I just found out that a good friend is in Prison. I don't think that he wants us to know that he is in. Should I write him anyway, or just wait until he gets out and act like nothing happened, the way I think he wants it? People who know he's in apparantly have turned their backs on him for what he is supposed to have done. He's always helped my wife and me out, I hate not to write. I guess what he did happened last summer. I didn't see him for 2 months and when i did, he said he had been in the hospital, but now I guess he was in until he posted bail. He went in around the first of May 04, I just found out yesterday. It says for 24 months, but his PE/TE date is for the end of Sept. 2004? What is a PE/TE date?????????????/ Does this mean he will get out then? He is a first time offender. What is the mindset of someone in Prison, I mean would he want to hear from us or not do you think? If I should write, he is in Varner. Where do I mail it and how do I address it and how soon will he get his mail. THANKS

U will never know unless you write.

Oh, and also, what about calling and talking to prisoners at Varner? Or I've seen pen pals on the net, can you e-mail Varner where you can send them mail? How does it all work?

I at least need their mailing address and how to address it so he'd get it.

JCinAR - In my case most prisoners I have talked to want to get mail and be able to make phone calls. Here is how it works. If you will go to this website: www.arkansas.gov/doc/inmate_info/ (http://www.arkansas.gov/doc/inmate_info/) and do a search using his last name or his first name or both, you should be able to pull up his information. You'll need his ADC# to write him. You also need his barrack # to write him but that isn't listed on the ADC website. You may be able to call the Varner unit and give them his adc# and name and they might give you his barrack #.
You might be able to send him a letter without his barrack #, and see if it will make it to him or not.

Good luck and if you have any questions just ask.

Oh yeah, also, he has to call you. You can't call him. He would have to call you collect.

I have P.O. Box 600 Grady, AR. 71644-0600 for the Grady unit? Is this where it needs to go to get to inmates? How do I address the envelope? Do I put his name under Varner Unit and his ADC#? And the barrack number if I can find it?
Thanks

I meant for the Varner unit, not Grady, sorry.

This is how I fill out mine:


Inmates name and ADC #
Brks # (If you have it)
P. O. Box
City, State Zip

I use to work at Calico Rock and alot of time people did not know which Brks. We would look it up and put it in the right Brks. I am not sure how the Varner Unit does it. They usually get their mail pretty fast (approx 2/3 days).

If you have any more questions, feel free to ask or PM me.
Good Luck!

Sorry, I forgot to answer your question about the PE date. That is the Parole eligable date. Even tho he was sentenced to 2 years, he can get his time in prison reduced thru "good time". So, I would think that as long as he doesn't get into a lot of trouble, he has a good chance on getting out as soon as Sept 04. The rest of the sentence would be completed under supervised parole.

My fiance is at Cummins, which is right down the road from Varner, and if you don't have their barracks number there, they will still deliver their mail to them, and it only takes a day for them to get the letter usually. I agree with misstussey, I'm sure he would appreciate hearing from you.

I was in the same boat as you when I found out Big Daddy was incarcerated. We had been married for a short time and parted as friends, but hadn't seen each other in 14 years. I went ahead and wrote to him and gave him the option of writing back if he needed a friend or just throwing the letter out or whatever if he didn't. Fortunately, he wrote back, and was glad to hear from me.

You never know until you try. Sometimes a person doesn't know they need a friend until they hear from one, then they're grateful and happy about it.

JC, I THINK YOU SHOULD TRY WRITING HIM. IT WOULDN'T HURT NONE.

JC
Keep us posted on your situation. Did you write him? Is everything okay? Even though we do not know him personally, we care. We are in similiar situation (with a loved one or friend incarcerated) and know many of the feelings that you and he are going through. Let him know that no matter what, he has friends that care and support him.

Good Luck!

Yes....write...He would probably love to hear from you..It is lonley behind the walls.. He could probably use a friend..........minnie:cool: