Pen Pal Access for Prisoners
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During a recent conversation, I discovered that prisoners have access to pen pals.
I am certainly not just talking about family and friends but every day people in our communities.
Why is the Department of Corrections allowing this? If the inmates choose to riot because they don't get their own way, well then they have not learnt a thing! Yet they are allowing this type of privilege and access, to some of the most dangerous inmates in the world.
Murderers that have destroyed families are allowed contact, with the outside world. Friends or family are given permission, to place adds for these inmates. The particular site I clicked in to was "prisonpenpals.com". This site caters to many different countries and boasts minor offenders, right up to inmates on death row!
All of these sites state that you have to be 18 years of age, to join. Children of today are very crafty, an age requirement is not going to stop them.
Face book has even allowed a prisoner advocacy and pen pal program, to have it's own page. My children are on that site! Believe me, I am watching them closely.
There are a percentage of prisoners there, for minor offences. Either way, it should not be occurring. These people did the wrong thing by their communities and therefore, need to tolerate the consequences of those actions. On the first page of my google search, I found approximately 9-10 prisoner pen pal sites. Websites like "prisonpenpals", log inmates from around the world. Australia, Canada, Africa and Egypt, that is just a few.
Talk about world wide security issue!
These inmates should be studying, learning, participating in social development courses and working hard. Instead they are having web pages designed and listed for them, by sites like "ThePamperedPrisoner.com". When I took a closer look at the site, I noticed a feedback letter from a death row inmate. He was extremely impressed with the work that was done for him. I felt completely disgusted. We are told via the information on these sites, that inmates are not allowed access to the computer. True in some cases but not all. This is trouble, with a capital T.
I wrote this article to help bring awareness, to this huge problem in our prison systems. The lady who brought this to my attention, suffered tremendously in her life. Caused by one of these pen pal inmates. Her mother and 9 year old cousin, were taken from her brutally. Hearing that her mothers murderer has access to pen pals, just broke her heart. The lady I refer to, searched ccadp.org and found her mothers murderer. The man that ruined her life, says he is a fun loving guy!!!!
I think all the top politicians need to jump on this one and quick. Otherwise this will continue and someone else will get hurt! It is only a matter of time. Action needs to be taken, for the families that are left behind.
(C)Copyright,Tassie Stuart, 2011
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Prisoners with good behavior are sometimes offered the opportunity to correspond with pen pals, but all such communications are scrutinized in and out of the prisons.
Prisoners usually have no access to computers or the internet. Such ads are placed for them if they qualify.
Your concerns are well founded, because they are, after all, criminals! But prisons routinely screen all such communications to make sure all is above board.
Good Hub!
Walt mate, that is bad. They should not have access to computers at all. As if the people who are responsible for watching them, are not going to slack off occasionally. Turn their head just for a moment, long enough for an inmate to do the wrong thing. These inmates have access to details they shouldn't!
Lets hope awareness will make it better :)
Cheers Skellie
G,day WillStarr, I do understand what you are saying. Small time criminals should be aloud a level of communication but serious criminals should have none! Every aspect may be scrutinized but something always slips through. The system it'self, is proof of that. I worry about the friends and families, that place these adds for them. Criminals associate with criminals, so how can we trust any of these people. Rapist's associate with other rapist's and this list goes on.
I am not trying to come down on everyone. I am sure there are some ex inmates, that have served their time with dignity and learnt from it. Gone back out in to society doing the right thing. That is great.
Thankyou for your great comments :) always a pleasure
Cheers Skellie
I am appalled at this skellie. How did you come across these sites? I can't believe that criminals of any country are allowed to find penpals and communicate with those that abide by laws. Criminals of any description should not be allowed such privileges. They forfeit those when they break our laws. Well done skellie in bringing this to light. I checked out the sites you listed and the pampered prisoner is shut down. Maybe you scared them off!!
Let me correct that WillStarr - "Allowed" lol. Was a bit tired.
Hi Christine P Ann, I love researching! Wow, I only just finished researching that site. I wonder what happened? I hope that someone in a position of power, picks this up. There are some serious problems, when inmates are allowed this sort of access.
