I am thrilled to see our new forum!! My husband is serving 48 years on a habitual charge. The original charge carried a 6-12 year sentence, we are of course fighting on appeal-oral arguements set for Jan 6-Yeah! Finally progress! There is so much we deal with when your loved one is gone for such a long time. I found that I have gone through and still go through almost like a mourning, does that make sense? That person is gone from your life in so many ways yet still there. My love for my husband has only grown stronger, and I find that we communicate alot better, I guess that is a positive thing about our situations. Well sorry to hog the new forum:D Thanx again PTO!:D

You're right. There are positive things about our situations. Sometimes I forget, so thanks for the reminder. Over the years we've learned to support eacho ther when we're not physically together, how to communicate effectively even though its over the phone and in one hour visit increments and to strengthen our love even when sometimes it feels as if life has stopped.

You all are making me cry....... Whimper....Sniff... Sniff......
I needed someone to remind me too.... All caught up in my needs here and there. Really it's all about us.
Thanks guys.....Sniff.....:)

My husband is serving 12 years done 4 now... So maybe I'll see him free some day...

I don't know that I belong here but here I am. ha My husband has been in since '85, I met him three years ago, I maried him May 2003, he originally got 10 to 25, they put him back in on a techncality in '94, after he had been out for two years, was working full time, not causing any trouble, etc.
He getts out Sept 2005, then 'we' have 5 years of suprvision to do before he is finished with the system in 2010.
This is on an offense that, if he had accepted the plea offered in '85, would have gotten him 6 years, maybe 8 total. He wouldn't plead because he believed in the system back then and some of what they wanted him to plead to, he was not invovled in...sigh.
I hope this forum goes along well, I often wonder if I would have had what it takes to stand by him all those years if we had met in the '80s instead of 3 years ago.
Caprione

HELLO MY OTHER 1/2 HAS BEEN IN 10 YEARS ON A LIFE SENTENCE AND HIS FIRST PAROLE HEARING IS IN 2008. WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR A SENTENCE REDUCTION FOR ALMOST 3 MONTHS EVERYBODY SAYS ITS A GOOD THING THAT IT IS TAKING SO LONG... I GUESS WE ALL LEARN SOMETHING FROM OUR LOVED ONES BEING IN AND THAT COMMUNICATION. THAT WE ALL DO VERY WELL. TAKE CARE AND THE FUTURE HAS SOME GOOD FOR ALL OF US.......PRAYING HARD........................

hi,i just read the message from lonewulf and some respones from others,yaa it too brought tears to my eyes once again,i have a son that is doing 35+ and is only into the 1st.you are so wright about the feeling of mourning,i also get the same feeling quit often,my son has been in and out of prison for about 10 out of 15 years,but he would always be comeing home in a few years.this time i doubt if i will ever see him free:( but you never know what is ahead right? i am a very new member(less than a week)but i would like to THANK ALL OF YOU for this site. ken'smom

Ken'smom,
Glad to see you found us and I'm glad this new forum is here for us all. It makes it really hard when they are in and out so often then when they finally get that big one way ticket....I don't know if I will ever have faith in the justice system again. My husband had been in trouble before, and was in and out for minor things, but he made permenant enemies in the DA's office. We had matters in our buisness that were civil and thought all was ok. We had started all over, new baby and all when we were blind-sided by the DA. 1st criminal charges w/ no habitual, then something went wrong and the habitual ended up being filed....48 years... Amazing! I always expect the worst and hope for the best!!

My baby has 5 left on a 13 year sentence. In some respects I'm lucky. I knew him since high school (I won't go into how many years ago that was :) ), but we didn't become "involved" until this year, so I never had to have him "taken away" from me. Then again, I still have 5 years left to dream about what it will be like to actually hold him for more than 2 minutes without a room full of people watching.

Nick was pretty well known by the authorities in Chicago when he got locked up - they were out to get him and his whole crew, so there was no way he wasn't getting sentenced to prison. But from what he's said to me, he seriously has changed from the reckless youth of his past and wants to make a life for himself and us. One can only hope that with all the anti-offender prejudice out in the world, we'll have a chance. We always have my career to fall back on, but I want Nick to have something of his own that he can be proud of, without resorting to something illegal to get it.

Anyway, I'm officially presenting my membership card. I look forward to talking with all of you more :)

My husbnad has done 13 years and has a 15 to life sentences in ca. its so hard but we have to have the patience and unconditional love for them. My hubby considers me his angel and when he told me that it bought tears to my eyes. one day it will be worth it.

Welcome everybody!! Looking forward to talking to all of you!

Well this is a neat new forum! I just noticed this was here! Some of you may already of seen me around, but I will introduce myself to those of you that haven't. My name is Amy. My fiance has been in for the last 10 years and has about 3 more years to do. He is up for his first parole hearing in Oct of 2007. I don't even want to think about his max. I have been with him through this since he was sentenced 10 years ago and it has been too long already!

Hi everyone,
Like Nicky's_Girl I have known my guy along time..We have known and loved each other sense 1976 ( I was 11- he 9...haha ) After a 20 year separation we reunited 2 years ago when he went in. At first as friends-catching up but the love 2 letters later took over......
He to would of been out this last May but chose to fight for his innonance and got 171/2 years.......We too are waiting to hear from his lawyer the appeal is to go back any day now....YES......
I am not sure if I should call him my guy but he did tell me 2 weeks ago that "The loves always been there" and then last week that he was "IN LOVE WITH ME" so I guess I can call him MINE NOW.....
I am so glad to find PTO..If nothing else I got someplace to go and seek sanity.......:fb: