Thanks to Jorge- (thank you for your post) I have finally come up with an idea to kick start this forum!
I know this is NOT an easy forum to deal with, let alone post in-but I think it is a forum that needs to be out there. All of us who are waiting and worrying, or were waiting and worrying, to hear at least ONE positive thing about prison makes the time seem not quite so bad.....At least a little...
So, here is my question:
While my boyfriend was locked up this last time (he came home in Jan) he met some good people. People that he planned to remain in contact with.
Well, as we all know, things change and time passes- and I for one will be honest in saying that I wasn't so thrilled to hear that Robert (my boyfriend) wanted to keep in touch with certain people he was locked with. I wasn't sure how good of an idea that was.....especially since one parolee isn't supposed to be in contact with another.
However, there was a gentlemen that Robert had told me about on many different occasions. He was locked with Robert for a while, where they became actual friends, and then Robert was moved. After he was moved this guy wrote ME a letter asking for Robert's address. He was very sweet, and very concerned.
Well, Robert came home first, a full 4 months before this guy. Well, this gentlemen came home this past week, (I looked him up on the MDOC website after we got the first call)
What was one of the first things he did? He called Robert- the FIRST week being home. Amazing.
Robert ended up talking to him finally after playing phone tag, and the guy gave him a shot of self confidence- which Robert has been sorely missing lately.
The moral of this story?
Prison is hell- it is supposed to be....
However, good things can come out of it- meaning friends.
So- when it comes to your loved one keeping contact with some of his/her "inmate" friends...how do you feel? Good? Bad?
I guess I am interested in hearing what other peoples opinions are on this subject...
Thanks!!!

Hi Jen, I don't know how to address this yet because I havn't been in that situation as of yet, but I did have a situation where one of my son's inmate friends wrote him a letter and asked that i send it to him. Don't know how that has went yet? I do know that sometimes they make friends while in prison, from the letter that was sent to him it was about where he was (his friend) and about weight lifting , I guess they were into that together, nothing that seem harmful in the letter, but as you know the system doesn't set to well with inmates writing or being in contact with each other.

The way I see it is this. We all have to make decisions on who we chose for friends and who we choose not to associate with. I have 24 pen pals and most if not all I would like to know if or when they get out. My husband has met quite a few good men that he considers friends. If my husband and your men are good, and have changed, why can't others? If, after a time, you find out that these friends are not keeping out of trouble or are not who they seemed, then disassociate from them. I think my husband wants to succeed when he gets out badly enough that he will make the right decisions about who he keeps around as friends. There are some good people in prison, as we know!! =:-D

Im not really in your situation yet. My hunny was out for a bit on parole and all his friends were still in so they kept contact via the mail. As far as that goes, I was very "proud" of him that he didnt abandon them and kept writing. Unfortunately, as he was on parole, he could not go to visit! Now he is back in though and I will be forwarding their letters to him in prison for sure.

I have been meaning to respond to this for like a week and just now getting a chance to... most of Brian's really good buddies on the inside, I've met and they are just wonderful people, especially two of them, both of whom keep in regular contact with his family and me sometimes as well. He has a couple of other good friends from early days at another facility, one of whom he was reunited with while in Mississippi, and while I haven't met them I've had some written correspondence with both and they are really good people too, both from my impression and Brian's word. All of those guys, I sincerely hope they will all keep in touch in the free world someday, as well as many of the others I have met or heard about along the way. I really can't think of too many folks he has been well acquainted with that I would feel uncomfortable at all about them keeping in touch. It's probably the world's best kept secret, but there are frankly a lot of wonderful and good people in prison!!!

Thanks all!
I agree that there are definitely some good people in prison- I mean hey, my boyfriend was there!!! :)
I know that you aren't "supposed" to be around a parolee if you yourself are one- however what do "they" expect when you spend a ton of time with certain people? Are you supposed to walk away and never look back? I for one am glad that my boyfriend has a big enough heart that he couldn't, and wouldn't, do that to some of the guys he met in there. That proves he has feelings and prison didn't harden him like it could have.
Thanks for the responses girls!!!

i actually know a man who was released from the Louisiana State Prison who MISSES the place!
He truely misses the men that he lived and grew with for 24 years.
He said that he never thought he would miss the place. Now that his probation period is finished, he visits all the time!