Hi folks....last weekend at the G2G I was telling another member that this forum is just too slow. I think that even though we don't have someone who is our "next of kin" in the system, we still have a family member who is very important and loved there. As aunts, uncles, cousins, and extended family we have totally different issues than a wife, husband, b/f, g/f. I know that as I was growing up, my cousins and I were close. My neices and nephews always liked to come to my house because i was their "cool aunt". I have a very special relationship with my extended family in that the dynamics are so different for them. I'm hoping that we as extended family can share these feelings with each other and get the type of support that fits our situation.

I'll give this a go......
My name is Lisa and I'm the Forum Leader for the extended family forum. My nephew Adam was convicted in June for the murder of a young man here in town. He's 21 years old and is sort of my baby. While attending college he lived with me for 2 years. When he was convicted I felt the loss like he was my own child.
He took a plea to avoid the death penalty and ended up with life + 50 years. I have had no one that can really understand how this makes me feel. I came to PTO a year ago for the support I needed with a relationship and now with this. I still have issues with the sentence and will work through them in time.
I am hoping that the members who post in this forum can help one another in these issues that are different in their own way.

Hi, My name is Peter Haugen, I am 28 years old come Christmas and i have spent way too much time within the Minnesota Department of Corrections within my short life so far.

I was raised in a single parent family with my mother. When i was 14 i first started hanging out with the wrong crowd, Stealing cars, burglary, breaking into bars, just out to party. I got sent away young and didn't like being locked up, but at the same time i didn't mind being away.
I ended up going to prison, the day i got locked up i couldn't even call my own mother knowing that after all the years she had always stood beside me, always been there for me, but yet i couldn't call. Most importaintly i never wanted my younger brother to be in the same situation that i was in. He is four years younger than I. I never wanted to see him have to go to prison. But in 2002, he caught a burglary charge and wasn't looking at much time until he decided to break out of the county jail and break into someones house. He tied the man up and stole his car. For that he ended up taking the same road that i once took. The road to prison. I can't help but feel somewhat responsible for some of the things that he has done in his life because he looked up to me and i was a role model for him. BUT really was I? I didn't do anything to help him, I didn't try to warn him off of the dangers of what those choices and where they could lead, and now he is going to spend the next ten years in prison. I have come to realize that i am not totally responsible for him being locked up. He chose to do what he did and he does accept that. I just wish that i could have reached out a little more to help try to avoid that. This is why i try and activly go to the High Schools in the area and speak to those same kids and hopefully reach out to one of them. Hopefully they won't make the same mistakes that i made, and hopefully i can help deter them from making some of the same bad choices that i made with drugs, alcohol, and peer pressure.
So i ask all of you who read this to reach out, help your sibblings, your family, lend a helping hand, and most importaintly a voice. Be the voice for all of us.


Thank You


Peter Haugen

Peter,
Welcome to PTO and the extended family forum. It sounds like you could be an asset to the forum. Maybe I could use your help with some outreach projects I've been thinking about. Maybe something to get this forum more active.

I'd love to help just let me know what i can do. I wish i had found this site a long time ago.

Thanks all


Pete

Hi Lisa! My cousin was just transferred from Jamestown to Pelican Bay SHU. He's been locked up now for about a year and a half and is to be released in 2007. I didnt realize the seriousness/sadness & in-humaness of where he was going untill I told another family member & decided to look up information on the internet about it. I'm so saddened with this, that I found myself crying in bed last night, and throughout the day have found my self in tears just thinking about it. Its very saddening to me that the cousin and best friend that I have known all of my life, I will never know again. I know that he will forever be a changed man. I am already having such a hard time with this and his time there has hardly begun. My emotions right now are so overwhelming. I'm just very grateful to have found this site, and know now that I have an outlet to come to when I need to talk with people who can truly understand my saddness.


Hi folks....last weekend at the G2G I was telling another member that this forum is just too slow. I think that even though we don't have someone who is our "next of kin" in the system, we still have a family member who is very important and loved there. As aunts, uncles, cousins, and extended family we have totally different issues than a wife, husband, b/f, g/f. I know that as I was growing up, my cousins and I were close. My neices and nephews always liked to come to my house because i was their "cool aunt". I have a very special relationship with my extended family in that the dynamics are so different for them. I'm hoping that we as extended family can share these feelings with each other and get the type of support that fits our situation.

