure I went to jail and take the girls forever. I was afraid she had proof somehow, so.....I went.
I met a man I thought I could deal with, got married and moved to Indiana. He was trying to get me away from everything. And, it wasn't just my lifer, lots of things. And, I am so ashamed, but I never told him about the threat just that I was leaving the state...OVER THE PHONE NO LESS!
Anyhow...after alot of therapy and finally getting the attitude that I just can't make everyone happy all the time, I was alot more stable. But, I still couldn't get him out of my soul. I was married now and I would have dreams about this man and just sit and wonder about him sometimes. I would pull him up online a few times a year, but I tried to stay away from it as much as possible.
Well, I remember one morning waking up and having this feeling that I NEEDED to check on him, I just had this dreaded feeling...
I fought with this for several weeks, but this feeling haunted me no matter what I did. I pulled him up online to see he was at another CI and he was in CM. But, this was not what got me...his picture was different. His face was different. (I could never say messed up, he'd be a darling to me no matter what.)
Anyhow, I tried to talk to my husband about this and it hit the fan. But, I couldn't help it...
Anyhow, to say the least, I am back in Florida now. Just the kids and myself. I have found out that he was being pushed around by these two guards, one day one of them finally hit him... and he and another guy broke bad on them. After they got everyone calmed back down the guards took them into this room and beat the cold living hell out of both of them. The other one died. I was told it was in the newspaper. He didn't get charged with it because he won the case. But, he spent two years in solitary.
Well, I also found out that he's getting married next month (Oct. 04).
I have only wrote to him and received one (almost) letter back as of now. He said nothing about getting married, just that things have changed and says he wants us to keep in contact...and, he wants me to come see him. "A good old fashioned sit down..." he says.
Now, any other time I would fight, kick, scratch and scream about this...but, his mom tells me that the lady he's marrying is willing to pay for a lawyer for his appeal. Dead end road. I would die before I'd mess that up for him.
Supposedly she's found one that will do this for a $10,000 retainer, and she has no problem with it.
Well, I have no idea where I fit in now, but well see. I do know that he's told his lady about me (supposedly EVERYTHING) and that he and I will always be friends. (Could I deal with this if I was her?)
That's why I need this place so much, even more than ever now. I have a tiny inkling of what he wants me to come see him about. But, I don't know...I am just miserable with all this...wondering and kicking myself about leaving in the first place.
I wish so much that I'd found this website nine years ago. (Was it around then?)
I could deal with doing this for the rest of my life, knowing that the only way I'd ever be able to spend any amount of time with him (even maybe) is if he dies a slow death.
But, I would much rather deal with him being married and thousands of miles away with someone else if he can get out. I know him. He is just an old free bird and prison has settled him just too much for my liking.
Yall please don't be too rough on me. I have been treated kindly enough by my family over all this.
Thanks for reading if you got this far...sorry so long.

Anjeweleyes....Thank you for sharing our story.
"Yall please don't be too rough on me. I have been treated kindly enough by my family over all this."
THIS wont happen here, we are here to help and support you. Follow your heart...

Happy that you have found us, posting here will help you as well. It has worked for me for quite a while now. As far as family, my favorate saying is "Well its not like I'm asking ya to have him to dinner!" :)

Hang in there and best of luck to ya.

Dawn

I've posted a couple of times in here, but let me introduce myself to everyone. My screen name is Ice Queen. I live in Alaska, am married to a State Trooper and we have one son (17) at home who will graduate next year.

My son is awaiting sentencing based on a plea agreement, which I in part helped talk him into - it was that, or have him face the death penalty, which I just couldn't do. So, he'll be doing life w/ possibility of parole after 35 years. That means life - he'd be 73 by the that time!

My son started getting into trouble when he was probably about 14, but nothing serious, or so I thought. He was first charged with Armed Robbery at the age of 16. I was just floored. Thought there was no WAY my kid could have ever done that. Yeah, uh-huh. Anyway, it went downhill from there, and the drugs just kept him right in the thick of all that was wrong and bad for him.

He tried to commit suicide twice when he was younger, and has been in and out of prisons ever since. We were actually estranged for the last 15 years, because I couldn't deal with his breaking into my home, etc. So I told him to straighten up and then we could re-establish a relationship. That never happened.

When I got the call several months ago that he was facing two death penalty charges, I thought I was going to die right then and there. It's been a slow process, but I knew I had to be there for him. My husband, who's actually a State Trooper, was extremely instrumental in talking me through all I was feeling, and making it safe and good to re-establish that relationship. Does that make sense?

At any rate, we've seen each other, talked to one another and of course, should have stock in the postal service, with as much as we write one another. He'll be transferred back to Washington State after sentencing, which is scheduled for October 7.

Some days I think I've got it "covered" - and others, I think I'm losing my mind. Know what I mean? I write him and talk to him about "normal" things...just want to share my life with him and let him try to experience "normal" life through me, if at all possible.

Sorry this was so long. So good to have others to talk to who understand, because as I'm sure many of you know - family and friends just don't get it.

I am so sorry to hear your story.My husband is a lifer and was wrongfully convicted serving 2 life sentences for defending himself.My heart goes out to you.WE have served nearly 15 yrs now.When a loved one does time in prison, the family does time too.It Is hard and it never gets easier, or better.I am still fighting for my husband. I just started a petition for my husband. I have the site paoted in the prison petion forum and in this forum, Set Kenneth Lett Free Petition, if you would like to sign and read our story.I will keep you and your son in my prayers. I hope things will work out for you.We are all here to help one another.
Take care and God Bless you,
Melissa Lett

This Is My First Time Responding To Any Thing My Husband Is Doing 25 To Life For A Murder. He Was The First One To Break The Gun Law Here In Calif That Gray Davis Signed He Was The Example We Have 2 Kids A Son 6 And A Daughter 4 She Was 1 Week Old When He Went In We Barely Talk Or Write I Have Moved On Since All This Because He Wasent The Greatest Husband We Were Both Very Young 17 And 18. But I Just Hate For People To Judge Him It Offends Me. I Just Wish He Could Be Out For Our Kids He Was A Great Dad.

This Is My First Time Responding To Any Thing My Husband Is Doing 25 To Life For A Murder. He Was The First One To Break The Gun Law Here In Calif That Gray Davis Signed He Was The Example We Have 2 Kids A Son 6 And A Daughter 4 She Was 1 Week Old When He Went In We Barely Talk Or Write I Have Moved On Since All This Because He Wasent The Greatest Husband We Were Both Very Young 17 And 18. But I Just Hate For People To Judge Him It Offends Me. I Just Wish He Could Be Out For Our Kids He Was A Great Dad.


I am sorry to hear about your husband.It's a hard life having a loved one in prison and then to have 2 little ones too.My heart feels for you.I hate for people to say things about my husband too, but it doesn't bother me too much anymore because I can prove Kem was railroaded.I have come ro realize that the media doesn't report the truth in most cases and the media is responsible for what the public thinks.It's not the public's fault by what they hear and read in the news.But you are in the right place.People don't understand unless they have been thru it themselves.And we are all in the same boat here.We are here for you if you need something.
God Bless You,

Welcome Big As The Sky - we are glad that you found us. You will find some great people here with big heart and soft shoulders.

Hi to all you great people! Well I have been around here for awhile and just found the introduction forum...go figure. Josh is serving a LWOP sentence at Menard in Illinois. Felony murder, I am glad that there is a hault to the death penalty right now, because he would have gotten that. Josh and I met through a penpal ad HERE and look where we are now. I am engaged! Can you believe it, I sure can't. Anyway, I recognize many of the names here and I love all the support that is given.

Hey there, welcome!! :) Glad you wandered over to this neck of the woods where everyone understands!

Hello to you all,
My name is Tasha and i have a friend doing life in Pelican Bay.It would be nice if could be more but seeing that i am in Canada and he is CA we see know way of it happing right now.I found this site by luck i actully was doing some searching on Pelican Bay.What a horrable place to be doing time i feel.My self i am 36 have two kids and four furry kids.I like to read,play scrabble do jigsaw puzzles.I work in the system up here in Canada.I am glad i found you all because it's hard when your heart tells you this maybe the right one for you and you cannot even see each other.We have talked on the phone but he only calls once a month due to fact it is a lot of money.If could
afford to have him call everyday i would!!!Anyhow it is nice to *meet*you all and hope to talk to you all soon.

