"brother"

SilviaIT · #1 05-05-2020, 11:11 AM

Well, he is not my brother but he's like so... (I didn't know where to ask my doubt, sorry)

What would you do if your loved one asks for help? He wants that I share his story and that I bug people who really can help him but... actually, I don't know what to do (and what can I really do from Italy as I don't know how justice and government works there).

One day, I wrote to the white house but I think it is not important. They have a form to fill up and I think that they even not read it....

Any ideas?

Thank you!

studebaker71 · #2 05-05-2020, 11:20 AM

Whats the problem? Help is a vague word that can mean many things!

Is he incarcerated? Is he awaiting trial? Is he convicted? Hurt? Don't know. but lots of good people here can give advice if you can give more details.

MizzyMuffling · #3 05-05-2020, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by studebaker71

Whats the problem? Help is a vague word that can mean many things!

Is he incarcerated? Is he awaiting trial? Is he convicted? Hurt? Don't know. but lots of good people here can give advice if you can give more details.

Plus, where is he incarcerated if at all? If you could give us some more info there'll be a ton of people on here who have a whole world of knowledge (not me though, I just give unsolicited advice

)

safran · #4 05-05-2020, 12:44 PM

http://www.prisontalk.com/forums/sho...20#post7811820

He is a federal inmate in NJ.

**GingerM** · #5 05-06-2020, 08:08 AM

If he was tried in court and the jury (or judge if he waived the right to a jury) convicted him, you could help by trying to find an attorney who would be willing to try to appeal the case (his case would be tried again).

If he plead guilty to get a shorter sentence, he probably gave up his rights to an appeal. In that situation, he can not try to have his case tried again.

You can help him by sending money if you can afford it. You can help him by sending books through Amazon.com. You can help him by writing to him regularly.

I am sorry your brother is in prison. It is very hard to have someone you love in prison, and it makes our hearts hurt.

[to those of you replying to this thread, please remember that the OP is from Italy, English is probably not their first language and they may be using google translate to help them read/write their posts]

SilviaIT · #6 05-08-2020, 04:25 AM

Thank you to all!

The "problem" is that I'd like to help him but I think I can't. Surely not from here, except few tweets or similar things.

He is in a federal prison in NJ for a sentence of 9 years. He will be out in 2023. He would like to.... actually this is the first problem. Ok, my english is not so good, that's true! But... he also is cryptic with me! So, I'm trying to understand by myself what I can really do or undo.

I think that he simply wants to get out from there. He says that he wants to share his story to help other veterans. But he also would like to make something like asking for appeal or early release and that's something that, I think, he can do by himself.

Basically, the problem is what I can really do from here?

I mean, I am a friend. I write him regularly, I try to stay in touch as much as possible. I do this and he says that it's enough from me but... I would like to do more.... I ask him if he wants something (in italian prisons you can bring packages of food or clothes... now I know there is not possible)

then, I know he has no family on the outside so I'm worried about when he is out. I think he needs home and .... but again, I think that from here is something that I can't afford.

Few days is more easy. I mean, I think that everything will be ok, in a way or another. But other days, like the one when I wrote this thread, are more hard and I am just an italian lady worried for his "brother".

Again, thank you so much!

**GingerM** · #7 05-08-2020, 07:54 AM

On this forum, we try our best to give people the truth, even when the truth is ugly. This is better for everyone because it does not give people false hope.

I believe you are right - there is not much you can do from Italy, unless you're willing to try to come to the US, live here for a while, and you also happen to have more money than God so you can afford lawyers.

The best thing you can do is to continue to send him letters and emotional support.

The American legal system is only "fair" to those who have a great amount of money.

He may be able to be paroled, depending on his crime. Since he's already completed 6 years of a 9 year sentence, he should be eligible for parole soon. That does not mean the parole board will grant him parole, but that he can at least go in front of the board and see what they have to say.

If he is paroled, that is the same as saying that he is still serving his sentence, but they have let him out of prison to finish the remainder of his sentence. You may read people here talk about still being "on paper" which means the person still has to follow all the rules or they can be sent back to prison for a trivial crime.

You would not be able to help him much if he goes before the parole board.

There is also, in some cases, early release for good behavior inside. This is very much similar to being on parole, as he will still be "on paper" (they will be different papers, but not very much different).

He needs to handle all of this from inside the prison. There is not much you can do from Italy to help him with either parole or early release.

When he does get out, I don't know if you could help him much there either, not because you don't want to but because of financial reasons. He will need to find a place to live and find a job. The Veterans Administration (VA) might be able to help him.

I am very sorry you find yourself in this situation. It is a helpless feeling and sometimes a hopeless feeling.

Born · #8 05-08-2020, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SilviaIT

Well, he is not my brother but he's like so... (I didn't know where to ask my doubt, sorry)

What would you do if your loved one asks for help? He wants that I share his story and that I bug people who really can help him but... actually, I don't know what to do (and what can I really do from Italy as I don't know how justice and government works there).

One day, I wrote to the white house but I think it is not important. They have a form to fill up and I think that they even not read it....

Any ideas?

Thank you!

SilviaIT,

If he truly is a veteran then when he gets out he has a few privileges at his disposal he can obtain a no money down home loan or housing assistance depending on his status where he's able to get a job or not. If he has a Veteran related injury he is eligible for a pension again it depends on the percentage of the injury acquired whist in service. He's also eligible for VA health care. So there are things that he can do for himself when he gets out.

https://www.va.gov/

https://www.veteransunited.com/v3/lp...SAAEgKlLfD_BwE

Se è veramente un veterano, quando esce ha alcuni privilegi a sua disposizione, può ottenere un mutuo per la casa senza soldi o assistenza abitativa a seconda del suo stato in cui è in grado di trovare un lavoro o meno. Se ha un infortunio correlato a un veterano, può beneficiare di una pensione di nuovo a seconda della percentuale del pregiudizio acquisito durante il servizio. Ha anche diritto all'assistenza sanitaria VA. Quindi ci sono cose che può fare da solo quando esce.

ho pubblicato link qui sopra per te

safran · #9 05-08-2020, 05:03 PM

“He may be able to be paroled, depending on his crime.”

There is NO parole in the federal system.

BeccaRose · #10 05-10-2020, 02:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SilviaIT

Thank you to all!

The "problem" is that I'd like to help him but I think I can't. Surely not from here, except few tweets or similar things.

He is in a federal prison in NJ for a sentence of 9 years. He will be out in 2023. He would like to.... actually this is the first problem. Ok, my english is not so good, that's true! But... he also is cryptic with me! So, I'm trying to understand by myself what I can really do or undo.

I think that he simply wants to get out from there. He says that he wants to share his story to help other veterans. But he also would like to make something like asking for appeal or early release and that's something that, I think, he can do by himself.

Yes, appeal or early release request he can do by himself, or at least, you cannot do that for him from Italy. As Safran said, there is no parole in Federal prison, but perhaps he can petition for home confinement or compassionate release under the CARES Act?