I'll give this a go......
My name is Lisa and I'm the Forum Leader for the extended family forum. My nephew Adam was convicted in June for the murder of a young man here in town. He's 21 years old and is sort of my baby. While attending college he lived with me for 2 years. When he was convicted I felt the loss like he was my own child.
He took a plea to avoid the death penalty and ended up with life + 50 years. I have had no one that can really understand how this makes me feel. I came to PTO a year ago for the support I needed with a relationship and now with this. I still have issues with the sentence and will work through them in time.
I am hoping that the members who post in this forum can help one another in these issues that are different in their own way.

Hello! My name is Salena and I have first joined this site because my husband has been incarcerated since April 2003. Well he is now getting out hopefully this week on ISP. Unfortunately his brother is going in while he is getting out.

My Brother in Law is only 22 and has gone to jail 3 time since the end of July. He has about a total of 20 charges pending right now. Just this weekend was the one that is going to do it for him. He got 1st degree Aggrevated Motor Vehicle theft, 1st degree Assaut, and Vehicular elluding-SUBSTANTIAL RISK DEATH TO ANOTHER. His other charges pending right now include Felony Menacing (which he just bonded out a week ago), 2nd degree Burglary, Possesion of Sched. II, and many more- I can't even remeber all of them.

He is like a little brother to me. I have known him for 11 years now and I just can't believe he is going through all of this. He is a meth addict with out a doubt. He has a wife and 3 kids who will more than likely not be there for him. I plan on being there for him though. Even though he screwed up I will not turn my back on him. I want him to know that he needs to be in there but we will still be here for him now.

Hello,
I am searching for an inmate in a Colorado Prison.
Not sure which one, the info i recieved was sketchie
at best.
His name is Billy Butler and he and I grew up in an
orphanage together.
Since he is part of my extended family contacting him
would , I hope, be beneficial to both of us.
If someone can assist me with this search you would
have my appreciation.
Thank you
Searching4:)

searching4,
Welcome to the extended family forum. I sent you a PM and I hope the link helps you out.

Hi my name is Katie and I am 20 years old. I found this because I have been trying to track down my cousin. He is in a Georgia Prison(Lowndes State Prison). I really would like to speak to him, but I can't find any kind of contact information. His name is Jerry Don McAtee III.

I am a Grandmother now raising my 3 year old grandson as my son was sent to the State of Ohio to serve some time.

Welcome! We raised 3 of our grandchildren for years.
lis

Hi, my son is in the VA state prison system. In the past when I knew Earl was being transferred I got online, google search, key words, VA Prison Facilities? I clicked on "Inmate Tracker" then typed my sons name in and was able to find out where he was. I've done it three times in the last two years and it works. T

Hello,
I am searching for an inmate in a Colorado Prison.
Not sure which one, the info i recieved was sketchie
at best.
His name is Billy Butler and he and I grew up in an
orphanage together.
Since he is part of my extended family contacting him
would , I hope, be beneficial to both of us.
If someone can assist me with this search you would
have my appreciation.
Thank you
Searching4:)

Thanks Earls Mom. Welcome to all the new members in the Extended Family forum.

my name is angela in 2003 my brother was arrested for murder and has been in the system every since...i am his only sister and we have one other brother..and its a good thing to know there are others out there who are going through the same thing or something similar to it...since i came here i have found alot of information that was well needed but it will not replace him....but thats ok i have learned to deal with things as they come and that family is most important...i just want to tell everyone never turn your back on a loved one who is in trouble no matter if its brother sister wife husband........if its family its just that family..... *blood is thicker than water*

angela

My name is Angel and I have an Aunt in Iowa Correctional Instition for women in Mitchellville Iowa. I have never had any one in jail before. so many ?'s.
this is why I joined this pto forum
Angel

I've been a member of PTO for a long time and just discovered this thread existed. I went home to KY and my parents told me about my cousin who lost everything due to his drinking. I searched on the net and found him in a little county jail in KY. I sent him a Christmas card and it's been fun getting to know him. He called last week and we spoke for the first time since grade school. He is very appreciative of having someone who understands and with whom he can really talk to since he's has burned a lot of bridges. I hope I can help him start a new life someday. I pray he'll be paroled in April and live a sober life.

Hi chintath! I , too, discovered my cousin a couple of years back. He had lost everything due to an entire life of drug abuse. Even lost his mother, and that was before she died last year.
I agree with you, I have had the most fun getting to know my cousin again, and have discovered we are like brother and sister, so much alike are we!
Keep writing him...I gave up on my cousin years back, and due to family 'feuds' that I didn't want to get in the middle of.
I wish I had told the whole family to take a hike and stuck by him.
You just may be making the connection and change for good that your cousin needs, so keep it up!
I'm hoping for the best for you.
Let us know how he's doing, ok?
Blessings,
lis

Hello everybody. I figured I stop in here and post an intro. My boyfriend and a cousin is in Miami Correctional Facility in Bunker Hill, Indiana. I have a nephew and a friend in Brachville Correctional Facility in Tell City, Indiana. My nephew has been in and out of trouble since he was younger but he'll be out of prison this year. And my nephew will be out next May.