My name is Isabella - but everyone calls me Bella - I live in Wisconsin and my fiance is incarcerated in North Carolina - doing a life sentence for murder. That he started when he was VERY young.

I always laugh at myself and say leave it to me to fall in love with a lifer! But - I have never met anyone that completes me as he does - never met anyone that is in such tune with me. You know that missing puzzle piece that people talk about - well he is mine.:p

We are in the process of starting another appeal where there was a split decision before. It just gets so frustrating to be dealing with this alone, seems like no one else in the world understands.

I go thru these forums and see all these people with countdowns until their man comes home - and I dont get a countdown - :( .

Anyways - I love Daniel with all of my heart and soul and would not change meeting him or embarking on this journey with him for anything - but I am hoping to find people who know what I am going through and we can support one another!

Welcome to PTO Everyone ! you have definately came to the right place for support and understanding!

Hi. My name is Cathy. I am new here and oh this has been something that I have needed for a long time. I am married to a wonderful man who has a life sentence. He has to serve a mandatory 25 years and then he is eligible for parole. He has already served 12 years, so we are about half way home. (hopefully).
We have just been together fo over 2 years. I honestly never ever in a million years ever thought I would find true love with someone in prison, let alone someone who has such a long time to serve. I met him through a friend of his. I wrote to him more or less as a favor to his friend and well he was kind enough to write me back. We got to know one another and then I went through a difficult time and he was there for me and supporting me. He became my best friend and there was no way I could stop myself from falling in love with him. I love him so much. I only want him and no one else could ever do. What I feel for him is so real and so strong. I would wait forever for him. I am complete with his love. Our letters, phone calls and visits are enough. Just knowing him is enough for me. He was transfered just 10 minutes away from my house, so we are so close.
I am happy with him.
BUT my family and friends don't understand. I don't tell many people of my love as everyone it seems begins to lecture me on what they feel I need or else people look at me like I am crazy. I have learned to keep things secret as no one understands. That it until I found PTO.

Yasmin - welcome to PTO - we are pleased that you found us and welcome you with open arms to our "Lifer Family". If you ever need anything just ask - us lifer lovers are a unique lot and we have a lot of compassion and understanding. Take care of yourself and if you ever need to talk feel free to PM me!

Stay Strong!

Ok here goes. My screenname is lovehurts for obviouse reasons. My husband is serving 25 to Life with possibility of parole of which he has done 12. Yes he was railroaded and stupid for using the Public Defender instead of contacting the family and hiring a Lawyer. (But that's another story :)) I am 26 and we've been back together for 6 years and 3 as man and wife. Between us we have 3 boys ages 13, 9 and 7.

Thank you for this beautiful world where very different people can come together for a common goal: Ease this limbo we are in until our loved ones are home.

Hi everyone. I am Andrea. I live in New Jersey. I moved here 3 yrs ago from NH. My man is serving 25 to life which he has done 22. So 3 more yrs till parole. (Fingers and toes crossed). We have been together almost 4 years and plan to be married soon. I'm 55 yrs old with 2 grown kids. One no longer talks to me because of this choice that I made. I thought I ahd raised her to be better than that but I guess not. But I would not be anywhere other than where I am now. And if I had to I would wait forever for him. And I am so happy to have found all of my new friends here on PTO. Just wish I had found all of you sooner!

Hi lovehurts and MrsPhil! Welcome! You are definitely in a great place where many others feel what you're going through...:)

I'm researching legal changes, decisions and trends from all states for a site I"ve been retained to work on, and am trying to get a 92 yr old man in Michigan released (oong battle considering he was convicted in the 60s soley on a written statement later admitted to be a lie for lighter sentence, while other witnesses not involved in the crime identified another person, but were ignored).

long story short, there are changes in Ohio law, CA law and a case before the supreme court on death sentencing to legal aliens on the heels of a dutch filed world court suit againsst big unk, and that and HB 4886 in teh michigan house can end up even helping old law lifers get paroled where none was previously possible.

If anybody knows of an angle I'd do well to follow on top of those I've been on the last month (and I've covered wuite a bit of ground with the help of a few friends), let me know. If it's useful info to you, chances are somebody else can use it too. (I also have a "panic button" on the site for anybody needing help finding info *now* that i check every day). This all helps me figure out what info is needed and relavent, as I am new to this, and don't know anybody in prison other than the few who have contacted me who have demonstrated wrongful convictio or blatant rights violations.

I'm also trying to track down good non-gov orgs for folsk to go to, and I'm hesitant to place an out of state org (not from michigan) and maybe only be helping a 15% fundraiser actually exploiting the folks they "help". Only want solid help for any needing it. Any suggestions are more than appreciated.

Hello,
I am in an Organization www.innocentinprison.org (http://www.innocentinprison.org)
We are a group of volunteers that help inmates were were wrongfully convicted, innocent or on death row.This is a world wide Organization and we have Coordinators all over the place.We are still seeking volunteers to help.I will attach the questionaire for our program.They do have to be sent back to our director in Germany and she will review them and appoint a volunteer to work on the case.We do this with from our hearts.I am one of the California Coordinators.I work with another who is going to school to become a paralegal.We also have a yahoo group you can try there for help as well.Email me privaetly and I will give you the details.Please check out the website and see if it appeals to you
Many Blessings,
Melissa Lett




I'm researching legal changes, decisions and trends from all states for a site I"ve been retained to work on, and am trying to get a 92 yr old man in Michigan released (oong battle considering he was convicted in the 60s soley on a written statement later admitted to be a lie for lighter sentence, while other witnesses not involved in the crime identified another person, but were ignored).

long story short, there are changes in Ohio law, CA law and a case before the supreme court on death sentencing to legal aliens on the heels of a dutch filed world court suit againsst big unk, and that and HB 4886 in teh michigan house can end up even helping old law lifers get paroled where none was previously possible.

If anybody knows of an angle I'd do well to follow on top of those I've been on the last month (and I've covered wuite a bit of ground with the help of a few friends), let me know. If it's useful info to you, chances are somebody else can use it too. (I also have a "panic button" on the site for anybody needing help finding info *now* that i check every day). This all helps me figure out what info is needed and relavent, as I am new to this, and don't know anybody in prison other than the few who have contacted me who have demonstrated wrongful convictio or blatant rights violations.

I'm also trying to track down good non-gov orgs for folsk to go to, and I'm hesitant to place an out of state org (not from michigan) and maybe only be helping a 15% fundraiser actually exploiting the folks they "help". Only want solid help for any needing it. Any suggestions are more than appreciated.

Hi I just joined this website three days ago, my fiancee is a lifer in Florida, I am 38 and he is 34, our paperwork to get married just got approved by the Chaplain and Warden and is being sent to Tallahassee for final approval.

Congratulations, Leenallie!! And welcome to Lifers forum / PTO!
Abelle

Brian, I am interested in "HB 4886 in teh michigan house can end up even helping old law lifers get paroled where none was previously possible.". Tell us more, please, in a new thread.
Welcome to PTO!
Abelle

Hi Christy,

I just recently joined PTO and is loving the support i get from reading up on the many of woman in my situation. My husband is doing 15 to life too. He's been down for 13 and we have been married for 11 years. Your right people will never understand. But God does. EM my and let's become support buddies.

Hello everyone My name is Christy, and my husband is a 15tl Lifer. I have done 8 years with him and we been married almost 2 years. And I'm in Los Angeles. I've been a member on Pto for 2 years and Love to post. I have learned alot from being with my husband, that family will never understand on why I do this. and learning more on the process getting my husband to recieve his date and its all political. My occupation is Professional makeup artist and also going back to school. I love to learn new things!

As I have been posting here a while it is about time I introduced myself:
First of all 'my' lifer is not my SO for many reasons (like an ocean between us, triple life sentence with no parole, an other man floating around in my life somewhere......) but he is my dear friend and in the year we have been writing each other became close buddies. I live with him through all the moods and phases he goes through, and I know I can count on his support and advise when needed. A great friend!
Also I have a couple more pen pals, 2 on death row, and 2 other lifers (one LWOP and one with a chance but even he himself does not think he'll get it......sad story.....also he has a son on death row........) It is great to have these men as pen pals in my life.
And recently I added a new one with whom I broke all my 'rules': this one is not well into his 40's ánd has an out date.

my son is in a ca. state prison. calipatria to be exact.he got 46yrs. to life and what is even sadder is that he did not do what he was accused of...his co-defendents made sure that my son was the fall guy

my name is cynthia and im in love with a real lifer my vato is lock up in pelican bay SHU those are the most ugly words you can say,since ive been with him for a short time it feels like i love this man ,he is everything for me he makes my life go in circles and one day i love to have fantancy`s that one day he will sweep me off my feet but that is imposible,gabriel has been in the SHU alone 20 yrs he will die in there sad to say but ill be by his side for as long i can breath ,love does excits throu pen and paper,he has no one just i the one who really loves him ,my tear drops my heartbeat that is him

my name is cynthia and im in love with a real lifer my vato is lock up in pelican bay SHU those are the most ugly words you can say,since ive been with him for a short time it feels like i love this man ,he is everything for me he makes my life go in circles and one day i love to have fantancy`s that one day he will sweep me off my feet but that is imposible,gabriel has been in the SHU alone 20 yrs he will die in there sad to say but ill be by his side for as long i can breath ,love does excits throu pen and paper,he has no one just i the one who really loves him ,my tear drops my heartbeat that is him


Welcome Dormilona13 - Welcome to PTO and welcome to the Lifer Forum. You will find a great bunch of ladies here that will understand your good and bad days - who have big shoulders, big hearts and great strengths.

Hey dormilona (like the name!) I am also from Cali... welcome. Betrayed said it well, this is the place to be for understanding... :)

Hi Dormilona, my man is also in PB shu, 28 to life. Hes been down since 1997. I know how you feel! Welcome and come visit us in PB forum too!:) Qwerty is the best, you'll soon see that! :)

My name is Dawn and I'm from a small town in Oregon. I met my lifer through my cousin, it all started out as being pen pals and escalated from there.. We have been seeing each other for the past 2 years and consider ourselves very happy. I just can't see myself without him, he has taken in my son as his own and provides him and I with all we need, well most all we need. It gets very lonely at times and I just tell him to "Keep the Faith" and see what happens... He asked me to marry him in November and I said YES!!:D and I'm very excited.. We plan to marry in October of 2005.. So it looks like we all have alot in common... Thanks for listening

Welcome to PTO and the Lifer forum Dawn!! Glad you found us!

Hi ladies, my name is Leslie. I am fairly new to PTO and find it an incredible source of strength and support when so little of it exists out here. My wonderful man is doing 25 to life on a murder charge. He has been in for 26 years and been approved for parole. We are now waiting for him to start & complete work release, but there is still an obstacle in the way. The governor must okay his release and politics being what they are, you never know, but we are extremely hopeful.
I became involved with Kenneth at the age of 15, but when he went in 1978, since I as only 17, I had little choice but to go on with my life which I did. I am married to another man, but that will be ending within the next few months. I have three grown sons from this marriage.
I tracked Kenneth down back in February and wrote to him and luckily he remembered me, which I hoped he would, we did date for two years after all. Anyway, I found with him a very tender soul, one who realizes the high price that he paid for doing drugs. He has been kinder and more loving to me in just the past few months than my husband has been in 24 years. I think only the ladies on this site can understand the depth and the breadth of the love I bear this man. I will wait for him as long as it takes. If he never gets out, then I will still be with him, after losing him for 26 years, I have no intentions of ever losing him again. Thanks again, for this site, and I'm looking forward to our chat Sunday nite.

A big welcome to leenallie, lilwng, TanyaW, dormilona13, ernest&dawn, lkendrick, and anyone else I might have missed! Welcome to Tulip as well, even though we've been friends for a while now! LOL!

This Forum is second to none for support, and I look forward to getting to know you all ;)

Yep, I second what Irish says, the lifer forum is one of the warmest around!! Welcome to you all...:)

Hi Ladies, I'm new to all this, but I have met the man of my dreams, he was introduced to me by my best friends fiance' that was doing time with him. He began to write to me last May but for odd reasons I keep putting him off, I just kept receiving letter after letter until one day in September I decided to write him back. I then was approved to go visit him, I went to visit him for the first time in October and my life was completely changed. I love this man, like I've never loved before. He proposed to me on Feb 12th and I accepted it. He's servings 15 to LIFE and has just completed his 15 years this past November, he goes up against the parole board in 2 months (April). I pray so hard every day, for the Lord to allow the person who makes me complete to come home. It's not easy, but their love keeps us going!!!

Hi and welcome!!!! :D

Congrats on your engagement and best of luck with parole... keep in touch , we are here for you whatever happens!

hey ladies,

I totally forgot to post here, where is my head. My name is Chris, and my husband is a lifer for 15-L. I met him thru a friend of mine. At the time she was writing to his cellie back in 1996. He wanted someone to write to, I read his letter and he just blew me away, he made me laugh and I just wrote back and the rest is history. We connect so well with each other, and we are like buddies we like to have fun and laugh.
This is the most hardest thing I have ever done in my life is waiting for him. But he made loving him easy. And the second is not having sex for 9 years. But I'm very faithful to him.

Hey welcome Chris!!!!!! (Even though you've already been posting in Lifers :) )
Keep up the laughter, it is the best healer...

Thanks Q,

I love it here and feel the love in this forum.

Well, I'm new to the lifer scene. My man's death sentence was just reduced, and I'll tell you, I'm embracing the life sentence happily! We're still appealing, but at least he'll be alive. So, I'm VERY happy to be here... very happy. :)

Well, I'm new to the lifer scene. My man's death sentence was just reduced, and I'll tell you, I'm embracing the life sentence happily! We're still appealing, but at least he'll be alive. So, I'm VERY happy to be here... very happy. :)

We are very happy you have joined us!! Welcome to the best forum on the boards.... hmm.. ok I may be a little biased! ;) You will find a wonderful bunch of people here who know what you are going through, who have big hearts and open arms. If you need anything please feel free to pm me. Take care and again, welcome! :grouphug:

Welcome to PTO, This is one of the best places I have found to go and be with people who "get me". You will find a ton of love and support here.....

Theresa

Well, I'm new to the lifer scene. My man's death sentence was just reduced, and I'll tell you, I'm embracing the life sentence happily! We're still appealing, but at least he'll be alive. So, I'm VERY happy to be here... very happy. :)

love&misshim,
Welcome to the lifers forum. Betrayed was right, this place is the best. So welcome, I wanted to tell you to hang on to the hope, and congrats on his sentence being reduced. The same thing happened for my man way back in 1983, he is finally looking at possibly getting out this summer, so it can happen. Anyway, welcome. Leslie

Thanks so much for the warm welcome! I can't even tell you how happy I am that this is the forum for me instead of the capital punishment one. He's not technically a lifer yet (we have to wait for the recommended sentence from the Board of Pardons and Paroles), but I'm pretty sure this is what he'll get. Leslie, that's awesome that he's going to get to come home! I just pray that someday my baby and I will be in that position!

Hi Love&misshim! That is great news!!! We can learn a lot from eachother, I am sure!
Abelle

well my name is Randi and I have know my lifer since i was about 13. We were both in a gang and he was the leader so everyone thought he was cool. YEAH RIGHT!!! He has been down for 9 years in the Texas Correctional Facility. in livingston which also houses the infamous Texas Death Row. He is serving a life sentece for Capital Murder and a 50 year sentence for Attempteed Capital Murder. We have only recently become reconnected we haven't really talked the entire time he has been locked up and just this past Christmas I went to go visit him. I am so excited to reconneted with him and i will be there for him until the End wether that be him coming home or him in there forever which i can't even imagine. I really think Texas is a horrible state to be in prison. My father was there for a total of 26 years and i hope that my friend never has to spend that much time there. His first parole date is not until he is 52 and he is 28 now hopefully he will not have to wait that long due to a writ i am working on now. i need all the help and support i can get. thanks for listening. hope to hear from you seen.

I am back, still with my lifer. I used to post under the name leenallie when the site had problems was around the time I changed my email address so I have not been able to get on for a while.
My lifer and I were approved for our wedding, the next one they do is in June, but we had originally talked about September.
He is sentenced to Life and been in 9 years. We are in Florida

Hello, My name is Deb, my friend is a lifer also, and has been in for 23 years now. He's at Roxbury Correctional Institute in hagerstown, MD. We've been writing for 2 years now, he's special to me and I care alot. He'll be up for parole in Sep 2006, I'm praying that he'll be parole, but he's having doubts because the gov is hard on lifers in the state, from wehat he's told me. All I can do is pray for him, he's been through a lot in his life. But Im here for him......Thanks DEB

Hi Deb! Welcome to PTO and the Lifer's forum!! You will find alot of support and understanding here!


penwife

Hey leenallie-nightbird welcome back!

And Deb welcome...

Feel free to jump into the Koffee klatch thread too

Hello,

I have been on PTO for a little over a month now, and have introduced myself now and then on other forums and threads, but not on this one. I have a very special friend in the NM State Penitentiary who's serving LWP, although it's a life + sentence (forget how much more added to the setence). He and I began writing about 10 years ago and stopped writing in '97. Things have never really been the same since I started writing him again. It's all good, don't get me wrong. It's like we never really stopped communicating! Like we're picking up where we left off. But now we're 8 years older, much wiser (I hope..LOL) and really want to be together. It's been three months already since we began writing again. I'm so glad I found this forum and like others before me, I found it completely by accident. I love the support and that I have a place I can call "home". I don't have to do "life" with him all by myself...I've got you guys...well, we all have each other and that's what I love about this site. Thanks for welcoming me before in my other postings. Hope to get to know many more of you throughout the coming months and years?!? Love you all.... :)

Welcome to the lifer forum!! i am sure you will feel the love , and support..
that is in here... you are not alone.. keep posting

welcome and hugs

Donna

Hi everyone. I hope I am doing this correctly, I am new to using forums so please, if I am in the wrong place would you be so kind as to point me in the right direction? LOL & TY.
My name is Christina and I am from Long Beach, CA. My situation is a bit unusual in that my pen-pal is a lifer. He's serving 25-life, been in going on 6yr's.

(The thing is I have had a few long-term pen-pals whom were inmates and I am not meaning that I was involved romantically or writing them smut mail or anything, just a friend on the outside. I still remain friends with 2 who are now in the free world.)

I am really falling for this man though, we have written for several months and he is sending me an application for visiting (he's in Corcoran). I am not naive and I am sure he is not writing anyone else and he isnt married/no girlfriend. I am not the type that gets attached to a guy at the drop of a hat. I guess thats why I am here talking about this now........ because I am taking it seriously.:rolleyes: It is bringing me to questions re: when would he become eligible for parole, what kind of visits are lifers allowed? Anyway, I respect you ladies for sticking by the men you love and admire you're strength and I would be grateful for any advice or suggestions you may have. Thank you for this forum. And " take care" to all,

Christina

Hi and welcome! You have come to the right place for support and understanding. Sounds like you should go for a visit and see how things go... one thing about lifers, there's no hurry, you can take it slow...:)

If he's doing 25 to life, then he will be eligible for parole after serving 25 years -- since he's done 6, that's 19 years from now... they don't usually get paroled the first time around though. But who knows, there are winds of change blowing in Cali to change some of those practices...

Lifers are allowed regular contact visits like everyone else (as long as he isn't in ad seg or in the SHU).

Hope you stick around -- and let us know how your visit goes!

My name is Natalie and i live in Ohio. My inmate is serving 20-life for aggravated murder, he's only been down for 4yrs. I met him when we were sixteen, we had a few of the same friends, i had a crush on him but was shy. He joined the Marines' and got married. I figured I'd never see him again. About two years later I heard his name on the local news, went and got a paper because i couldn't belive it was him. I cried for about a week, but figured that was the end. Alittle over a year ago a mutual friend of ours reunited us. As soon as i heard his voice over the phone I knew I was in love with him, about two weeks later he told me he loved me without me telling him. He's a good man, he's stubborn though and he's got a wall built that is slowly comming down. We are both 26, and even though i may never see him again alive, i couldn't imagine being with anyone else. He's my heart, my world, and he makees me want to be a better person.
I have felt alone, not being able to talk to people that hasn't lived this experience because of the unwillingness to see pass the conviction and look at the person instead of the 'inmate', has been eye opening. I live in a small town which is the same town he committed the murder, his street friends turned there backs on him as soon as the the bars slammed shut, he has recently reached out to a few, I just hate for him to get his hopes up and then walk away from him again. I'm glad they are talking though because when he was out, his friends were like his brothers, and there was alot of them.
I am dealing with the relationship, it's ALOT harder then i ever realized, but no matter how hard it gets, I'd never be able to walk away. We've been through alot of the ups and downs already, and we both have issues with hiding how we feel(bad days mostly) so the other wont feel bad. He's my best friend and when I cant talk to him I've felt like I had no one. Now that I've found this site, and knowing I'm a part of the loveing a lifer sisterhood, maybe i can start letting out the built up emotions, and not feeling so alone....

Hello Everyone,

I suppose I've been a little remiss in not posting a little intro about myself until now - so without further ado I shall make amends.:)

My name is Steve, I am a 40-year-old single male and I live in Poole, Dorset which, if you have a map to hand, is roughtly half way along the south coast of England. I was born and grew up in the Northwest of England (I'm originally from Bury, Lancashire); I moved to Poole in 1984 for employment reasons and because it is such a beautiful area in which to live. I work for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), a charitable organisation that is responsible for running some 240 lifeboat stations around the coastline of the UK & Ireland. I am employed as a Business Analyst, supporting computer systems that are used by the HR and Payroll departments. The RNLI is a very friendly and supportive organisation for which to work, which is why I have chosen to remain with them these last 21 years.

Out of curiosity (if I was being honest), I began corresponding with a female prisoner located is southern Florida about 4-5 years ago. That penfriend situation lasted about 8 months before it began to peter out. Then, out of the blue, I received a letter from another inmate at the same prison whose name was Paula, who was a friend of the person with whom I had already been corresponding. She was interested in learning about other cultures and customs and had seen some of my previous letters and was interested to know more.

Although I was aware from the outset that Paula was serving a life term, I was never particularly interested in discussing that with her. She was born and brought up in Wisconsin and as our two backgrounds were very different, there was always plenty to discuss. I found her to be most articulate and intelligent. We gradually became closer as time went by - and in May 2003 I flew over to Miami to visit her for the first time.

That first encounter that weekend was amazing; we never stopped talking for 6 hours. It was the same the following day. I discovered that Paula is gentle, softly spoken, polite, considerate and above all, totally honest. She is also very pretty.

About a week after I returned home disaster struck: my mother died suddenly and unexpectedly. When Paula discovered this, she wrote to me the most beautiful, inspiring poem I have ever read. It is posted elsewhere on this forum but I will post it again if anyone would like to read it. Suffice it to say the loss of my mother was a thousand times more bearable than it might have otherwise been.

So, why is such a truly loving soul such as Paula behind bars? Well, that is a story that would take a long time to tell. Perhaps I will mention it a little bit at a time so as not to bore everyone here. However, I will sum it up by saying that she was in a relationship where her partner used to knock her around and beat her up. She had decided to leave him and has a friend that would take her in for a short while, but she needed to collect her belongings. Naturally, she was afraid he would attack her again so borrowed a gun to warn him off (she had never possessed a gun before, much less knew how to use one). Once there, a fight broke out and he pushed her through a glass window and down some stairs, when the gun fell out. A fight followed where they were both grappling for the gun and it went off - sending a bullet into his neck. He died of this injury and Paula received a life term 2nd degree murder conviction.

I know all of this to be true because I have studied Paula's 860-page trial transcript in detail, many times over. She was convicted on the flimsiest of evidence and I am totally, totally convinced that what happened that day was nothing more than a tragic accident.

In recent months, as I have come to love Paula very deeply beyond the point of a lifetime commitment, I did pledge a considerable sum of money to hire a top-rate lawyer, with whom I had a meeting when I was last over there in December (this was entirely my own initiative. It is my view that Paula deserves the best - and the best she shall have). At that time, Paula was considering a try for clemency.

For her part, she has been undertaking a correspondence degree in criminal law with Ashworth College (sponsored by me) and has become a qualified inmate law clerk (sponsored by the State). Her competency in the legal field has been growing by the day. In January, she discovered what is almost certainly a fundamental error in her original trial; the jury were most definitely misdirected. She spent two weeks researching this in the law library and came up with two previous similar cases where this had occurred. In both, the defendant was given a new, belated appeal. Paula has filed for this, citing these cases in law.

As for the clemency - well, I asked her if she would still like me to retain this lawyer and get him cracking on it - or would she rather wait until the decision on the appeal comes through. I received a reply to this question only last Tuesday. Totally selfless and considerate as always, Paula says, "it would be probably better to wait until my appeal brief is heard." She then goes on to say that she wouldn't want me to spend all that money on a clemency try for her when there is a chance she can still fight her case. In fact, she never really asks me for anything at all. I do support her financially, although she has never asked me to do that. When that occurs, she always tells me what she has purchased with it and how much pleasure it has given her.

Paula fell into a hole 8 years ago, landed in prison and was taking all sorts of medication for depression and a low self-esteem. Today she is very highly motivated, believes totally in herself and her abilities, has become very wise indeed and is using sheer guts and determination to dig herself out. She is a shining example of what can happen when the power of selfless, unconditional love takes over.

As for me - well, life has always been (and continues to be) very kind to me. Nothing much seems to go wrong. I am one of the few people who can honestly say that I have no regrets and that I am sincerely happy inside; it has always been so. I came to this group realising that I could probably contribute much to it; my experiences have been somewhat different from many other unfortunates who find their loved one permanently behind bars. However, I am very much aware that life can deal some awful cards sometimes and the day might yet come when I need some advice and help from this forum. From what I have seen already, I know completely that if such a day came, that I could rely upon it.:thumbsup:

Kind regards,

Steve.

I don't believe I posted in here yet and just saw this thread. :eek:

Ciao, My sweetheart is a lifer+40 years.:( He has been in for 10 years now (just had his anniversary) and is currently serving time in a very restrictive SHU. We are praying for a miracle and know God works in mysterious ways. He is a daddy and I am a step-mom (hate that term maybe I can find a better one) to his beautiful children. I pray for them everyday and hope they can avoid the life that their daddy led.

I am a Godmommy to a little baby boy whose father (17yrs old) has been in and out since age 12 and is heading back for a 6 year sentence.:slap: :(

I make siggys for PTO, attend Bible Study and believe we should treat others the way we want to be treated. The lifer people here have been very supportive and a big thank you to you all. :thumbsup:

Ciao

Hi all...

I became a member last year but haven't really done any posting or reading until this past week. I came here for support and encouragements as my hun has been transferred out of miami to the panhandle of florida (ACI) and have been miserable since then.I am used to seeing him every week and now I wont be able to see him as much, just once a month if money permits me to.

My name is Aprila and I am loving a lifer, Anthony, with 3 life sentences and a 30 year mand. He currently has 2 appeals going through as he was wrongfully convicted and innocent in this mess. I am 27 years old and Anthony is 37 years old and we have been together for 5 years, engaged for the last 2 years and haven't set a date yet. I met him while he was in jail awaiting trials. But I saw him in a picture before he went to jail while he was with his ex in '99. When I saw his pic, I knew there was something special with that man. Sure enough, my best friend in 2000 asked me to start writing to him because he was really lonely and no family would come see him nor his friends either. his ex ran off and got pregnant with another man and Anthony left her then. At the time that she asked me, my first thought was no, hes in jail. But my heart got the better of me because i remember how I felt seeing his picture that I thought after, ok ill write to him and be his friend and try to give him the support that he might need. We started writing in august of 2000 and met personally in a contact visit in october of 2000. In that first visit, we both felt something so different and so exciting that 3 months later, he professed his love to me and I too. Our relationship has become the most amazing, loving, and beautiful part of our life together. We are each other's best friend and tell eachother everything and share our hearts together.We are more or less like 2 peas in a pod.

When he was going to trial, 2 of them, it was the hardest thing that I had to go through in my life but i went everyday, even risking losing my job, at his trial because being by his side is what he needed the most. And both trials was a mess that found him guilty followed by months of heartaches and emotional outbursts. On the very last trial day, we were so sure that he was going to be found not guilty because of the fact that there was no evidence or nothing pointing at him, still found guilty. It was even harder than the first and my heart just broke for him and I felt so hurt for him. It felt like I was carrying his burden. and felt very alone. That night, I went to see him. Seeing his face was like seeing a child so painfully hurt. He tried to let me go then but loving him so much and my heart ache for him, I couldn't leave him. Every fibers of my body fought that chance of leaving him because I love him so much and has become my world.

Finding PTO last year and recently starting to become more involved in it has become my savior in the last week. I really admire and cherish all of your encouragements and loving advices that you all give to eachother and hope to make new friends here. And reading this lifers forum about others stories brought tears to my eyes because now I know that I will find the support that I need and a place to go to when I feel my bleakest. It feels as though god brought me here to heal the pains that I carry from Anthony's and myself.

Thank you for everything!

Hello my name is Crystal and I have been with my David on and since high school. I reside in Michigan and he is a lifer with no chance of parol we just recently became ingaged. He is in Terre Haute USP and I love him more than anything.

Hello Everyone ~ I'm Lisa from washington state I'm 43 I have two son 28 and 25 and 3 Beautiful grandchildren 9, 4 ,3. I have been a forklift operator for the JM Smucker company for 7yrs.:)

My cousin Louie is 33 and has served 8 yrs. of his life w/o parole sentance in California State Prison Corcoran .He was charged w Kidnap for Randsom/ louie took this guy who owed him $200.00 from the house he was hiding out in at gun point. He took the guy to serveral pay phones so the guy could arrange to get the money he owed, The last girl he called said she would loan him the money and to wait at the phone booth for her, but instead of her showing up she sent the cops. They found a .357 under the driver seat and 4 1/2 grams of meth in the trunk. penal code defines Kidnap for Ransom any person subjected to any such act who, suffers death, bodily injury or is intentonally confined in a manner which exposes that person to a substantial likelihood of death, the penalty is life w/o parole. Louie caused know harm to the guy and the guy walked freely to and from the phone booths & back to the car, The jury concluded "substantial likelihood of death.":confused: ....... I'm Sorry for turning this into a novel ThankYou all for listening :) Lisa

Hi my name is Leslie. I live in Georgia.My husband is in jail for murder an just got sentenced to life with a possibility of parole. I am trying to be strong for him and our 3 children but I cant seem to get a grip on things.I dont know if life means life or 14 years.I dont know where they will send him.I am so confused. I am glad I found this site.I dont know if it gets easier in time but I sure hope so.

Welcome to our new members!! We are very glad you found us!! You have just joined the best forum on the boards (yeah I am a little biased :blush: ) - the Lifer Sisters are always here with big shoulders - kind words and lots of love to go around. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask! Just jump in and start posting and remember we are all here for the same reason, because we ARE strong enough to endure!! We were sent to our loved ones for a reason - not everyone understands, but rest assured, your Lifer Sisters will!!

Take care and chin up!

Hi everyone. I have been a member of PTO since Dec 2004. I am posting in this forum because I have a very good friend who is serving 15 to life. He has already served 9 years.

