Hi Guys!

My heart and love go out to you all. There is nothing harder than comming back to society and facing the changes in our society as we now have. Especially the difference (or the indifference) of people.

This is the one thing I really do dread when and if my son does get to come home. He has spent 12 years in a State Prison. He wants to come home so very badly. But, I do know how hard it will be on him because he remembers the times when people actually cared about each other. He was 25 when he went to prison and he is now 37. He has a chance for a new trial due to the fact one of his attorneys may be disbarred due to alcoholism during the years of 1988 to 1998. Butch was tried in 1991.

Please keep the faith and don't ever let the way society is today put you back in a situation that could cause you to go back to prison.

We must all stand together to fight the injustices that are happening now especially with the system. We need your voices to help with that. You know better than anyone what happens.

My Prayers and Love to You

Donna

This is an issue that has been a concern since being involved with the M-2 program some years ago.

What does it take for and ex-offender to make it on the outside?

Once that is figured out, how do the people involved with them (before release) get that message "instilled" in there thinking? :hmm:

So many offenders leave the system, still holding the selfcentered attitude of, "me, myself and I", along with screw Society, I'll do what I want, when I want and how I want.

I do believe, it is that attitude, that is the main reason most ex-offender become inmates again for minor violations. And they become angry because most of Society would "skate" with such petty suff/behavor.

.

I THINK MANY EX-OFFENDERS TAKE HARD LOOKS AT THEMSELVES AND REALLY HAVE THE DESIRE TO LIVE DIFFERENTLY WHEN THEY ARE RELEASED --I THINK MOST, NOT ALL, BUT MOST EXOFFENDRS REOFFEND B/C THEY SEE NO OTHER WAY-THEY HAVE RUN INTO BARRIER AFTER BARRIER--HOUSING, EMPLOYMENT, ETC AND FINALLY SAY F*** IT-OFTEN IT IS THE ATTITUDES OF THSOE FREE MEN/WOMEN IN OUR SOCIETY THAT PROHIBIT EX-OFFENDERS FROM GETTING A FAIR CHANCE

OK, this a KNOWN factor.

Now, how does the "free" person, prepare the soon to be free to be better prepaired in dealing with what most likely will transpire?

It's one thing to give all the love and letting them know your there for them. But being hammered on for so long on the inside, and then finding rejection on the outside, well a person can handle so much unless they have some time to perpare before hand.

It's a state of mind that must be developed and that take time to sink in.

I started thinking alone this line, since reading some female's rap sheets since I joined this group. Some has YEARS of in and out and baiscly the same type of offences.

I hear what you asking BRAY. What the prisoner has to think and live with inside is for survival. It has to be a total reprograming when they come back out here.

Where is this re programing?

BRAY

YOU ARE CORRECT.... THIS IS THE VERY THING I WANT TO TRY TO DO NOW....NOT 2 DAYS BEFORE BUTCH IS RETURNED TO SOCIETY, BUT NOW..... I FEEL HE NEEDS PRE RELEASE COUNSELING.... I TELL HIM EVERY TIME I TALK TO HIM HOW HARD IT WILL BE FOR PEOPLE TO ACCEPT HIM AGAIN.... I TEEL HIM CONSISTANTLY, HOW HE WILL MEET WITH REJECTION BY MANY MANY PEOPLE.... I ALSO TELL HIM ABOUT HOW THE WORLD ITSELF HAS CHANGED AND HOW EXPENSIVE THINGS ARE ON THE OUTSIDE... I AM NO COUNSELOR THOUGH, AND THE PRISON SYSTEM NEEDS TO TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION.... BUT, YOU KNOW WHAT I HAVE HEARD THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE.... I HAVE HEARD THAT MOST OF THE STATES RECEIVE FEDERAL MONEY FOR STATE PRISONERS AND THE STATES DO NOT WANT PRISONERS TO STAY OUTSIDE.... THEY WANT THEM BACK INSIDE SO THEY CAN RECEIVE THAT FEDERAL MONEY...

WHO KNOWS!!!!!

DONNA

No one has to be!

Knowing what is to come from viewing talks like this, will guide ones efforts and just might have more effect then a prison employee? At least it will have the personal touch instead of cold facts that they are expected to understand and make part of there life at the snap of the finger.

Thank's y'all for responding to my post! At least I know I'm not out in left field, thinking this way. :D

Written by an inmate (copied/pasted)

Being incarcerated is a state of two different minds, those who reform and those who rebel. And of course there's choices in here like out there and the negatives can out do the positives; especially for those who wish to keep living the life that got them here to begin with.

Hi ya'll,I would like to throw my 2 cents in here,if you do not mind.I do agree that society has something to do with repeat offenders,BUT,the main problem is the attitude of the offender himself.When I was released ,I made myself the promise,that I would never be looked or talked down to ever again.Then I clawed,and fought my way to the top.It was a very hard road,and I do believe the only thing to get me through,was that I really wanted it.I think what it boils down to is,we need more rehabilitation,and preperation for release in our prisons.Just my opinion ya'll.Thanks for listening..................Spencer

Sometimes a person has to get REAL MAD at what they have managed to develope and then, get determend to get the skills to make the changes. It's then, when the "your alright, I'm alright", just doesn't fit any more.

And that's my 2 cents, waiting for change. :-)

THANKS GUYS.... I AM PRINTING THIS OFF AND TAKING IT TO BUTCH ON SUNDAY WHEN I VISIT.... I HOPE SINCERELY, HE UNDERSTANDS WHAT YOU MEAN...

MY LOVE
DONNA

THA "GAP" IN MOST PROGRAMS, NOT ONLY PRISONS, BUT SA TX, MENTAL HEALTH, ETC ARE TRANSITIONAL PROGRAMS, STEP-DOWNS, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL THEM-THAT IS WHY I JUST HELPED WRITE A GRANT FOR APROGRAMS CALLED RE-CAMP -RE-ENTRY AND EMPLOYMENT CASE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM FOR INMATES. THIS IS A PROPOSAL FOR A PROGRAM THAT STARTS 6 MOS PRIOR TO ANTICIPATED RELEASE AND HELPS START RE-CONNECTING INMATES WITH THE OUTSIDE COMMUNITY-HELPS WITH LOCATING EMPLOYMENT, HOUSING, AND OTHER RESOURCES-IT ALSO HAS A COMPONENT ON SKILL BUILDING-LIKE CONFLICT RESOLUTION ETC... ALTHOUGH I AGREE WITH YOUR POINTS REGARDING THE IMPORTANCE OF ATTITUDE, I FEEL THAT PEOPLE HAVE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF STAMINA AND RESILIENCE--SOME CAN MAINTAIN A POSITIVE OUTLOOK ATTITUDE AND CONTINUE TO PERSEVERE WITH MINMAL SUPPORT BUT THERE ARE OTHERS WHO WITH JUST A LITTLE MORE SUPPORT MIGHT NOT HAVE FALLEN BACK TO A LIFE OF CRIME- WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILTY AS A SOCIETY TO ASSIST EX-OFFENDERS TRNASITION BACK TO SOCIETY--AFTER ALL WE PUT THEM IN PRISON WHERETHEY WERE INDOCTRINED INTO A SUBCULTURE THEY HAD NO CHOICE TO BE A PART OF-EX-OFFENDERS BEING SUCCESSFUL IN THE COMMUNITY IS A WIN-WIN SITUATION FOR ALL.

YEA SHERRI:


I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN YOU WERE INVOLVED IN SOME KIND OF HELP FOR RE-ENTERING INMATES...... I WILL BE IN TOUCH WITH YOU WHEN AND IF BUTCH FINDS OUT OUR EFFORTS HAVE WORKED....

LOVE YA
DONNA

I have to agree with nighthawk, the key factor is the offender themselves. The facility i was in had a YWCA run program which was nice. But for me it was a realy good friend who refused to give up on me and my realization that i was not going to let a very bad mistake I made and paid for define the rest of my life. The last couple years have had there moments, but so far so good...my two cents.

sherri, It almost a month since you posted about a grant. Has anything new come about since then?

THE GRANT PROPOSAL WAS PRESENTED TO A GROUP CALLED JUBILLE JOBS FOR PRESENTATION TO FUNDERS-THE HEAD HONCHO OF THE GREENSBORO SECTOR IS NOT TOO THRILLED ABOUT THE OFFENDER FOCUS- WHEN I HAVE MORE TIME I PLAN TO REVISE IT AND SUBMIT IT MYSELF --

HAVE YOU HEARD ANYTHING LATELY?

DONNA

yeah, I'm curious too

I would also like to know if you have recieved a response to your grant application.Steve&kids