and than feel better...;) I hope I'm not out of line here, starting this thread, but we have the praise and prayer threads, which I love, but we don't really have one to come and let it all out. So I thought I would try this, you can come here for daily gripes, or tears or whatever you need to just get off your chest. Talking always helps! I'll go ahead and start with my gripe, Tx does not have a phone system. Oh they allow one call every 90 days (I think 30 for some) collect of course, for 5 minutes, on a speaker phone with a co standing there listening.. WOW! And that's if they are approved for a phone call, and if you can get one of those helpful co's to actually do the phone calls. :mad: So I never get to talk to my son. :( Ok, who's next???

What a great idea Reggie! Thank you. Ok I want to gripe about your gripe. 5 minutes every 3 months?! Dear God that's torturous. I'm sorry for you, I didn't know that. No wonder we go nutty. sigh.

I don't get any phone calls, because they can't call cell phones and that is all I have. and his 2 youngest - their mom only has a cell phone. they need to figure out a way to allow calls to cell phones. :(

I'll gripe with you on that one Dutch, sheeeze, all this technology and they can't find a way to let them call cell phones? We don't have a house phone either, we move around so much it's just easier to do cells, and by the time we pay that bill....oh I feel another gripe....

Reggie and Dutch, I'm sorry to read that you can't talk with your boys when you'd like to. My son is still in county and can call daily if I prepay for the phone calls, which I do. He is also allowed to call my cell phone. He was calling every day when he first went in but now calls every few days and I didn't hear from him yesterday which upset me. I guess when he gets to a praison it will be different huh? No daily or weekly calls? Ugh. That's going to be hard.

My gripe is that I can't go see my son because he doesn't want me to. He says fights always break out on visiting day. I suppose it's because the guys are emotional after seeing their family.

I guess we'll just have to keep praying and keep venting to get us through this nightmare.

Hi Jame, maybe once he gets out of county he'll change his mind about visits. I think sometimes, the visists are hard on them, especially if they are in a "place" (as in state of mind) where they are struggling with themselves. Sometimes, they have a hard time with their own guilt, and seeing a loved one face to face, only makes them feel worse. Once they forgive themselves, and accept that they can't change the past, they can move foward and start to want to see the ones they could not face. All in time, my friend. Time heals. Hang in there!

Okay --- the wheels are clicking again --- so how can we get Texas and any other state that is still in the 18th century into the present technological era??? That's simply inconceivable to me! Gosh geepers! I'm surprised they don't make them use smoke and blankets to send messages out! I think of all the junk I've seen on "60 Minutes" and "Nightline" and why haven't they covered this issue? Grrrr! I can see how very frustrating this is for the families and I'm angry for you! ::::looking up the networks on the internet and sending them some messages::::

Mary

heeheehee, ya'll be careful passing through Texas, 'go on vacation, leave on probation" careful! LOL

Speaking of which. MDF lit my bulb! Light Bulb Alert. I suddenly remembered something about 3 way calling. There must be a way for Dutchgirl and Reggie to talk their kids.

What if one of your friends had a regular phone with 3 way calling feature? Your sons can call their phone and your friend can call your cellphone for the 3 way call? I was able to do this once. It worked. Relatives wanted talk to him with good words before he left for Reception and State Prison.

I'm surprised they don't make them use smoke and blankets to send messages out!

heheheheh! omg! There can be a great book written and published by the Comedic Mothers of Inmates. All funds can be used towards putting our own specialized phone company together?

Oh and any additional funds can be used for relocating familys to Michigan. All roads to Michigan circle AROUND Texas. Thank you for that reminder Reggie! ya!

My vent would be on electronic hand held kids games. Why do they make the sound on them so darned annoying. Someone not in their right mind bought 3 of them for an 8 year old. They have gone non stop most of today and a good bit of yesterday. Yikes.

:) yeah it is like grandparents (me & larry) after church every Sunday - we take the 2 grandkids (Davids kids) to Dairy Queen. get em sugared up then take em home :) hehehe.
spoil em & send em home. that is a grandparents motto, privelage, right and no one can take that away from a grandma. hhahahahhehehe hohoho

Arkansas does not allow cell phone calls either. I'm lucky enough to have a family member who will allow us to use their phone. He calls once a week at a set time. It is the shortest 15 minutes of my life but so good to hear his voice. Getting on the "approved" phone list is an ordeal and you can only add a new number every like 90 days.:(

Hi all... I ended up getting a second cell phone with a local phone number that's in the same area where the prison is. I got the cheapest plan and all incoming calls are free. The only one that calls me is my son from prison. We use the 3 way calling feature and also call forwarding. It's all included free in my plan. Has been saving me tons of $$$$ and seems to be working good! FYI... Happy New Year! Mom in MN

Hi all... I ended up getting a second cell phone with a local phone number that's in the same area where the prison is. I got the cheapest plan and all incoming calls are free. The only one that calls me is my son from prison. We use the 3 way calling feature and also call forwarding. It's all included free in my plan. Has been saving me tons of $$$$ and seems to be working good! FYI... Happy New Year! Mom in MN

Bingo! Now that is an awsome alternative. Fantastic thinking and thank you so much for sharing that here. I hope some will be able to take advantage of your idea and start getting calls from their kids. As a matter of fact, I'm going to do this as well! I'm like the dinasaur of cell phone knowledge. I'll find out and do this as soon as he's out of Reception.

I'm curious though, in your state, do they allow inmates to call cellphones? Or did you find a brilliant loophole that makes a cellphone useable? I'm astounded.

Thank you again!
God Bless you and your brilliant brain

Be careful of using 3 way calling. It is great when it works but many facilities have rules against doing this and some have automatic screening that will immediatley disconnect the call and then the inmate may be forbidden from using the phone for a while. Also some systems will automatically disconnect when the call waiting click makes a noise or if there is quiet on the line for more thatn a few seconds. My son was in a place that disconnected when it got quiet and a few time he would say wait for a second while he asked someone a question or once when he ran to his cell to get some papers so I would sit there and hum into the phone. I always imagined the phone screener listening in to me humming and would get a good giggle out of it. The inmates usually know if 3 way calls can be made so have your son ask around first before trying it and getting in trouble.

tigrldy, hows it going with those games? heeheehee

Just popping in to say that luckily, within the next year or so, Texas WILL be getting phone systems in place for inmates to make phone calls. There is supposed to be contracts in place by September 2008 for the service--some units, from what has been reported other places here on PTO, are starting to do the construction needed to add the phones. As of now, there are no phones even in place..when they are allowed to call (and what Reggie reports is correct about 90 days, speaker phone, with a CO standing there), they are taken to an office to use the phone. There's still much debate on how it will be handled, but at least Texas Legislature FINALLY passed a bill to allow phones to be put in..that's a step, albeit a small one.

Nance

Hallelujah! That is fantastic news! Progress.

Hi again... my son still has to purchase phone time but because my cell phone has a local number ( same 1st 6 numbers as the prison) it only costs him .37 and costs me nothing but my monthly cell phone charge. He calls me on the local number and then I can either use 3 way calling or transfer to another number and that can be a cell phone number. Confusing I know! Took me awhile to figure it all out! My monthly cell phone bill is about 30.00. I just got the cheapest, no frills plan I could get. All incoming calls are free. The only one that ever calls me on that phone is my son and that's all I use that phone for. When he was calling collect, just the charges for his calls a month would be about 100.00 more than my usual monthly charge. So obviously this is a HUGE money saver for me! The things you do for love!!! =)

go on vacation..leave on probation is a common jail house theme. same words spoken from Tony when he was in Warren PA jail-then again Warren is not a place to go on vacation for me. lol
reggie-I have been so hectic the last few weeks I can only put in a blurb here and there. I have Tony's 3 yr old son with me til Jan 3. prior to that it was baking, decorations, yada yada....come Jan 4th life will again be *normal*-ya know....normal stuff, my son in prison, my phone bill full of collect calls, writing letters to him, seeing if he got new glasses (again) since he broke the others playing B-ball at prison- ahhhhh *normal* :)

Oh my, a 3 year old? No wonder you've been MIA, lol! What a treasure to have that time though with your grandson. Enjoy!

ya! That MIA list was getting scary as heck.

I want to Vent about something. I have to alphabatize it first or something.

Oh, I love that age! Three-year-olds are so amusing!!!! I used to watch one of my granddaughters a lot while her mom worked. Well, one day I was in the bathroom taking my shower and my 3-yr-old gr/daugh was in there sitting at my dressing table, combing her hair, etc. My bra was hanging over the back of the chair at the dressing table. As I stepped out from the shower, she picks up the bra w/ 2 fingers and says: Yanno what, Nonny???? I should prolly move this thing before somebody gets hurt! Oh, they are soooo precious!

I could write a book! LOL

tigrldy, hows it going with those games? heeheehee

Not nuts yet, but then I was the idiot that bought them in the 1st place. It wouldn't be so bad if it weren't winter break and they have two full weeks off.

I was in another topic, and started ranting. I deleted most of what I said and decided to put my Ventalation here. I didn't want my own mess to influence the new person in this horrible system not to go to trial. That would be a big mybad :)

...(continued)

We don't regret not going to Trial.
Putting our sons life in the hands 12 conservative jury members with a vote?

They'd have plenty of specialness about them.
They'd sit in those special chairs for awhile.
They'd go home at the end of the day.
And eventually share information with friends.
Excitment Factor!?

Chances are they are regular people, just like we were once regular people.
They don't know about the 3-strikes law or the faultering Health issues in Prisons, conditions. The overcrowding. Oh yes let's not forget how people's lives are turned upside down instantly. They won't know till it lands on their doorstep and sitting here at PTO with the rest of us. Suffering.

OH PS! Forgive me if any of you have sat in those chairs.
My intent here wasn't to upset you for being in those chairs.
I carry a double edged sword. Victim-Defendant situations.

I remember 2 hostile witness's who were not truthful after they took an oath.
I remember they could be sitting in those special chairs now with a vote on somebody else's life someday.
I Pray to God they never end up in a Jury Chair.

On that horrible Note

I'm going to find ways to let the regular people know about how it feels when you're no longer a regular person.

Any ideas?

I have an idea!

Shut up Bless the Inmates! :)

If you shut up Bless'um, where does that leave the rest of us. D'Gal was MIA yesterday, you're shutting up today, I'm thinking oh no. We are falling apart at the seams!

Regarding the 12 peers. I hate to repeat myself, but a criminal attorney friend of ours asked me if I really wanted to put my sons life in the hands of 12 people that were too stupid to get out of jury duty. I haven't thought the same way since. Bless'um is right they will go home at the end of the day, but they were more than likely not too bloody happy about being there in the first place. All strange, yanked out of their normal situations, forced to be there. I am thinking not so much a jury of peers, but forced labor. They are after all forced into the position. Regardless of the case or outcome, they were dutifully bound to serve and too stupid to get out of jury duty! My friends comment has scarred me for ever! Wendy

Never never never shut up Bless!!!! Scream it from the roof tops so they will hear you!!! I'll scream with you!

go on vacation..leave on probation is a common jail house theme.

LOL, I knew I heard that phrase somewhere before! giggles.

Aww thank you two so much for the vote of not shutting up. I needed that tug big time. My mind is on that book pretty fiercly since somebody brought it up on another thread. Look at us. Kinda unheard outside the PTO realm, where the hurt and pain and joys in here run like a never ending river.

well a good start is writing everyone in power, I plan to, and have. Even if they don't listen at least I tried. And vote, vote, vote!

MDF brought up a very shocking point in another thread. You probly saw it. I'd love to find it and lead us there, but I've forgotten which thread it's in.

About how multiple letters with the same issues put the big offices on alert. I wonder, are we capable or willing to start a committee here or whatever it would take and use all of our gifts available to our advantage?

I don't know how to compose such a letter.

Yes! We have to make our voices heard, because silence is quiet...and unheard.

Hallelujah! You are so right Reggieness.

Good Morning sisters. a few comments.
about jury duty. and yet, knowing what we have gone through, endured, still continue to go through, I wonder if we at a certain point were to serve on a jury, would we make the difference to someone elses life ?
we could vote like every one else, just to get out of there and go home, or we could know how that other person feels, and try to make it a true decision, good or bad, by understanding more. does this make any sense ?

Bless, About how multiple letters with the same issues put the big offices on alert. I wonder, are we capable or willing to start a committee here or whatever it would take and use all of our gifts available to our advantage? I don't know how to compose such a letter. sometimes I get these 'pass to everyone you know' type of letters where everyone signs till you have so many signatures, then this is sent to ___________ . I saw somewhere someone here on PTO had something like that for freeing their son. hmmmm if I can remember who, maybe she could tell us how to do that. then we could get signatures, and each of us send to whoever in our state. what think you ?

Ok D'gal. You are so brilliant!

Your Jury message has provoked a deep thought process instantly. The absolute thought of me being one of the worst persons to be in one of those chairs has turned into a real possibility of me not being one of the worst persons to be in one of those chairs. Thank you for that.

What a great idea on the signatures. If you could find out information on doing this, that would a fantastic thing. I almost remember running accross something about Petitions Online. Have you heard of it?

hey Bless. vaguegly (sp) I think I remember hearing something like that. then we have to figure out how to do the link for signatures. etc etc. etc.

the best way to remain humble is to remember that we could easily be the person we resent most. "there for the Grace of God go I."

Here I come..... now bear with me because Bless'm brain is moving much faster than mine tonight......

About the letters to our state legislators.... Is that what you were talking about? I know there are sites on the web giving the protocol for writing a congressman and senator. I know I can find it by tomorrow. (I'm good at that sort of stuff.) We'll want to make sure others from our state will join with us to write those letters to the state people. A letter from a Michigan woman to a California senator (even if I am adorable and without a doubt a good speller) isn't going to mean a thing to that California senator. But you know that. So whatever gangbusters you want to tackle, you want your fellow constituents writing, too. From that angle comes your power to scare the who-who out of them to know you mean business.

Also, yes, form letters are good for certain things. Choosing your issue will tell you which way you want to go: form letters or individualized. The form letter can always be written in such a way that individuals can choose which form they wish to use. (i.e., slight changes in wording, etc.)

Timing is everything. Once you have narrowed down the issue at hand you wish to have changed, you want those letters to appear on the legislators' desks within a certain time frame - say 2 weeks or a month at the outside. Use statistics and facts as much as you can. Keep it short and sweet. Legislators do not have time to read the story of our kids' lives. Keep the letter to ONE PAGE for maximum impact. If they want more details, they'll ask for them. Give the legislator a deadline by which you expect a reply. (i.e., blah blah blah... With your busy schedule, I recognize it will take some time to look into this issue. I will call your office in three weeks to see if you have any information to share.) (you get what I mean - and then you call 3 weeks later or however long you gave them)

Okay..... if you weren't talking about letters to legislators, disregard this message. It will self-destruct in 3...2...1...Phhht!

Mary
Later~~~~
Mary

great info Mary. thank you.

Grrrrr. On top of everything else my phone is ringing off the hook. My sons creditors are calling (several times a day each) and they think I'm lying to them. Does anyone know how to get these morons to stop calling?

Ovietor let the answering machine pick up. They will hang up....I'm sure someone will come along and tell you how they handled these folks...

We didn't have much to clean up as far a creditors go. Our son just moved into an apartment 2 weeks before he was arrested. We told them what was going on and they let him out of his contract. I cleaned out his stuff and it was ready for a new tentent. I feel for you parents who have all this other stuff to deal with as well.

Ovietor, there are a couple of ways to handle this, one is to tell them he doesn't live there, another is, when they ask for him say he is not there and hang up before they say another word, collectors buy invoices all the time, the more someones old account is sold, the worse the collectors...

I'm venting about the violence!
The county jail my son is in, is one of the largest in the country and the worst, I believe. It seems that weekly there is news of stabbings. My son tells me that the CO's don't even bother breaking up the fights! They wait till everyone is either too hurt or too tired to continue fighting then they go in and clean up the mess. That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. If these CO's are candy-asses (sorry) then maybe the state needs to put someone with b@lls in there who isn't afraid to dive in and stop the fights before people are killed!
UGH.
That county jail is overcrowded and of course there's going to be fighting but I feel it's an uncontrolled environment.

Jame, that's awful!!! How can they justify waiting to see who's left to bandage? Have you written to the authorities? How about the Chicago Tribune? A letter to the editor?? (ask for you name to be withheld tho from the newspaper) You have every reason to be angry! I hope something can be done!

I'll say an extra prayer for the boys tonight. (by boys, I mean all of our sons, but I won't forget the daughters either!!)

Angels of God, Guardians so dear, watch over all who are incarcerated and let them have a quiet, dreamless, restful sleep while you watching over them. A touch to their cheek will be a soft kiss from their mothers. Amen.

I agree with Mary...start writing your legislature too. The more attention you bring to this the better, we all need to be doing this in our own states. When the news hit about Abu Ghraib, we were outraged, yet where is the concern for US prisoners in US prisons???? This is a link to another forum about this, it got me writing letters and getting involved, because we need to be protesting and standing up for these inmates rights. Sorry to rant, it's a touchy subject for me, and I don't mean to preach, or rant, I just cannot stress it enough though, that we have to start standing up for these prisoners. Those of you who already do, please tell the rest of us other ways we can get involved. Unfortunately, as everything else, sometimes we don't give things a second thought until it lands on our own doorsteps and effects us personally. Shamefully I am guilty of this myself.
http://www.prisontalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=305460&highlight=prison+torture

While you are considering prison conditions consider that when an inmate is hurt or taken seriously ill in prison the family has NO rights. I have read numerous posts of people trying to find out the condition of their seriously ill loved one. When my son was injured I was lucky that the state police showed up to inform me, but my luck stopped there and I had no rights to get in to see him. He had the same type of injury Bret's son has and they did consider it life threatening. Family support for this type of injury or indeed any serious injury can be an enormous factor for patient recovery.

Tigrldy, that is an excellent point, thanks for bringing that up! I too have read so many posts where the families were not even told what was going on. This definately needs to be changed!

Can't an inmate ask that his parents be notified if he's seriously ill or hurt??!! I thought prison was (dare I say) more civilized and organized than the overcrowded county jails. My son was in a fight when his deck "went up", as they call it, and he was knocked unconcious. He was in the hospital 3 days and no one called me! But of course they called me continuously when they wanted the hospital bill paid! Ugh!!!!!!!

I opened a prepaid account on one of our cell phones with Evercom. It works. Do you think if I get a local Missouri phone number for my cell phone, I could get cheaper calls? Each time I talk to my son, the bill is usually close to $20.00 now. We live in Mississippi.

Reg the whole prison phone systems STINKS!! Bill & I have fought and fought since Charlie left for prison. They have such a scam going so that the prison system can make money. At least now I can talk with charlie every five days. He can call my cell phone. I know there are so many ppl out there who dn't have home phones anymore they only use their cell phones. So the systems needs to make some adjustments.

YA KNOW WHAT REALLY TICKS ME OFF? They tell us in the beginning of this nightmare how important family is for the inmates. And how they will try to keep them close so their family can visit them etc etc. WHAT A CROCK OF DODO THAT IS! They don't care if we see our children or not and they don't care how bad we hurt. They are all about the all mighty dollar and our children mean nothing to them other than to boss them around and act like they are such better ppl then our children,. The thing that interest me is that Charlie made a mistake drunk driving. I would love to know just how many of these officers have done the exact same thing as Charlie did but never got caught or hurt anyone. So how can you judge a person that made a mistake? How can you act as if you are better than they are? IT JUST MAKES ME SICK!!! Okay Reg I vented thanks for letting me get that out. LOL

Can't an inmate ask that his parents be notified if he's seriously ill or hurt??!! I thought prison was (dare I say) more civilized and organized than the overcrowded county jails. My son was in a fight when his deck "went up", as they call it, and he was knocked unconcious. He was in the hospital 3 days and no one called me! But of course they called me continuously when they wanted the hospital bill paid! Ugh!!!!!!!

Jame does the prison not carry an insurance policy to pay for that type of thing. My son had something like that happen. I got one bill for $151.00 I mailed it to the DOC and got a letter of apology for the stress it caused me. His bills had to be in the 6 digit figures and included a helicopter air lift.

I have a vent...my son got a letter from one of the witnesses mothers. She wrote that she was going to make sure that she was at all of his hearings, trials, etc. How he had ruined another family's life. That she was going to make sure he spent the rest of his life in prison and paid for what he did. And that his claim of being "crazy" was not going to hold up. This woman knows nothing about my son...nothing about his medical history, the severity of his accident...that the doctors actually sucked brain tissue out of his nose. Did any of you see the movie 'Face Off'? with Travolta and Cage? where they peel off the face? well that is what they had to do to rebuild my son's face and skull. I have to ask how this woman would feel if her child was a victim of a tragic accident and went on to commit a crime? would she be so judgemental then? My son was so distraught, which, of course, was her intention, but as his mother...I say, how dare she! Anyway, I contacted his PD right away and she put a stop to it. She said that was harrassement. So in the growl of Reggie...Grrrrr!

It makes me so mad when I hear things like this. It's unfortunate there are so many ignorant people in this world. So quick to spout there crap without having a clue as to the facts. So sad. And good for you for having a stop put to it.

By the way, welcome to PTO. Glad you found us. It's a wonderful place. I am so sorry to hear what you are going through with your son, especially after all you have gone through from his accident. Will be keeping you both in prayers.

I've never gotten any phone calls. I wonder if they don't allow that for guys in Ad Seg or high security. Does anyone know?

Hello Ccnrly! I'm not sure about the Ad Seg, I just know that those calls they're supposed to get every 90 days, don't really happen. There's never enough staff to actually do the phone calls. Texas is supposed to have a phone system in place by Sept. I think. If you go to the Tx News forums, there is more information about it there. Take Care and God Bless.

TBIsonMom, I agree, GRRR! How dare that woman. May she never have to walk in your shoes. I have no tolerance left for such ignorant people. GRRR again!

I'm venting about the violence!
The county jail my son is in, is one of the largest in the country and the worst, I believe. It seems that weekly there is news of stabbings. My son tells me that the CO's don't even bother breaking up the fights! They wait till everyone is either too hurt or too tired to continue fighting then they go in and clean up the mess. That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. If these CO's are candy-asses (sorry) then maybe the state needs to put someone with b@lls in there who isn't afraid to dive in and stop the fights before people are killed!
UGH.
That county jail is overcrowded and of course there's going to be fighting but I feel it's an uncontrolled environment.
It's the same way where my son is at. The CO's let the gangs run the unit and they just sit back and watch and do their own dirty little deeds. It's disgusting. Than they have the nerve to whine about being underpaid. I'm sure someone will come along and twist my opinion into a "bashing" thing, but it's still my opinion.

Go, mamma bear, go!

I have been trying to get my son a visit from his 3 yr old since he went to prison in october.
they lost the paperwork twice.

so here we are 4 months later and I called again today....hmmm
paperwork lost.
I told the counselor I hope she "finds" the paperwork this week so he can go visit his dad.
c'mon!!!

That's totally ridiculous! Sometimes I think my 3 yr. old granddaughter could do a better job keeping track of paperwork than they seem to. Grrrr!

I hear you jancy. my son is still waiting for approval for his 2 youngest to get to come visit. I am not sure if it is totally the fault of visitation office. once maybe... they sent COPIES to their mom which they don't accept. now why would they send in first place ? since then the mom has sent paperwork 2 more x's. in the meantime, the 7 yr old is having a hard time, needs to see his dad. he is acting out and getting in a lot of trouble in school, @ home. he misses his dad & needs to see him.

Prayers for D'Gal and Jancy, to get those babies back in their Father's lives!

I just read this thread, talk about a blood pressure rise!!!!GGGRRRR!!!!
http://www.prisontalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=313872

LOOK OUT Reggie's got the GRRRRRRRRRR out again;)

That link would get more than the GRRR out. Good lord there are stupid people in this world.

:blush: Reggie I am very sorry was trying to be funny and not appropiate. I read and sent my email to the govenor too. I am very sorry for not looking and reading first.

:angry: :angry: :angry: :mad: Hey Reg this just makes me so angry! I am so disgusted and my whole body is just so tense with anger towards these ppl. Who the hello they think they are? And what kind of parent would allow thier son to do soemthing like this. It's like it's a joke to them. Oh I wish I could stand face to face with these ppl so I could tell them exactly what I think of them. I sent an email and I hope she reads it because she deserves to know that ppl out here think she's a piece of crap!!!!!!!!!
Hope your having a good day! I'm going to have to write to Charlie and tell him about this. This just makes me sick sick sick.:angry: :angry: :angry:



I just read this thread, talk about a blood pressure rise!!!!GGGRRRR!!!!
http://www.prisontalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=313872

OH this breaks my heart! I sure hope these children get to see thier daddy. This is just not fair! I will keep saying my prayers.

I hear you jancy. my son is still waiting for approval for his 2 youngest to get to come visit. I am not sure if it is totally the fault of visitation office. once maybe... they sent COPIES to their mom which they don't accept. now why would they send in first place ? since then the mom has sent paperwork 2 more x's. in the meantime, the 7 yr old is having a hard time, needs to see his dad. he is acting out and getting in a lot of trouble in school, @ home. he misses his dad & needs to see him.

:blush: Reggie I am very sorry was trying to be funny and not appropiate. I read and sent my email to the govenor too. I am very sorry for not looking and reading first.
That's ok Lavina, I've done the same thing! Thank goodness Bless came along and told us we can "edit" our posts for one hour, heeheehee! Sometimes I can catch my goofups, but oh well, we're only human! :D No need for apologies sweetie. ((((hugs)))) That's going to be my New Line, "I'm on the GGGRRR", whenever I'm venting. :thumbsup: Have a Blessed day Lavina! :)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lavina
:blush: Reggie I am very sorry was trying to be funny and not appropiate. I read and sent my email to the govenor too. I am very sorry for not looking and reading first.