My boyfriend and father of my children is also in prison, but he will be paroled in Dec 2005. These two are brothers.

I have known this man for about 10 years. We have never been romantically involved, but I go see him about once every month to offer support and friendship since he has nobody else right now.

The thought of him serving his whole life behind bars is unthinkable, especially since he was only 19 when he went in.

Having a friend who is serving a possible life sentence is a real challenge, but we both know that we will be friends for the rest of our lives, whether he is in prison or out.

Hello all!!
A little about me:
I'm a paralegal student and will hopefully attend law school soon. My dream is to graduate from law school and help out within my community preferably people that are unable to help themselves.
Now about my fiance:
My fiance should've been sentences to 10-life on a plea but you know about those supposebly pleas and overworked public defenders.
Anywho my fiance has served 19 years and is up for parole by the beginning of next year, he was denied 5 times but we are hopeful that he can be paroled this time.
I met my fiance before the time of his incarceration when we were teenagers. Then he went in at the age of 18. After I found out that he was in a couple of years later we started talking but I left him after about a year of talking with him because I was 18 myself and was scared to think of being comited to someone that was doing so much time...scared to not have a life. After that time, he never once was angry towards me. He would write to me about once a year to check on me but I was in another relationship with someone else and didn't want him to find out so I just didn't write back however, he stopped writing me for a few years and then out of the blue, recently, last year he wrote to me again, wondering how I was doing and requested if I could write him a support letter, I wrote him back with the support letter. He was very excited to hear from me, coincidently, I just finalized my divorce and moved out of a long relation I was in for many, many years. We started writing each other a lot and fell for one another fast and hard, maybe because of the previous feelings that we had for one another even though our feelings are much stronger then before. I asked him if he can forgive me for what I've done and his response was "I already have". He told me he knew I had to live my life and he's not mad at me for that. I believe it was fate that brought us back together at this point in time. I went through things within my life to prepare myself to be with him. I always go through the "what ifs". What if I stayed with him and maybe I could of had his child because he doesn't have ANY children. It hurts because I believe in his heart he wants to have children and I had to be totally honest with him, that I'm unable to have more children do to my surgery but you know what he told me, that he doesn't want any children of his own but he will accept and love mine as his own and once we are marrried that they are now his responsibily and he takes care of all his responsibilities. I think he's just saying that for my sake because he knows I'm unable to have any more children. Anyway, I'm with him for as long as I'm alive and can accept that he may be in for the rest of his life. I love him just that much. He has a huge family but NO one writes or visits but he has such a good heart and tells me he's not mad at his family because he is the one that put himself in there. He sends his family cards to let them know that he thinks about and loves them. I will do anything for him because he deserves anything and everything good. He has a huge heart and that's why I love him. We will be getting married soon and I'm very excited about it. When we get married it's for life in there or out here.
Thanks all for reading my post and being supportive, I can relate to each and everyone posts.

A big welcome to our recent new members.....so in love, Latinlove, crash4921, nightbird/leenallie (even if you're not technically a newbie lol), Gloria dee56, N8tivNAZ, Crstnamre, luv4alifer, Limeylad, APRILA, crystalbishop, Lisa1961, tjsgirl, tweetwashington, and Twonswife.....

It's so wonderful that you've all found PTO, and I hope you are all feeling right at home!
Please feel free to PM either betrayed_4_life or myself with any questions you may have ;)

Hello Susan my name is liz and I am in kind of the same situation, I have fallen in love with a man who is doing life in prison, I fell in love with him knowing he has life in prison and I don't care. I am also 37 and have been in two relationships, I have been thinking of relocating just so that I can be near him and see him. I have not yet been able to visit him because of our distance. I must say one can not question the heart. Luv is Luv. and reading your letter made me realize I am not alone.:) Thanks again Susan~waves to Dawn~

Hi, everyone :D

My name is Susan, and I have been with Shawn for two years now....he is serving a 15-to-life sentence for murder. We met through a co-worker who sent me his online penpal ad; after looking at it for a month, I couldn't put off writing him any longer. Strangely enough, I never got to thank the girl who brought us together, as she left the job before I had the chance.

I am from Providence, Rhode Island, but have just relocated to Kansas in search of a much quieter life...as well as the opportunity to spend time with my guy. Previously, the distance between us made that impossible; now I am less than 25 minutes from his doorstep. I have a beautiful 15-year old daughter who is still on the East coast with my parents for the time being, and I am the proud owner of two of the goofiest dogs ever :cool:

As Dawn mentioned, there are unique challenges to loving a Lifer. Dealing with the system is hard, but it's even more difficult if the light at the end of the tunnel is dimmed by a possibly endless sentence. Since I've been married twice before (and have packed a lot of living into my 37 years, LOL), I feel I am at a stage in my life where I can handle the concept that he may never come home. I may not like it, and have had some sad days mulling over the "what ifs", but overall I try to remain as optimistic as I can. I've researched a lot of similar cases in the Kansas legal system, and was surprised at just how many prisoners made parole on their first or second attempt. It's still a toss of the dice at best....but I try to remain as supportive as I can for him. I have every intention of living my life to its fullest, regardless of his incarceration....and he wouldn't have it any other way. Lots of old hobbies and new pursuits (including gardening!) in my immediate future ;)

He has given me the gift of being able to love again, when I thought that emotion was all but lost to me. So no matter what happens, I will carry his soul in my hands forever.

Much thanks to Dawn for taking on this forum...hugs to you, girl!

Welcome :wave: to all of our new sisters!! We are so happy you found us - you will find a wealth of information, love and support here. Jump right in and start posting - we can't wait to learn more about you!! :grouphug: If you need anything - don't hesitate to contact Irisheyes66 or myself - we are here to help you too!

Hi everyone. I have been lurking on these forums for a while but thought I should finally introduce myself. My name is Shana. I live in Arizona. My soulmate, John, is in Florida serving a LWOP sentence. John was 15 when he was sentenced as an adult for 1st degree murder. He just turned 20 and has been moved to an adult prison (Hamilton Annex).
My heart breaks for him because he is very afraid of being there, he is used to being only around other juveniles and now he is in the adult prison where anything can happen.
How can I comfort him? Anyone have any tips/advice for him on how to deal with being a 20 year old in an adult prison?

I am really glad to have found PTO. I think it will help John and I alot.

Johnsheart!!

I am so pleased that you found PTO and our lifer family!!! We are here to help you both!!
I think he can find comfort in knowing that you are there for him as always, willing to listen to his fears and to stand behind him 100%. Let him know that we are here for him as well. He'll have a lot of prayers and well wishes coming his way when he needs it.

penwife

Hi and welcome Johnsheart!

I don't know if it helps any but my lifer went in very young too and he says it is actually easier for him in the adult prisons than the youth authority lockups, because the adult prisons are more orderly and disciplined.

Hopefull he will find his way quickly. We are here, meanwhile, for you both.

Thank you all. It has been very hard for both of us. John was just a kid when he got sentenced, and its a hard reality knowing that he's still got a long time to go unless a miracle happens.

John's Heart,
Welcome to the lifers forum, I know you will find lots of support here as have I. I have no special words of wisdom to offer you other than a sympathetic ear. My man has been in for over 27 years. He went in at the age of 18. How he survived all he has seen and been thru I don't know. What I can tell you is that it is survivable. He is now the strongest, most sensitive, kind hearted, talented individual that it has ever been my honor to meet.
Hang in there, be there for him, he's going to need you thru this, and on the days when it just seems to much, remember you have friends here who understand. Leslie

it just seems so unfair that at the age of 20 he has already spent 5 long difficult years behind bars. He never got a chance to have a normal child hood. He is literally growing up in prison :(
More and more every day I am angry with the legal system that allowed a 15 year old child to be tried and sentenced as an adult. They have ruined his life. To say to the world that a 15 year old is not capable of ever changing, by giving him Life Without Parole, is incredibly inhumane.
In spite of having spent the last 5 years of his youth in prison, John is incredibly loving and to the delight of many of the prison officials, he has never been written up even once in these years where most kids are going to get into trouble all the time.

Gosh I really don't know where to begin. Never have I ever seen so much support for people loving lifers. It does my heart good to see this. My name is Kimberly, I am a mother of four gorgeous young men, ages 18, 16, 15 and 11. My Sweethart Steven is serving 15 to life for murder. He has served 16 to date and goes before the board 2006. We have known each other for 4 years, but have been engaged since Feb. of this year. I met Steven through my brother who was serving 5 to 10. He was released this year. I have been very fortunate as far as visits and friendly staff. The people at Ironwood have been very good to the both of us. I visit almost every weekend which is great, my heart depends on those visits, even the ones for one hour behind glass(stinks) I am a full-time student as well as full-time employee. I am currently working on my B.S. My goal is Forensic Pathology. I stay pretty busy so it really helps pass the time until another visit. I think you are a bunch of great ladies to support one another as you do. I have not had any support since I said yes to marriage. I've had to endure many negative remarks, but my little men remind me that the only thing that matters is that Mom and Boys are happy. But it's very nice to know there are more people like me on the outside as well. I wish you all nothing but a future filled with answered prayers, our loved ones home, and much happiness. Lord knows we deserve it. God bless each of you for all that you do.

Welcome to PTO :wave: Loving Steven - we are glad that you are found us. We are a big family here in the Lifer forum and we are happy to have another Lifer Sister. Jump right in - start posting and you will find yourself surrounded by love and support. Take care - chin up!

Welcome Loving Steven. This is a great place for love, support and understanding. When I first found this site I was amazed because I was reading my story, feelings and emotions in the posts from women from around the world. This feels like "home" to me, as my definition of home is a place where you are loved, and supported. My lifer is also at ISP. Again welcome.

Welcome Loving Steven! Everything they've said so far about this forum is true... :). I wish you the best in his upcoming board hearing... meanwhile, we're all here for all your ups and downs!

Johns Heart, I understand that anger you feel about him being locked up at such a young age... I don't understand how our society can just turn its back on children the way we do. It makes me crazy too...stay strong, Q

Welcome, Kim....so glad you found us! This Forum has a wonderful family of folks that is second to none ;)

My fiance has the same stretch as your sweetie, 15 to life for murder. Some days are harder than others, but we're still chugging along.

Pull up a chair, grab a cool drink....and read, read, read.

Oh, and watch for a Lifer chat schedule shortly!

Liz and Shana.....welcome to you both! It's so great to know that more folks in this situation are finding PTO!

Of course, I wish there really was no reason for us all to be meeting like this :rolleyes:
But, together we'll make the best of a bad situation, right?

Liz, I saw your other thread about relocating.....I did a lot of research before moving across the country (schools, taxes, employment, crime, cost of living, etc.), and have been very happy here on the prairie :D

It's not a decision to take lightly at all; there is always risk involved. For me, the benefits far outweighed that risk....so, here I am.
Who'd have thought, a city girl living the country life? Ha!

PM me anytime if you want to talk about the situation in depth, okay?

Hugs to my Lifer family!
Susan

I just wanted to post a quick thank you to all of you. This site really helps me get through a hard day. I will be seeing Steven this weekend so I am pretty darn excited, last weekend was only an hour behind glass, but it was better than nothing. Again thanks for all the encouragement.

I'm doing the behind glass thing right now too... :( but way better than nothing as you say. Have a great visit and I hope you join us in threads or in the Lifers Koffee Klutch!

i have been involved w a lifer since 1998. i met him post-conviction. he met me post-divorce. he listened to me and i listened to him. i have felt very comfortable talking to him about every and anything. we really try to understand where the other is coming from. i love him for caring enough to ask about my day and yes, his day is important too. pto thanks for being there 4 me to read and post to. i'll have to figure how to check if anyone responsed to this post

Welcome to the Forum, evonkiz!!!

Welcome evon .. to the best.. forum..



LIFER SIS'S.. and BRO RULE! AND ROCK

Donna

Hi everyone! My name is Jessica and the love of my life is doing life in Menard in Illinois. I met him prior to his going to prison but really didn't get to know him well until after. He was one of the ones on death row who had their sentences commuted.

I love this man with all my heart and soul and we'll be married someday if the prison will allow it, which I'm not so sure of. I intend to be there with him for the long haul as I can't imagine my life without him. He's not only my love but my best friend. I'm so glad I've found this forum and a group of people who understand my situation. Lord knows my friends and family think I'm nuts. Maybe I am but I can't help how I feel. I feel that God brought us together and he'll get us through whatever may come.

God bless you all!

:wave:Welcome to all of our new Lifer Sisters!! We are glad you found us and welcome you with open arms and hearts. You will find much love and support here on PTO and in particular the Lifers forum.

Take Care - Chin Up!

Welcome to the Lifers forum and PTO, berry! So glad you've joined us!

Thanks so much for the warm welcome, guys! :) Welcome to the Lifers forum and PTO, berry! So glad you've joined us!

hi I'm new to the site & my fiance' is serving 12-life w/ the possibility of parole. to some that may not sound too bad but in the state of CA that's not a good thing to go on. Right now our faith & hope is in the Lord who will have his way regardless.I hope to start communicating w/ someone who has this in common some days are really hard. Anyway thanks for listening....Sharon4troy/ in CA

Welcome to the Forum, Sharon!

Welcome Berry and Sharon!

My husband has been in for 13 years and has a life with parole sentence. We were denied parole again in March for the 6 time. I have stuck by him and he has stuck my me and we will continue to do so. We have three children growing up in front of us. 13, 14 and 15. I am glad I found you guys

My husband has been in for 13 years and has a life with parole sentence. We were denied parole again in March for the 6 time. I have stuck by him and he has stuck my me and we will continue to do so. We have three children growing up in front of us. 13, 14 and 15. I am glad I found you guys

Welcome to the forum!! We are glad you found us too - you will find much love and support here!

I am not sure if I have posted here or not. My little brother ( 26 years old) is serving life w/o parole in Anamosa Iowa. I have moved to Minnesota a few years back. I have been bouncing from forum to forum reading almost every post available...

Thank you all for sharing information and experiences. Since my brothers crime involved "family"- the "family" has abandonded him except me. And of coarse he has to be one of those " I don't need anything, don't worry about me, etc" kind of people.

Now back to reading and learning more and more about how to help my brother try and cope ( even if he won't admit it. lol, wonder if I might be as stubborn as him)

Welcome Texasgirl and Silvrwolve!

Hi everyone. I'd joined the Loving My Lifer club yesterday after speaking with a friend that's a member here. I have been with my husband for about 4 1/2 years and we will be married 3 years next month. It's not an easy lifestyle that I deal with but I love him to death and will do what's necessary to be with him because he's worth it. Finding PTO and the support here makes it alot easier to deal with. People who are not in a situation like this don't really understand it and tend to question your sanity and your husband or mate's motives. It's nice to have someplace to come to where people understand.:D

Welcome Wife C! And Silvrwolve!

You're in the right place for people who understand. Feel free to jump into the Koffee Klutch thread or to start threads of your own. The Lifer's forum is one of the best on PTO -- my humble opinion ;).

Thanks for the warm welcome!!!!

Just found PTO yesterday...my name is Rae, I live in Alabama - my partner is in Nevada, serving two LWOP's...this is his 20th year. We were together before, and are back together now after a long separation. and definitely planning to stay this way.

Welcome Wife C and Desert! Glad you found us! You will find some wonderful people here and although I may be baised - I think the best of the best are right here in the Lifer forum. Welcome to our newest Lifer Sisters.

hello am a 25 year old female i meet my man in 2003 and meet this wonderful site just this year it had truly been a blessing meeting both and having God bring so much wonderful things in my life, I was just ask to marry him and i told me yea am so happy i never thought i would ever be this happy but i am and am so thankful, i pray every min of everyday that God will help us and show us what we need to do to get him out of there, he is serving two life sentence. because of a **** up legal system am sorry it just pisses me off how they sentence people especial when you are poor. so please just pray for us and email me if you ever need to talk i know i be need to sometime. Iam thinking about going to college to study law so pray about that for me too we need change and God going to lead us to them we just need to remind strong and patience.