Hi all - quick post - I'm new - my Uncle is currently at the IMCC - just got his classification - no idea where he is going permanently. He was sentenced to 75 years, but the bop.gov site says he'll be out in 34 (I assume that is for good behaviour, if he doesn't get out on probation before that). Trying to figure out all the policies, procedures and rules. Anyway - nice to know there are places to go and get info when you're down and can't figure it all out yourself. :)

Thanks for being here, everyone!

Welcome to the Extended Family forum. We have alot of different situations here. Hope to see more from you.

My name is Ivy, and I have a cousin at Norco. We didn't grow up together, but I started writing to him out of the blue 4 years ago on and off. I've only seen him 3 times on the outside, but I'm planning a trip to see him in August which isn't easy since I live in Tahoe. I'm 24, and he's 26 (will be on the 24th of June), and from what my other cousins tell me, he was a really smart guy who had a lot of potential til drugs got to him. I'm hoping he'll get the chance to realize his potential someday. Through our letters, we've come to see how alike we are, and we both enjoy the letters immensely. We have a huge family, but almost no one writes to him. I'm glad there's a forum for extended family of inmates, and just PTO in general. This has been a great place to turn to in between letters. Thank you.

Welcome to the Extended Family forum. You will get more support here than anywhere else. Good luck with your trip and visit. Keep us posted.

Good news!!! He may be getting out in 30-60 days instead of 6 months. No need to visit down in SoCal (unless his court date doesn't go well). I'll be at his court date, and I'll be picking him up when he gets released. YAY!

Thought i would say hello, and introduce myself. I'm MicheLe and I live here in North Alabama. My God Mothers son is in Holman prison(SEG). He was convicted of murder and was given Life with out parole back in 1987. I grew up very close to my God Mother and her family, from the day i was born, untill i was 10. my parents got divorced and then we lost contact with them. Over the years i have missed her and her son so very much. I finaly found him , by gettin on here and finding some information on how to look him up. I'm now 28.. and trying to make up for some lost time with them. he has put in for a transfer to Saint Clair, so that he will onlybe a hour away instead of 5 hours. His mom will be 60 this year, so it is hard on her to make that long trip. He says he doesnt think the transfer will go thur but was told that maybe something will come of it in about 6 months. So i'm keeping my fingers crossed. I am also thinking about writing to the Gov. ( or someone) to try and help get him transfered.. i just dont know if it will help at all?? I dont know alot about the prison system at all...but picking up on a little here and there.. and seeing it's really TUFF!

** wishing i could turn back the clock**
Michele~ from Alabama~

Welcome to PTO and the Extended Family forum. Please feel free to PM me if I can help you with anything.

I feel that all memebers of our family should be cared about instead of ignored because of what they did to get themselves in prison but we can only due what we can due. :D

I'm an outcast too, because I show support for my brother and friends who are locked up. It's nice to know that others understand.

My beloved nephew was sentenced a week ago so I'm very new to all of this. He's still in the county jail waiting for the next step. His sentence is 4.24 to 15 years. He is innocent and we are doing everything possible to right this wrong. We have never had anyone in our extended family in trouble beyond a speeding ticket so we're clueless. He's lucky in the sense he has a large group of friends and family who believe in his innocence and who support him but it's devastating to us all that he has to go through this BS. I'm so glad to have found this site, it's helped me so much in just a week with useful information. Thank you for being there.

Welcome to PTO ballynahinch. It is wonderful to see you supporting your nephew. I will keep him in my prayers. It really is amazing how much we can learn from this website. I feel so much stronger since I have found this site. Just the knowledge alone has given me power.

Hello my name is Mandy.. I also have a cousin Jamie who is in Jefferson City Correctoinal center in Missouri... He was 18 when he was sent to prison and is now 28.. he will live his entire life in prison which breaks my heart but theres one things about our family... we have faith, we have a strong bond with everyone and as jamie says we are soooo lucky to have our family.....

Welcome to the Extended Family forum, Mandy. If I can help you with anything, please feel free to PM me.

Some on has to help me figure out how to do this? I am sure I am am on the wrong section and not sure how I even got here. But this is the first time I have been able to even type a question. Boy do I feel stupid. My main question is that my 18 yr old grandson son is on his way to Greene in Coxsckie NY, and I have heard horror stiories about Greene. Is there any one who can share any information with me about Green. We are from the Rochester area. Any thing would be great.

Beamo, welcome. You're definitely in the right section to share experiences with other extended family members. You might also want to check out the New York section for more info related to your grandson's situation and NY DOC rules. It looks like Greene is located within NY DOC's Great Meadow Hub so make sure you check that specific forum, too. I put the link below for you.

GREAT MEADOW HUB - NY DOC (http://www.prisontalk.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=635) (1 Viewing)
New York State Prisons & Institutions located inside the GREAT MEADOW HUB - Moriah, Washington, Great Meadow, Mt. McGregor, Greene, Coxsackie, Hudson.

okay this is gonna be a weird one but why not..

i have a cousin crystal. she met a guy named jonathan. they had a baby girl named juliauna. she is now 4. (which makes her my 2nd cousin) crystal is a low life that wants nothing to do with her kids. shed rather spend her time out partying & sleeping around.

ive come to accept jon as part of the family; since he is juliaunas father. hes tried in the past. he just made some mistakes this time around. he was looking at a 13 yr sentence but took a plea of 3 years. hes already done 1 year. by the time he gets out his little girl will be 6 years old :(

he wants to turn his life around & be there for his daughter. his visitation was revoked until december 07. i plan on doing everything i can to get his baby girl up there (north fl) come christmas time. that would mean the world to him.

i was locked up for a short amount of time as a juvenile & an adult i know what it feels like to be a part of the system. its horrible. its depressing to be locked away and all your rights taken away from you.

its hard on our family & for jons family. we just have to keep our heads up & wish for the best. hopefully this time hes learned his lesson :rolleyes:

Hi to everyone on this forum, by way of an introduction I would just like to say that I discovered a long lost rellie in a prison in America. We have never met, but as soon as I found out his details I wrote him, he quickly answered my letter and we have been corresponding ever since. He has spent literally two thirds of his life in prison, I do wonder how he would make it on the outside if he ever were released, which doesn't look too promising at this stage. I just wanted him to know that there is someone out here in his family that still cared about him. As I live at least 10,500 miles away from America, it would be near impossible that we will ever meet (unless I won Lotto--unlikely!!) and of course, he would never even be able to visit here, even if he ever was released because of his criminal history. I do worry desperately for him--he is in a SHU, and I can only half imagine all the little freedoms that we on the outside take for granted, are denied to him. It is a horrible situation and I am so very, very glad to have found PTO (by accident whilst searching for information on the American legal / prisons. I have learnt so much by reading others' experiences. I thank everyone who has shared their stories and given me the opportunity to participate and learn. Cheers NB:thumbsup:

Hi everyone. My name is Cherry and my stepfather was sentenced to 12 years on Wednesday. This is so far out of what I know that I really don't know how to deal with it. We were told to have 3 letters of recommendation for probation; we had over 20. Judge wouldn't let him change his plea (attorney recommended he take it; otherwise he was facing 99 years on each of nine charges.) Everyone keeps saying this gets easier. I have only one question, when? I have two kids who keep asking for their Paw-paw and I can't tell them he won't be home for twelve years. Any suggestions as to what I should tell them?

Hi, My name is Lisa and my cousin was just sentenced to 10 yeas in prison in alabama.He and I were always very close til he got into drugs.I was just wondering if somebody could help me with some questions.I know he will not have to serve the full time.He has been in trouble before but never had to serve time til now.I don't know the legal laws in alabama.Any information will be helpful.Thanks so much

hi. my name's carly. i have a cousin who has been incarcerated for 2 1/2 years now. he was originally in yazoo city, ms; but is now in marianna, fl. he is do out in august. he was convicted of a firearms possession. having previously been arrested for assualt, twice [once on the police]; he is now considered a 'violent offender'. i am eager for his return.:)

I don't have a lot of info yet, so I may update this later!

Hello everyone! I've been here at PTO for a while now b/c my fiance is incarcerated. However, I just decided to introduce myself here because I have a cousin serving time, also. Today I was able to see him for 1 hour at his mother's visitation service. She passed 3 days ago from pneumonia and other health issues. He has served about 2 + years of a 10 year sentence. If a certain law passes, he may get out in a year or less. If it doesn't then he'll serve most all of his 10 years. I really am stuck on an issue. I haven't been keeping in touch and now I feel that I want to - but I'm afraid he'll wonder why I didn't bother all this time before? Why wait until NOW to reach out to him? I feel bad for not writing sooner, but I would like to keep in touch with him. He has a daughter that I didn't even know about & I'd love to learn more about her and him, too. Any suggestions on what I should write first? Thanks for listening/reading. I hope you have a good week!

You can always start off by telling him what you told us that you would like to get to know him and his daughter. Apologize for not writing sooner and let him know you are not going to make any excuses for not writing but you're here now and would like to keep in touch and ask if he would accept that.

Good Luck!:thumbsup:

Tell him the truth. It's the easiest way and I feel that he will appreciate your honesty and the fact that you want to reach out to him.

Welcome!!

Soooo, I posted in siblings because my brother is locked up and that's what brought me here.
While he was in there we found out that a cousin who we hadn't seen for 15 years (when my Aunt passed away) is in too. Then my brother went to seg and we figured they wouldn't meet. Lo and behold, my cousin got in a fight, ended up in a cell next door and they got to catch up (they never knew each other at all because they were only 5 and 6 at the time and my Aunt brought her family up from San Diego only a month or so before she passed.
Anyways, I thought I would post here because I've had the chance to reconnect, well, actually to connect with my cousin and it's been pretty neat.
It was such a strange set of circumstances but I like to think maybe God or the universe planned it that way.

Also, after reading the other intros asking how to start communication, I wanted to say I booked a visit with my cousin right away and started letter writing. It has been slow writing because I focus SO much on my brother (my cousin will likely be home in 8 months, my brother could theoretically be facing 8 years), but we picked up pretty quickly. I just started telling him about my life, asked what he had been up to before going in (turns out he had been in and out) but he had lots of questions so it's been pretty easy.

Welcome to the Extended Family forum.

I have a family member who has been convicted of child molestation with a 30 year sentence with 10 of those years suspended to probation and he is eligible for some kind of "good time credit" with his earliest release date being 09/15/2017. He is in Miami Correctional Level 3 Facility in Bunker Hill, Indiana. The whole situation is very sad and I would like to be supportive in whatever way I can.

Hi ead. I think it's really good that you want to be supportive.
I believe that family support is probably the one biggest factor that can help someone, anyone, turn their life around.
Welcome to the forums :)

Hi Lisa...my name is Robin and I have a nephew in the Southeastern Correctional facility in Lancaster, OH. He has been down for 7 years and has 14 more months to go unless the camp personnel get their way. I have been in fear for the last week because for 7 yrs he is described as a "model prisoner" and just last week he was approached by a new Sgt on his dorm and advised him that if he wanted to "keep his cushy laundry porter job" then he would become her informant on activities on the dorm.

He of course told her to jump off a bridge (probably more graphic than I of course) and he filed a complaint against her with the investigator and all of a sudden he is "being investigated and was placed in the hole" and now was charged with a serious offense which the prison warden says he can't discuss with me. I have been double talked and spoon fed garbage by this prison administration for over 2 weeks and I need help to get things changed.

I don't sleep at night well as I worry about what is happening to him. I see him on Sunday for the first time since all this went down but I only get 20 mins to see him and that is "under supervision". Got any advice???

I would start to voice your concerns to someone in Columbus. If they won't listen to you at the prison, the best thing to do is to move up.

Hello, my name is Angela and my nephew was recently sent to prison for 6 years. SRCF in Oregon. He is very scared, so are we. He is already being approched by gangs (which he wants no part of) he is being threatened that if he doesnt jump someone he will be jumped. This all seems so scary. My sister (his mother) is about to have a nervous breakdown. We get these phone calls from him scared to death that he is going to be killed by these other inmates if he doesnt do what they tell him. Its just such a helpless feeling not knowing whats going on or if they really will hurt him. I joined to try and get some comfort from other people and hopefully people who have experienced the same thing.

Thanks :)
Angela

Welcome tot the Extended Family forum. It can be scary for the inmate and family alike. This is the place to be for the support.

i think you need to talk to an attny if you can afford one,before this goes any farther.sometimes when they know someone is watching and won't go away they will think about what they are doing.unfortionaly after the age of 18 nobody can find out anything even parents.....he may be able somehow to give you power to speak for him(power of attny??) that way you might be able to find what he is chged with.i'm still for a call to warden from an attny.good luck,my heart is with you both.my grandson was 16 when his offence occured he was just sentenced to 6 yrs. as a youthful offender in fl.he just turned 19 in june and is waiting to leave soon.its so hard now i can't imagine how it will be when he arrives to the prison........be strong and make your voice heard.i can't even tell you how many times weve called the jail and had to speak to the sgt or commander.i hope your visit helps,tysgma