That's ok Lavina, I've done the same thing! Thank goodness Bless came along and told us we can "edit" our posts for one hour, heeheehee! Sometimes I can catch my goofups, but oh well, we're only human! :D No need for apologies sweetie. ((((hugs)))) That's going to be my New Line, "I'm on the GGGRRR", whenever I'm venting. :thumbsup: Have a Blessed day Lavina! :)

laughing! I've been there sooo often too! And we need all the giggles and laughs we can get here Lavina. I thought it was funny. I just picture Reggie growling and snarling. We'd definately want her as our Pack Leader if we were out in the woods together. ha!

I just read this thread, talk about a blood pressure rise!!!!GGGRRRR!!!!
http://www.prisontalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=313872

News is traveling fast. I called my mom and told her all about this. She is appauled too. And she's gonna tell all her friends by the end of the day no doubt. Do you possibly think this is a Hoax? I just can hardly believe the press would endorse it and government official family would be so:

----...--- --.-- ----.. -.-- --- -- -..--- ---- --.- --- -...--- -..----.- --.-- --...-- -.-

(Oh thats our secret anger morse code)

It doesn't look like a hoax, but it is disturbing isn't it? GGGRRRR!!!!%#*&!!!!
(LOL, your post to Lavina).

Oh Reggie, I sent a note off to the Governor site link there. I never even mentioned the word of God. yikes! See how evil gets it's pathetic dark little grip on me, was it because I was reponding to something like that? Evil board game. Sigh. I wish I could hit the Edit Button on the note I sent to her now.

That's ok Bless, God will intervene and make his point through your message. God is always good!

It doesn't look like a hoax, but it is disturbing isn't it? GGGRRRR!!!!%#*&!!!!
(LOL, your post to Lavina).

If you type on the web site to this kids company the game is not a hoax. If there is any hoax involved it would be the governors endorsement. He posted an email like for customer service. I even sent an email to that to let him know I thought it was in poor taste and short sighted, along with the one to the governor.

:beer: (root beer ) but cheers Thanks Reggie and Bless for seeing through my ................. DONT FILL IN THE BLANK:) just got off work and trying to catch up

heehee,"clinks" glasses with Lavina! Whew, another day almost done! :)

That's ok Bless, God will intervene and make his point through your message. God is always good!

Hugs Reggie. You're right again :) Will God edit out my cussive words? heehe No I didn't go that far. But, I used the word ashamed, veryyy often. Maybe even more than the word Love is mentioned in that Beatles Song you posted in the Lets Sing for the Inmates thread. laugh!

self-righteous, sanctimonious, political, rich, high folutin, pansy-ass, GRRRRRR! how dare he and she and they! :angry:

All right, where's my cowboy boots? the nice pointy ones? GRRRR!:angry:

One thing about it though..one day, one of theirs will get in trouble, and will get caught up in the "system" and even they won't be able to get them out...what goes around, comes around.

:angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry:

I hope Kansas Forum keeps ontop of that. I hope it doesn't fade into the distance somehow. I'd love to find out updates on it.

Ok, I have a cat. She has been a house cat since we got her. One day she accidently got outside, no idea how, but all of a sudden about the same time every night she cries to get out. I live on a very busy street and am not about to let her be road kill, but darn it after a little bit I feel like playing chase the mouse and throwing one out for her to get. If I didn't love her so much ...

I heard somewhere that Cats think the owners of the house are just guests visiting. hehe! funny huh!

tigrldy... I have 3 cats. have always had a cat in my life. my hubby says I am 1/2 cat !! love em love em love em :)

Bless, you are right too. Cats allow us to live there w/ them I think rather than the other way around. and ever notice how they expect us to just wait on them hand n foot. :)

meow meow meow! They're calling you now! meow meow meow. Waiting for you to come visit again, to put more snacks and food in their cabinet.

Cat's are so funny, I have 3 "grandcats" LOL. They sure seem to believe they own my son's house! Don't think his fiance agrees with them though, heehee.

:angry: THIS IS A HUGE VENT...I WANT IT TO BE KNOWN TDCJ IS DOING ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO GIVE MY SON PROTECTION!!! ALL I GET FROM THEM, ARE EMPTY PROMISES AND LIES!!! GOD FORBID SOMETHING TRAGIC HAPPEN TO MY SON, THAT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED!!! :angry:

Reggie and Dutch, I'm sorry to read that you can't talk with your boys when you'd like to. My son is still in county and can call daily if I prepay for the phone calls, which I do. He is also allowed to call my cell phone. He was calling every day when he first went in but now calls every few days and I didn't hear from him yesterday which upset me. I guess when he gets to a praison it will be different huh? No daily or weekly calls? Ugh. That's going to be hard.

My gripe is that I can't go see my son because he doesn't want me to. He says fights always break out on visiting day. I suppose it's because the guys are emotional after seeing their family.

I guess we'll just have to keep praying and keep venting to get us through this nightmare.
Jame, That must hurt not to see your son. He may not want to see you cry, I think it is hard to see their loved ones because they feel they have let them down. I think it is important to face those feelings so that they realize that their actions affect people other than themselves. They need to learn not to be selfish but I am sure that is hard to do when you are in their situation.

Oh Lord Reg, I know the pain and worry it causes when your son is in danger. I feel for you right now, there is nothing worse than that feeling, I've been there. I'm praying for you and your son. Hang in there Reg. I hope your son's situation will blow over without incident.
Wendy

Reggie, I am so sorry. I don't know what to say. I can't believe they are being like that. I guess that wasn't the right way to put it. Yes, I can believe they are being like that I just don't get it.
I lit another candle and will say some extra prayers for him. God Bless you Reggie. Hang in there.

Oh Lord Reg, I know the pain and worry it causes when your son is in danger. I feel for you right now, there is nothing worse than that feeling, I've been there. I'm praying for you and your son. Hang in there Reg. I hope your son's situation will blow over without incident.
Wendy
TY Wendy, but it NEVER blows over and they are NOT doing a damn thing about it!!!!!:angry: Only what they always do... LIE!!!!!

OMG Reg, I'm so sorry. I can feel your frustration and outrage. I don't know what is going on with your son, but I'll be doing prayers double time for him, and for you. I feel helpless.
Wendy

My only other question is WHY is it, this IS a Prison Support Site, yet, it seems Ex inmates and families have to take more BS here than in the units are loved ones are in???? But if we dispute a CO, or something they say, than WE are the ones who get a warning??? Meanwhile THEY can say WHATEVER they want to us, and not be chastised????? :confused: :confused: :confused:

Hi Reg. honey I am sorry . I don't know all that is going on, but God does, He will extract justice. the hard part is waiting till He decides the time. He loves you and your son, and I know it is hard to understand but He must be allowing something for reasons we can not fathom.
We continue to hold you up to Him. for peace, wisdom in dealing, and yes for forgiveness. and we ask that God place a hedge around your son. that He watch over him and continue to do so. daily. bring peace to that situation. to bring out truth.

I am so praying to forgive, those in the unit, and those here, that seem to take such pleasure out of someone else's grief. GOD HELP THEM!

Hi Reg. honey I am sorry . I don't know all that is going on, but God does, He will extract justice. the hard part is waiting till He decides the time. He loves you and your son, and I know it is hard to understand but He must be allowing something for reasons we can not fathom.
We continue to hold you up to Him. for peace, wisdom in dealing, and yes for forgiveness. and we ask that God place a hedge around your son. that He watch over him and continue to do so. daily. bring peace to that situation. to bring out truth.

Thank You D'Gal, and please forgive me for my venting. I am a mother, worried and hurt. But your words offer me so much peace, and I just want you to know that they are not unheard. Thank you, and God Bless You.

Please everybody let's do all we can for Reggie's Son. Let's pray really really hard for him to be transferred into a safer area, something anything. What's happening to him is not acceptable. He needs protection right now.

Reggie,been There Done That,and Got In Trouble For It,huh,oh Well,my Dear Sweet Momma Always Said,"you Will Always Have A Voice,it Matters Only To One Who Hears It."we Love You And We Feel You,and Im Praying For You,love Ya.

Also,reg,call The Commissioner At Your Dept Of Corrections,also Call The Governor Of Your State,tell Them If They Dont Put You In Touch,you Will Call Tv Stations Etc;hey,its Extrem,but It Works,good Luck Darling.

Thank You! Our voices are being heard though by the only one who MATTERS..... I just need to remember that.
Thank You Jesus!!!!! Thank You God!!!! Oh Holy Spirit, He hears us always.

Also,reg,call The Commissioner At Your Dept Of Corrections,also Call The Governor Of Your State,tell Them If They Dont Put You In Touch,you Will Call Tv Stations Etc;hey,its Extrem,but It Works,good Luck Darling.
I actually did this! LOL, Extreme??? Ha, not for a Moma! :D

I actually did this! LOL, Extreme??? Ha, not for a Moma! :D

I vote for Reggie to be the next Governor in every state! Rah Rah Siscoombah! Reggie Reggie Reggie! 1 2 3 4 who we gonna vote for! Reggie Reggie Reggie! 5 6 7 8 who do we appreciate. Reggie Reggie Reggie!

:angry: THIS IS A HUGE VENT...I WANT IT TO BE KNOWN TDCJ IS DOING ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO GIVE MY SON PROTECTION!!! ALL I GET FROM THEM, ARE EMPTY PROMISES AND LIES!!! GOD FORBID SOMETHING TRAGIC HAPPEN TO MY SON, THAT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED!!! :angry:

...and may the people responsible for this ....God willing....may they never have to be in this situation with worry and fear, pain for their own children...the measure they use will be used when to measure for them when the justice is truly passed out by the Judge of us all.

this is really ticking me off.i know what my child did was wrong but the first wrong was done by an adult...!!!!!!!! a felon in possession of 40 some odd firearms. and his g/f bought them in her name for him!!!!!!!!!!!why didn't the police know this???? yes i am just learning all of this infomation...dose any of this sound wrong please help me i am out raged!!!!! and yes i have someone working on it but every secound my child is sitting rotting with the full extent of the law thrown at him thats only part of this mess.. do police get in trouble for giveing back firearms to a felon? i know this sounds like it could not be possably true but it is

if this adult didn't break the law the cause and effect...thats why there are laws..to protect children and others alike!!!!!! i will do what it takes to make sure the right is done !!!!!!!!!!!! how how how dose all this happen!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Reggie, don't ever feel like you have to apologize for venting. we need to let loose, can't hold it in or it can destroy us. that is why we gather here, to vent - to listen to each other - to do our best to offer ideas, to pray for each other.
by the way, did you find a Bible @ Christian Bookstore ? you mentioned you were going there a few days back.

Hi Deb. I kinda understand your turmoil. the guy that murdered an 18 yr old that my son is in prison for a supposed conspiracy..... the guys g/f was w/ him @ time of murder, even goes around saying she helped. neither of them ever implicated my son. the guy is in prison... she is out walking around. my son sits in prison on a life sentence for 'conspiracy' that he had no part of. Fair ? not at all. All we can do is trust that God has plan & purpose and will see this through for us. it hurts and it is so difficult, but we have to continue to wait and trust.

i was in class the day before yesterday and overheard someone saying that they thought prisoners should be the ones sent to Iraq to fight. which is something i somewhat agree with, not that they should be sent to war, but that the military could possibly have given my son a future with some direction as opposed to prison, which will just leave him with a dark past and a felony. then this person said "then if anything happens to them it wont matter." everyone in the class knows my son is in prison because some of my work reflects it, and they knew i had come into the room! well, you know what? everyone has problems, its just that ours are visible! i just wanted to ask the person if there was no one in their family that drank too much, or no one who was cheating on the other, or some other thing that we couldn't see that was tearing out their heart! it just that my burden is visible! and then not 30 minutes later when we were having the critique of the work (our midterm) they said his was to show compassion on (........) ugh! i just wanted to puke! the rules for the critique (for our grade) is that everyone is supposed to say something about the others work and i made my excuses not to say anything, but i knew better than to say a word or it would be something ugly and i don't want to get on that persons level!!!!!

:blah::blah::blah::blah::blah::blah::blah::blah:

Good for you CalebsMom for being the bigger person! :thumbsup: People like that have to do those kind of things to make them selves feel superior and important. Deep down they are pathetic and jealous (envious) of every one else. My husband has done one tour in Iraq, and constantly faces re-deployment so I hate when some one makes such an ignorant statement like that. I also agree, that the military should be an option for some felons, they would have the chance to accomplish so much more. But that kind of statement (he made) shows how little knowledge he has of what the military stands for. So with that, here's a re-peat of a poem I found...
Judge Gently
Pray, don't find fault with the man that limps
Or stumbles along the road.
Unless you have worn the shoes he wears
Or struggled beneath his load.
There may be tacks in his shoes that hurt
Though hidden away from view.
Or the burden he bears placed on your back
Might cause you to stumble too.
Don't sneer at the man who's down today
Unless you have felt the blow
That caused his fall or felt the shame
That only the fallen know.
You may be strong but still the blow
That was his if dealt to you
In the selfsame way, at the selfsame time
Might cause you to stagger too.
Don't be too harsh with the man that sins
Or pelt him with word or stone
Unless you are sure - yea, doubly sure -
That you have no sins of your own.
For you know, perhaps,
If the tempter's voice should whisper as soft to you
As it did to him when he went astray
It might cause you to falter too. ----author unknown

Thankyou for the poem! Good words for everyone!!!!

ok i need t yellllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll just yelllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll today i wached the teacher that had a sexual affair with a 16 yr old female student. drive down my road..yes she lives right down the street from me!!!!!!!!!! she got no time!!!but a couple of kids do a dumb stunt and get hammered!!!!!!!!!

oh and let me addddddddddddddddddddd today front page news anouther ex middle school teacher now high school teacher arrested on child porn !! and then we look at what is wrong with our kids!!!!!!!

deb... it is hard to grasp where this world has gone to as far as laws etc.
we can't spank our kids but 'they' say we should control our kids. minor infractions bring stiff sentences, bigger ones.. well.
saw something briefly on news .. something about the amount of small grade offenses and more and more prisons and inmates. they really are out of control I think.
but have Hope. the Lord will not let this continue, there will be a reckoning one day.

Day by day the Lord takes care of the innocent, and they will receive a reward that last forever. Psalm 37:18

Life doesn't seem fair at times, Lord. and integrity often doesn't seem to matter. But it does matter. You see everything. Nothing escapes Your gaze. You promise to care for the pure and to reward the faithful. Give me the spiritual tenacity to hang in there. Remind me that the day is coming when You will exalt those who steadfastly trust in You.

oh and i am not by any means saying there are not some humans that need to be locked up... but yes you are right dutch..i just heard about the stats 1 out 100 people are in jail...it is a business $$$$$$$$$$$$$ i get it. the bank at the heart of all the blood suckers is the court house, that feeds all the other little brances like blood sucking viens. !!!!!!!!!!lawyers police,jails,probation officers,guards wardens...and it gose on...system feeding... job security in the usa is hard to find..will they move our jails out of the country?

When I read the report, I couldn't help but be reminded about all those power tripping people in authority, and how easily it could very well be them selves incarcerated. ;) Now that would be "justice". :thumbsup:

I for one thinks the probation depts have WAY TO MUCH POWER,over peoples lives,and i say this at the risk of weelll,you know,anyways,and yes i too think these are pwer trippers in authority,sooo rock on reggie,moma k

Deb a63...........Some days NOTHING makes any sense at all. Especially to a heartbroken mother.
Comparing crimes and punishment will only infuriate you.
One of the guys my son was with when he got in trouble has never been caught for the crime. I'm pretty sure the police have quit looking for him. I think they gave up a few days later because they had already arrested 2 of the 3 involved. So now my son sits in prison (well deserved I admit) but the other guy who was just as guilty and just as much involved is living in another town somewhere......FREE AS A BIRD...... and probably won't be caught unless he's pulled over for a traffic violation and the cops run his name and see that there's a warrant out for him.

Where's the justice in that?!

It makes more sense for me to just concentrate on my son's homecoming in a few months and pray for his future rather than sit here seething about the system.

I know you're angry and hurt but please don't let it consume you. Somewhere along the line you're going to have to make peace with the situation and find a way to deal with it so you can be strong for your boy. I'll be thinking of you and praying for you.

Jame I don't think any of us are to the point of making sense of any of this. My son's crime was worse than some of the other sons' crimes but we have been fortunate he didn't get sentenced the way they did. There is no rhyme or reason to it, it seems it is what it is. Deb I agree with you, the planning and hopes I have for my son's future are right now, outweighing the negative thoughts of where he is. But we are where we are, we are the moms of children in prison, and it sux all round.

Wendy

hey everyone, i know i am behind in reading all post, but reading about not being able to talk to your kids,,,, i think i posted it before. its a phonr company called PRISON CALLS, they do allow your kids to call cell phones. how it works is you ste up an account, they will then give you a number to give to kids, they will call that number collect and it will ring your cell or home number which ever you choose. its about 100.00 to start, and then 7.50 per call for 15 min.. i have it and its great!!!! if anyone needs more info, please pm me or post it.. i hope it will work for you all too..

hmm I wonder if they have that here in arizona.

they say they are nationwide,

it is all crazy insane to try famiuly the way they do we have rights and yeah right on for starting this line for venting

missin,PLEASE post an 800 # if you have it,cause i sure need it,thank you.

My vent is ....Is it any wonder that the youth of today are so lost? Their mentors, such as sports figures, are arrested for rape, murder, robbery, drug abuse, and animal cruelty. Then there is Hollywood with Brittney, Paris, Lindsey, and the like. Our kids look at their lives, with all the partying, drinking, drug use, and money, and their eyes glaze over, and they want this glamorous lifestyle for themselves. They have no idea how UNREALISTIC this type of lifestyle is.

Have you seen any of the movies geared toward our youth today? Most show girls wearing little more than a string bikini to school. Maybe I’m way off base, but my kids could not wear anything close to that skimpy. The kids all drive $100K cars, they throw lavish parties, drink, do drugs, have sex, they come and go as they please, and basically have no rules whatsoever. Ever notice how the kids who get good grades or have jobs are usually portrayed as geeks or nerds? Our young teens watch this and believe that this is how life works. They glamorize drug use and underage drinking.

Perhaps this is just in my neck of the woods, but have you noticed how the young men in high school seem to want to be portrayed as “thugs?” Not that they necessarily want to be one, but they seem to think it’s cool to look and act thuggish. There seems to be this thought that working for a living is something to be ashamed of.

This is what our youth are subjected to on a daily basis. How are we expected to get through to our youth and to teach them values when we have to compete with movie stars and multi-millionaires with all their glitz and glamour?

I hear ya chrys. you are so right on with your post. on top of that, they take a parents rights away in the way of correction. good ol fashioned spanking. never hurt us did it.? now how can we raise our kids when we are afraid of going to jail if we even say no or even threaten... wait till you get home, your are gonna get a spankin. now I am not talking beatings, just a few good swats to the seat of learning, you know. kids laugh at parents nowadays. my own granddaughter did it to my son & her mom. they put her and the younger girl in foster care for awhile. my grandson said no, his sister was a spoiled brat and he wasn't going to go to no foster home because his mom didn't do anything wrong. good boy.
people wonder what has happened to our world. our society. just take a look at todays 'role models'. no thanks.

Yes, all so true. Our society has certainly fallen to a shameful low...when front page news becomes one of these so called role models not wearing her underwear (with pics no less, just in case you can't imagine it) AND NOT the loss of lives in Iraq (or other worthy news).......well need I say more? Than they take "GOD" out of schools, and wonder why all the violence? Satan is having a field day with these young people. NO rules, NO boundaries, NO morals, and NO GOD. :(

D'gal, I did spank my kids, and they were model children and everyone said so. Their manners are impecable, they say "excuse me"if they don't hear you, please and thank you, always. I have always gotten huge compliments about my boys. I have even been told by my stepson as an adult, thank you for teaching me manners. He lived with us when we first got married. I do think a good ole spanking while they are young is the way. By the time they were 6 or 7, I never had to bother, they knew they'd get it and made a choice not to chance it. They knew the boundaries, and usually didn't cross them. My son locked up, was only gone from home and our lifestyle for a year and a half when he got into trouble. His crime was a spur of the moment thing. He says now he should have continued to listen to me, even though he knew I couldn't see what he was getting into, since I was down here, him up there, and I had no way of checking up on him. We have always been close, and have a good laugh at getting the fly swatter to his behind. I was always really good when I was young, 'cause I knew I'd get the belt. It only happened about 3 times, but I knew I'd get it!

Wendy

oh do not get me started with children and family services..and how kids know how to use them. my husband used them .to attack me..or should i say soon to be ex husband.that evil little man .. my son was protected by dcf from me because i slapped his father and left a red mark...so 16 yr old son was left alone to do as he pleased while his dad was gone all the time... or telling his son to go do as he wanted so dad could rent 100 $ of porn every weekend... that was ok to him cause his son wasn't around when he was watching the porn.....no his son was out getting drunk and drugged...all night long..and i wasn't allowed contact..they tryed to force me into a mental hospital. was dragged to jail in and out of courts and the mud for 6 months while my husband told lie after lie after lie and son was hanging with drug dealers...and now we all know where my son ended up...while protected by dcf..
wow this was hard to type and say..but i am needing to vent alot!!!!!!!!!!1 this is ony a small part of what i have been threw over this past yr

i forgot to add i was covered in bruises ...and was later admitted to the local domestic abuse shelter ..as a victim.and dcf still called my husband the victim.after my son was arrested that's when dcf gave me full rights to be back in my son's life. when he is released

Fly Swatter!!! Boy, does that bring back memories of my childhood...heehee! The belt was the worst....you learned to respect the belt! My kids were spanked with fly swatters, wooden spoons, and the belt. We also were always complimented on their manners. If a parent can get through to their child with a “time out” then that’s great. Mine, however, did not respond to anything other than a spanking. I once either threatened a spanking or gave one to my son, who was about 6 or 7, and my brother-in-law gave me this horrified look and asked, “Doesn’t he call 911 on you?” I said no, if he ever did he better be sure he follows through with the call because he will need them by the time they get here. How many children truly excel when placed in foster care? I once saw on TV a 16-year-old boy and his father get into a fist fight, with the father looking as if he got the worst of it. They hauled the father off to jail and told the boy he could go with his friends and he ran off laughing with his friends. In that single moment, they took away every bit of control the man had over his son.

I remember the teachers calling me at the beginning of the year to tell me how much they adored my son and that he was so funny and cute and polite. In high school, I would call the teachers and tell them not to give him an inch or he would end up taking a mile. They got almost irate with me and told me that that was not how they ran their classes. I told them not to call me later in the year when it happened...Of course, they always did. He had a science teach once and my son begged me to take him out of his class because my son said he had it in for him. I told him to suck it up. That was the one class that he had not a bit of trouble in and managed to get the best grades in....Go figure!

I think it sure is funny how everything starting going down the toilet about the time Dr. Spock wrote his book on parenting (and has since said he may have been wrong in his thinking, by the way) and they took prayer out of school.

Gosh Deb, I want to give your soon to be ex a slap myself. I'm so happy that you are out of that life now. Such bad timing though, with your son being in at the same time. Please try to concentrate on yourself, and know you will have your boy back, and the two of you know the whole truth, and can bond again from there. Bless you, you have had a hell of a road.

Chrys, what a handsome young man! I know what you mean about the good ole doc Spock. Long before my kids were born I had, still have, my best friend who busted her kid's butts too. When we saw unruly children anywhere else, and their mother's trying to reason with them, we just looked at one another and mouthed "PM", our code word for "psychological mothers" I had forgotten about that until you brought up doc spock, thanks for the memory!

Wendy

You ladies are right, you never hear kids say "My mama is going to kill me if I act up". You guys call them spankings, you know in our day our parents called them whuppings lol.

after my hubby and I became Christians, and trying to do it right, when one of the kids needed a spankin, first we would sit them down and discuss the whys of the spanking so they understood, then the spanking then the hug for reassurance. before that, just a spanking and let em cry.
a couple weeks ago, at church my granddaughter (davids girl) kept testing, I told her, ok when we leave you are getting a spanking and no dairy queen. she didn't believe me, ran out to car got in her seat. i just walked out turned her over a bit and 1 good smack. she cried about 30 seconds then was sooooo goood.

Okay you got me going ladies. This is all so true. I hate that they are taking God out of everything when our children and adults need Him the most they take Him out.
Our kids today dont' get married for life they figure if it doesn't work out they will just get divorced. Not like our parents who have been together 50 60 yrs and for life. It's all sad. Our kids and grand children hardly have a chance at life at this rate.
Something else that makes me angry is that my son is a NUMBER not a person!
There is NO rehibiliation in the prison system. Like here in Michigan there is NO good time! Where Charlie is at there are no classes for anything.
Ppl who have never experienced what we all have seem to think that all prison life is this rosey life with computers and luxuries that we don't have out in the world. WEll I hate to tell them but Charlie doesn't have anything available to him as far as continueing his education. He went through one year of college and could be taking correspondance courses but they won't let him! Even if I pay for it they won't let him becuase they want the money to go to them and then they will check into the courses he wants to take.
I think that it's rediculious that there is no rules in prison as far as lights out at a certain time so that the ones who want to sleep can. They can stay up all night if they want. They can smoke when every where else in the world is no smoking. I hear that is going to change. Not knocking smokers I am one myself but Charlie is not and he has 7 or 8 ppl in his cube that smoke. He says it drives him crazey. Okay you got me on a roll here Reg. LOL
I know I have more that this but will save some for later.

One thing I am thankful for that I wish you all had is that I get to talk to Charlie every five days. Of course I send him money to put on his calling card but it's so worth it. And he can call my cell phone so he can always get me. I will pray that you all will ahve that with your son's too. I feel for you believe me. That just stinks that you can't talk to your sons.

I remember the "fly swatter" from my Mom, kept me on my toes. I spanked my kids, but found the thing they hated the most was standing in the corner. Sounds kind of goofy maybe, but it worked wonders. Until they grew up, and then oh, well..... My daughter who's the oldest and 9 yrs older than my son, was pretty wild herself and had druggy friends, straightened up before it was too late. Both of my kids were almost perfect until they reached 16 yrs old and got their driver's license. So I always told them: " The day you got your driver's license; when they took your picture that camera sucked you in and left an alien in your place!"

Deb, you mean the system took a 16-year-old boy away from his mom because she slapped his dad?? Just another fine example of what a bang-up job child protective services is doing. I was arrested when my daughter was 3-months-old because my first husband and his two friends said I beat them all up....I was 17 at the time. The police that picked me up told me I would get 10 years and that my baby would be taken away. I lived in a small town so I had to spend the night in a cell facing the men’s drunk tank. Luckily, the judge that saw me the next morning told me that the case would be laughed out of court ...3 grown men claiming a 17-year-old girl kicked their butt ...and let me go on my signature.

Wendy, thanks for the compliment. Psychological Mothers....that is priceless ...HAHAHA!! They must be suffering from PMS...Psychological Mothers Syndrome. I dread the trip to the store and watching the kids throw outrageous screaming tantrums, and the moms are usually just strolling along ignoring them. I read where one state was trying to make it illegal for parents to spank their children....Yeah, that’ll teach ‘em!

CharliesMom, my son is also not allowed any kind of an education or any of the programs that would help him with parole. I hear of all the men getting degrees in prison, but I have no idea where they’re at. I don’t get to talk to my son on the phone, but thankfully I only live about an hour away from his unit.

I’mHisMom, I was a bit of a wild child and hung with some questionable types and my brother was 10 years younger than me. I got pregnant at 16 and that was the day my life changed forever. I knew I had to grow up and be a mom. My brother never got in a bit of trouble. When my kids turned 13, I felt a ripple in the air, but when they turned 15...almost to the day...they just seemed to evolve into some sort of alien life form.

fly swatter,piece a cake,WE GOT THE SWITCH,and what was soo bad was we had to go breack it off the tree,and GOD HELP US ALL IF WE CAME BACK WITH A LITTLE ONE,,,,,,,,,,,EVVVVRY ONCE IN A WHILE ONE OF MY BROTHERS WOULD RUN FROM MAMA,WELLLL

The town we leaved in when my son was growing up, the town that had the biggest news story when my son was arrested, all through the case, the jury trial, the plea. I was a preschool teacher in this small town for 13 years. I wonder what all those parents think. My son used to see them and their children.

He used to work at the ski hill. They loved him working the chair lift at the bunny hill. The kids (and their parents) loved him.

He had a top secret clearance in the military. Now he is serving 20 years mandatory sentence. No good time. Wow. Who would have thought. I also know they know of the heartache in his life when his bio dad died when he was in high. Then his grandfather (my dad) who was very close to him. Then his second dad (since he was five) died after he was only a week out of the military. Oh, then his best friend died in a drunk driving accident (that person is serving 5 years).

He was a good kid. He needed grief counseling, even his friends were worried about him. It was nothing to do with how he was raised.

lol on psychological mothers syndrome. the evil one actually stated to dcf that i usually had out bursts around the same time every month!! so in other words i had pms so they removed me from my sons life because i had pms!!!!!! ..witch in turn te evil one claimed was a mental problem. i had to have a mental health evaluaton..the diagnosis "accute stress disorder.".imagine that!!!!!!! i hardley ever had to spank my son i would ground him... he would sit with me and watch tv while i cooked dinner...and i would ask him why are you watching oprah? he'd say um because i am grounded ..i'd forgot.. my son always told me after i spanked or grounded him for getting mouthy... that he actually deserved it.i wached my son for years basically alone..while his dad was on the road with his job..my son was a honors student. scored 99 % on the state testing ..and was counted as top 20 in our county..after he was arrested we got a letter from our state where he had been pre admitted to any college of his choice in our state...after his dad had me arrested all H*** broke loose.

i am not sure he will still qualify for that offer from the state..he is still keeping his gpa up where he is

The town we leaved in when my son was growing up, the town that had the biggest news story when my son was arrested, all through the case, the jury trial, the plea. I was a preschool teacher in this small town for 13 years. I wonder what all those parents think. My son used to see them and their children.

He used to work at the ski hill. They loved him working the chair lift at the bunny hill. The kids (and their parents) loved him.

He had a top secret clearance in the military. Now he is serving 20 years mandatory sentence. No good time. Wow. Who would have thought. I also know they know of the heartache in his life when his bio dad died when he was in high. Then his grandfather (my dad) who was very close to him. Then his second dad (since he was five) died after he was only a week out of the military. Oh, then his best friend died in a drunk driving accident (that person is serving 5 years).

He was a good kid. He needed grief counseling, even his friends were worried about him. It was nothing to do with how he was raised.

*gasp* Small town...ski hill...Washington state...how crazy...we live in a small town...under a ski hill...in washington. I wonder if we are neighbors?

Singing...................
It's a small world after all, it's a small world after all...... :p

Singing...................
It's a small world after all, it's a small world after all...... :p

:haha: YOu are so clever!!

MISSINMYSONBAD- - - - PRISON CALLS TO A CELL PHONE????? Can someone explain some detail on how to do this? I have even tried when my son calls his mom, to be included in a "3 way", but it never seems to work! Who do I set the "account" up with? Do I call the prison he is in to set this up?

krazeepolack... I know I want to hear about this too. all we have is a cell phone. no land line.

Dutch, you probably already tried looking here....But this is all I could find.
http://www.prisontalk.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=728

I scanned the forum and there looks like a few companys and numbers there. Praying you find one soon.

....I know the feeling not being able to talk to your son. They were in the process of changing phone companys here over the holidays....I didn't get to talk to him for three months. I pray for the phones everyday. We shouldn't have to go through this....but it only makes us stronger.

Many Blessings to all!

It's www.prisoncallsonline (http://www.prisoncallsonline)

I hate the time change! First I have to move to the East coast time zone, never adjust, than the time jumps ahead another hour! LOL

that is what is so cool about Arizona... we don't change our times. hehe
but it does get confusing when I want to call one of my kids or grandkids or even my sis... "now what time are they on this time"

oh please do not ask me about the time.....i have to drive threw a time zone to visit the boy...and i am always confused....and feel like i have jet lag

OMG, Listening to news this AM. Another town in FL just passed law about baggy pants. I mean the kind the youngins wear that hang down so low there undies hang out. Personally don't like it. They have outlawed them and can go to jail for wearing them.:eek: Like I said, I personally don't like them but to go to jail for wearing them. Ridiculous.

oviertor!!!!!!!!!!!!what a crock of so whats next.. are they going to tell these girls to change what they wear..i find seeing a teen girl dressed like a hooker more offensive then boys in baggy pants...this is a pathetic display of what our kids face no wonder they are rebelling

I agree I can't stand the way the boys wear their pants but JAIL? C'mon now, what a crock. And Deb, what a good point. The girls dress like hookers and are so fast these days! God knew what He was doing when He didn't give me a daughter. She would be the most sheltered girl you ever saw! LOL

been a ruff day..today was a hearing for the other kid the one that drove.. my kid had no d.l.....i am not angry with him..actually my heartbreaks for him he was offered the same deal as my son but his lawyer took a direct file to adult...that's a heck of a risk considering..they were saying 10 -20 -life...not a game i wanted to play .. ok maybe i am angry....or maybe i just need to pray..or maybe i am just confused...not sure what i am...ok i am sure i want this over..i want off this ride now...some one make it stop

Oh justadeb...my heart breaks for you...
I'll not pray for strength because I know God strenthens us with exercise
Nor will I pray for patience because I know its not given but taught
But I will pray for peace, and mercy

thank you perque....sure wish patience would be given...or at least shared.

Yeah...me too...but I just panic when someone says they are going to pray for patience.

Galations 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, *patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Romans 5:3-5 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.

Thanks D'girl...I think I'm just trying to rest for now...been taught A LOT of patience recently...and oh has the suffering produced a character!!!!

Please ladies...do not stumble by what I am saying when I post these kinds of things. I do not want ever to cause a stumbling block for anyone. Do trust...because He will give you rest...ah...rest...yup...need the rest.

To the question on the phone thing with cells there are a couple of things to remember.

1) You have to have a pre-paid account set up with what ever billing company bills for the prison/jail you are dealing with. Your loved one gives that number for his contact (for places that require them to submit a list.

2) When they call collect and the voice says you have a collect call from: or however they word it, you push to button to accept, the collect call goes to that prepaid account. It is not going to your cell. You cell is only the cell bill, minutes and any roaming that may apply. Many people have gotten cells numbers local to the prison their loved one is at to cut out the long distance part of the charge.

Some prisons do say no cells and it they detect and the loved one gets caught it is a problem, and most say no 3 way etc. This is a nutshell on how it works. Hope it makes sense.

On the baggy pants thing, I understand the outrage however I think the issue is the officers fear when someone being detained reaches to pull those pants up. A young man was killed close to our area and the family is saying he wasn't reaching for a gun as the police feared, but his pants were going south and he was trying to retrieve them. I could also see a prosecutor making a case for a sex offense as well on this depending on how far they go down. This is just IMHO.

Thanks D'girl...I think I'm just trying to rest for now...been taught A LOT of patience recently...and oh has the suffering produced a character!!!!

Please ladies...do not stumble by what I am saying when I post these kinds of things. I do not want ever to cause a stumbling block for anyone. Do trust...because He will give you rest...ah...rest...yup...need the rest.

Hi perque. arent we thankful that He is our rest. He knows how hard it is for us moms. I never knew my heart could hurt so much. and when this road becomes so full of rocks jutting out, and potholes to trip in, He is there to pick us up when we falter or stumble or fall down thinking we can't go on. we are so tired. But He picks us up and dusts us off and then He puts His loving arms around us and tells us to lean on Him - He will help carry us along, giving strength. He encourages us that 'just a little farther" and we can do it. He will never give us more than we can handle at any one time, and He will never leave us alone to walk this road w/o Him.

TIGRLDY- 03-13-08 Thank you for the response, & the info. I'll take it from there. All you other folks(on both sides of the wall) have a great day!! When things are really bad, then we all have a lot to look up to!!

My favorite quote from an old english teacher back in the early fifties:

Good, Better, Best;
Never let it rest;
Until your good is better,
and your better best!

Judge Gently
Pray, don't find fault with the man that limps
Or stumbles along the road.
Unless you have worn the shoes he wears
Or struggled beneath his load.
There may be tacks in his shoes that hurt
Though hidden away from view.
Or the burden he bears placed on your back
Might cause you to stumble too.
Don't sneer at the man who's down today
Unless you have felt the blow
That caused his fall or felt the shame
That only the fallen know.
You may be strong but still the blow
That was his if dealt to you
In the selfsame way, at the selfsame time
Might cause you to stagger too.
Don't be too harsh with the man that sins
Or pelt him with word or stone
Unless you are sure - yea, doubly sure -
That you have no sins of your own.
For you know, perhaps,
If the tempter's voice should whisper as soft to you
As it did to him when he went astray
It might cause you to falter too. ----author unknown

i love this poem! the first stanza really got to me! and later that day i was walking out behind our house and saw a tree with the biggest thorns on it! (i mean some of the thorns had thorns growing on them, lol) well, i decided, for the next project in my sculpture class i will make a pair of shoes - what my son calls bob barkers - and have some of those thorns sticking up from the soles of them! and i am thinking about calling it judge gently!



I remember the teachers calling me at the beginning of the year to tell me how much they adored my son and that he was so funny and cute and polite. In high school, I would call the teachers and tell them not to give him an inch or he would end up taking a mile. They got almost irate with me and told me that that was not how they ran their classes. I told them not to call me later in the year when it happened...Of course, they always did. He had a science teach once and my son begged me to take him out of his class because my son said he had it in for him. I told him to suck it up. That was the one class that he had not a bit of trouble in and managed to get the best grades in....Go figure!


not only are those people the kids' role models, they actually get away with everything they do, so 'regular kids' expect to get away with all that stuff as well!
we had the same problem with our son! one of his elementary teachers told his dad and me that he and she had an understanding...
then when i went to the school to tell them to paddle my son for misbehaving, the superintendant of the school, Mr. Brown, who was the principle when i went to high school, asked me, "so what you are asking is for us to beat your son?" i said "no, Mr. Brown, i would sue if you did that. im asking you to paddle him, just like YOU paddled ME, when i misbehaved in the 9th grade!" he smiled and put his head down, then told me that we were the parents the school system did not know what to do with, that most parents now-a-days wont let the school paddle the kids.





fly swatter,piece a cake,WE GOT THE SWITCH,and what was soo bad was we had to go breack it off the tree,and GOD HELP US ALL IF WE CAME BACK WITH A LITTLE ONE,,,,,,,,,,,EVVVVRY ONCE IN A WHILE ONE OF MY BROTHERS WOULD RUN FROM MAMA,WELLLL

i had to go get my own switch as well! and once i did make the mistake of getting a little bitty tiny skinny one! mom used it anyway and it hurt worse that a log!!!!! it was like a bull whip! and she wouldnt chase you either, she knew you had to come home for dinner!







OMG, Listening to news this AM. Another town in FL just passed law about baggy pants. I mean the kind the youngins wear that hang down so low there undies hang out. Personally don't like it. They have outlawed them and can go to jail for wearing them. Like I said, I personally don't like them but to go to jail for wearing them. Ridiculous.

a town close to ours is implementing the same law, and for the girls, the shirts they wear can not show any of thier bra...

Out One Year Early!!!! Has Anyone Heard Of The Law That The Legislator Has Proposed To Washington State Doc For Inmates To Get Released One Year Early Instead Of 6 Months??? There Is Alot Of Talk About This Law That Is In The Making's/ If Anyone Has Information Let Me Know

Caleb’s mom, I hear you on the paddling. I remember asking if mine could take swats instead of detention and was told flat out no. I can still recall the disgust I had when I would pick my kids up from detention and they were smiling and laughing and talking about all the fun it was. Needless to say, the only person adversely affected was me by having to go and pick them up. My son got to skipping the last half of his classes almost on a daily basis and the school failed to notify me. Yet, they were on the phone quick, fast, and in a hurry to tell me that his baseball shirt that had the words (no pics) “hard ball” and “balls to the walls” on it was sexually explicit, and that I would have to bring him another, and of course he received detention. I have no idea how “hard ball” can be explicit but “soft ball” was not. I would also receive a quick call if he failed to shave that morning. But his skipping school was not a priority to them....most likely because he was there for half the day and they got their money for the day. This country is so screwed up.

Leslie, so good to hear from you! I love the idea of the thorns in shoes, let us know how it turns out. :)

Chrys, I feel the exact same way. And I never want to move back to Tx!

Portugese, I have not heard, please keep us posted on what you find out. Thanks.

a phone call because he didnt shave? thats nuts! both of my sons ran around with goat hairs thinking they had a full beard! if anyone had made them shave i think they would have felt as if their manhood had been robbed! lol. but i do remember once the school said no one could wear flannel shirts to school anymore! they equated it with gang colors.:shrug:

thanks reggie, i am really happy with it right now. i will try to post a pic when its finished, in about a month.

out a year early! please Lord!

grrrrrrr just called to see if visitation forms for davids 2 little ones were there. nothing. so they are sending me another set (4th time). this time I will fill them out and take them for mom to sign and I will send. I am so tired of this. I have given her enough time and such to do this.
enough already !

Enough is definitely enough, D'gal, I told you the last time you would probably end up having to do it, and get her to sign. Pure laziness, if in fact she's sincere about not having a problem with them seeing him, and you said she didn't. Good luck this time D'gal, we all know you can get it done. I'll bet you're sorry you didn't take it into your own hands at least the second time!

Wendy

got that right wendy. I tried long enough to give her the benefit of the doubt, but after this many times. . . . it is like the little boy who cried wolf ya know.

I hate to say I told ya' so just because I did. LOL. I had a real good feeling this would be what would happen yet again. At least now you know it will be up to you, and you can march on Christian Soldier!

Wendy

I hate to say I told ya' so just because I did. LOL. I had a real good feeling this would be what would happen yet again. At least now you know it will be up to you, and you can march on Christian Soldier!

Wendy

Dutchgirl, I hope the mom can put aside her pettiness, or perhaps it is just laziness, and realize how much the children will benefit from having a relationship with their father, which is surely a rarity in this day and time. They need to know where he is and how he is doing, and most importantly, they need to know how much he loves and cares for them. Let’s not forget the wisdom and advice your son can give them when they become teens and are tempted by all the drugs and alcohol they may see others doing. And although she may not care, your son will receive such joy and comfort from seeing his children on a regular basis, and that will help him get through the difficult times. God bless. I hope everything works out soon.