Betrayed 4 life told me about this forum in chat one night so i decided to pop in and check it out. My husband is doing 15 to life and if were lucky he might make parole in 2012 if not then it looks like we wait until 2017. Either way we have told each other that we are in this for the long haul. Its hard a lot harder than I had first thought but I'm hanging on 1 day at a time.
All I can say is thank you for being here this site has been great for me and I'm sure it has been the same for others as well

Betrayed 4 life told me about this forum in chat one night so i decided to pop in and check it out. My husband is doing 15 to life and if were lucky he might make parole in 2012 if not then it looks like we wait until 2017. Either way we have told each other that we are in this for the long haul. Its hard a lot harder than I had first thought but I'm hanging on 1 day at a time.
All I can say is thank you for being here this site has been great for me and I'm sure it has been the same for others as wellWelcome Sydney!:D Hope to see you in the lifer forum in the days to come!

Donna:

I grew up in the revere, Mass. and I am now in South Carolina. Please contact me if you need an arm to cry on. Same to everyone else!

http://www.snugglepie.com/ezb/205165.png (http://www.snugglepie.com/)

Hi Dawn Its Good To Know There Is Non Judgemental People Still Out There Because There Are Far And Few Of Us That Love Lifers .. I Reside In Florida Thank God My Husband Isnt That Far From Me I Guess I Am Lucky There. But With Him Being In The Feds Its Up To Whom Ever Whenever They Feel Like Transferring Him, He Has A Double Life Sentence (no Not For Murder) But I Pray One Day That He May Be Home, But Still Live With Reality That He May Not. Good Luck To The Both Of You I Wish You Well And The Most Of Happiness.

Hello PTO, I just signed on to this site last week and notice this section today. My fiance and I have been together for a year and a half. I love him with all my heart. He is serving 2 LSWOP and it is good to find people who are going through the same struggles as me.

Welcome mrskaram! I stumbled across this site by accident as well month ago and I'm glad I found it! My lifer is in NM and he's helped make me feel like a teenager again! (I'm 37, going on 16...LOL). You'll find a lot of support here and make some new friends as well!

Hi mrskarem!! I am so happy you found us!! You are so right...we all go thru the same struggles, but let me tell you that it is so much easier to handel when you have a whole group of loving, caring people such as the ones here in the lifers forum to share your miserys and your happiness with.

hugs!
penwife
Lifer forum leader

I am a single parent with one adult child, I have to say that I am penpals to 4 great guys. 2 begining lifers and 1 getting out in 06 and one has another 9 or 10 yrs to go. I have to say that my one lifer who is very special to me is most caring man he is also a violent offender but I can't see it well he does have his ups and downs right. But I can tell him just about anything and he always gives me his opinion. I have to say that we had a falling out cause I went to visit another penpal while he was in the hole and you know what he said he didn't want to talk to me or anything and it felt like he had stab me in the heart. So I called his mother and I wrote to him and told him that I was only telling him the truth. Well after a cooling off period he wrote me out of the blue and said that he missed me and that I was his best friend. He is very, very jealous and I just have to be more aware of some of the pen pals that I have or discuss with him. I think at first he accepted it and then as we got closer he got really, really upset about others.

I have to tell you that I would not trade the attention or gifts that I get from him for anything. Why couldn't I have found a guy like that on the outside?

Sorry for rambling

Tia

Welcome To the lifers forum, Tia!!!


pw

hello, Its very nice to have found this lifers support.My lifer is my husband of almost 9 years he has been locked up 4 years this oct.we have been together for 11 years.He has a life w/parole & life w/o parole.He is my heart and soul we are doing life together for now and for always.

love4mike! I am so happy you found us!


penwife

Hi! I am new to this so I will make this short. My boyfriend is currently doing life w/o at Holman in Alabama. This will be a tough road to hoe I am sure but I am so glad that you guys are here for support. I have been with David for a little over a year now. We just got on the list to get married. However the wait at Holman is 2 years but we have learned not to try to rush things! :) I love him dearly and hope he one day comes home but he has already made all my dreams come true!

Thanks for reading!

aimeec!!

I am so happy you found us!! You're right to just ride out the waiting list, DOC works extremely slow and to get uptight over it will get you nowhere!!

penwife

Hi Aimeec! I have a penpal in Holman, AL, who is also doing life (without, I think).
Best wishes to you and your fiance!

Welcome Tina and Aimeec!:)

aimeec!!

I am so happy you found us!! You're right to just ride out the waiting list, DOC works extremely slow and to get uptight over it will get you nowhere!!

penwife

Thanks penwife! You are so true! If I get uptight then it is a big waste of my time because I am sure they don't care. If I love him enough to marry him today I am sure I will love him enough to do it in two years.

Hi Aimeec! I have a penpal in Holman, AL, who is also doing life (without, I think).
Best wishes to you and your fiance!

Abelle,
That is cool that you have pp there. David is in segregation though and has been for the last two years. I hope they soon get ready to move him to population. Thanks for the well wishes.

I'm so greatful that I have found this site. A little info about me. A few yrs. back I found love with a guy serving 25 to life it was a whirl wind romance. In a short period of time we were married and sadly to say we also got a divorce. Over this past summer we started writing to each other again. Within the last few weeks I started visiting him. The road ahead is uncertain... from what I have read here in this forum the last few days has given me inspiration.

Welcome lost,aimecc, and tina!
you have found the right place..

Donna

Welcome lostinlove!!! You've found a good home away from home here. You have an amazing story... I hope your relationship keeps moving forward on a good path.

hello to all my pto sisters
my name is camille and i've been with my husband for nine long years...hes been in for 19yrs and just recieved a year set-off!!!! Both of us was devastated but i refuse to dwell on this and i won't let him dwell on it either...we will get through this no matter what....they can try and knock us down...but we will never stay down....they can't keep him forever!

Welcome cmhurd!
And keep up your positive attitude!

Donna

Camille,
I am so sorry girl. I admire your determination. Hopefully this next year will go by very quickly. My guy and I are currently waiting on an answer from the governor about parole ourselves. Maybe soon one of us will have good news to post here.

cmhurd!! Welcome to the lifers forum!!!


penwife

cmhurd welcome to the lifers forum

Hello my name is Michele and I reside in Missouri. My husband has been locked since we were 19 and now we are 30. He has a life sentence but we are trying to appeal it now. I'm happy that I started looking into other forums because I felt as though I was the only woman going through this. The faith I have in God is going to see us through.

Welcome Michele!! :wave: Glad you found us, this is a great place... be sure to check out the "lifers lounge" and chats, too!

You sure aren't the only one going thru it!

You've really been there for the long haul -- you'll find others here doing the same kind of time together too. At least one with more than 20 years. :)

Q

ps. Best of luck with the appeal.

Hello how are all of you lovely ladies. I have been a part of this site and forum for a while, but never formally introduced myself here. So here goes nothing. My name is christine. My husband is serving a sentence of 9-life for second degree murder. He has already served 16 years and has been incarcerated since he was 14 years old. He is innocent of the crime he suposedly committed and has 2 appeals on his case. One is on the case completely and the other is on his parold denile. If anyone can help please go to this web address and read the petition I have for him and if you agree sign it. Thank you so much. I am tring to get some more signactures before I have to send it in which will be soon. Take care and god bless.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/927895644?ltl=1132104338

:)hi my babys doing LWOP... its really hard sometimes i found pto by accident looking up info on iowa state pen...im hopeing to meet lots of people...i figured it would be nice to talk to someone in my shoes...most people cant understand how u can love someone thats doing life all i no is that ido:new:

Moon Star!!!! Welcome to PTO and to the lifers forum!!!!! You will find lots of support and understanding here!!!!


penwife

Greetings. I found this site a couple of months ago and am so glad to find this thread. I live in Kansas and my b/f is locked up in Kansas. He's serving 2 life sentences consecutively for murder. He's been in for 22 years on the first conviction and comes up for parole in '09. I met him through my parents! LOL They have visited him for 15 years through a prison ministr