Thanks for the support and the great comments :)
Cheers skellie
So glad to see this posted. Would like to link to my hub about prisoners and Facebook. Please let me know if you have any objection. Thanks!
Hi there RTalloni, Thankyou! I am so pleased people are paying attention, to this very serious issue.
I would feel very honored :) Please do link it to your hub. I will swing by and have a read of your hub.
Cheers Skellie
This is indeed, scary and shocking. It is far too easy for an inmate who's committed violent crimes to present a benign, perhaps even caring personality in pen pal letters.
When I was a teenager (long before the internet), my Mom started exchanging letters with a man on trial for killing his wife. The man was set free after his crime was deemed a "crime of passion"(his wife was bringing lovers into his house while he was at work and his children were home, so he'd killed her in a fit of rage.) Suffice to say that when Mom started dating him after his release, signs of his "insanely jealous nature" surfaced and she saw a whole different side of him. Fortunately she found the courage to break up with him before any of us got hurt.
" It is far too easy for an inmate who's committed violent crimes to present a benign, perhaps even caring personality in pen pal letters."
Exactly, so if you choose to write an inmate, never forget who you are dealing with or what it means to be 'conned'.
Some of my family members worked in prisons, and they have classes on how to avoid letting a prisoner work on your mind.
That's how guards (usually women) get talked into helping prisoners escape!
Wow Happyboomernurse! how very lucky you all were. I am so glad we have the pleasure, of reading your wonderful work today.
Communication with the prisoners, should not be allowed like that. Thankyou for the comments.
Cheers Skellie
Yes WillStarr, spot on. These inmates work on your mind and it is the women who fall for it.
I don't know if they think they can help them, or change them in some way - something to do with the maternal instinct? who knows. You would think that logic would tell them, that these people are dangerous and con men.
Thankyou for the comments :)
Cheers Skellie
A lot of these criminals that you are talking about are going to be released back into society. A healthy approach to the rehabilitation process is the pen pal system, which is why prisons have offered this service for many many years. It's healthy for the inmates to have contact with the world outside of their walls. Plus there are many compassionate people out in the real world that understand people do make mistakes who are interested in communicating with people who have been convicted of a crime or crimes in order to be a positive influence in their life. I don't think the issue here is the pen pal service, it sounds to me like it is more of a parenting problem. If your kids are conveying problematic behavior on the net, that's on you, after all you are there mother. What you've said is purely motivated by fear, it's unfounded and it's an uneducated opinion.
Hello Dave - Yes a lot of these criminals will be released back into society and a healthy approach to rehabilitation is required. Through study, work program's and social development program's. All of this will allow a criminal to grow and learn from the mistakes they have made, thus helping them to move back into society without further problems. I do not believe they should be completely shut off from society but a visit or communication from family and friends should be enough contact with the outside walls. They were placed in those walls for a reason and they need time to think about that and learn from it. I have shown compassion and understanding to many people I have known over the years, many with criminal backgrounds. Those people wanted and accepted the help and were also willing to help themselves by learning from their mistakes.
In regards to your comments about my children. I was a very late when I wrote that article. Let me clarify that I should have said - My children are on the facebook site, not in the penpal program. That I watch them closely when they are on facebook but still feel uncomfortable having this program on facebook. Let me also say that you do not sound like an educated person, if you have resort to comments about my parenting skills. Sounds to me like you ran out of things to say and simply turned nasty! I have raised two grown boys 22 and 19. Niether of them have ever been in trouble with the police and both have made a good life for themselves. My eldest received an award for helping the police capture yet another criminal, that had not been reformed. My two other kids are younger and are growing just as well as their siblings. So on that note, my parenting skills are outstanding! My comments are not motivated by fear but by the events I have experienced myself in life. Anyone that knows me also knows that fear does not exist in my world anymore.
Thankyou for your opinion,
Skellie
It is really great friend in that loneliness and by becoming that we can enjoy the life in there
Walt Smith 13 months ago
I knew that inmates were used for data entry, and some order filling here in the states. I never thought that they would have access to the net, let alone a "Prison Harmony.com". Just another misuse of government, maybe if enough people are awakend to this it might draw some much needed attention. Cheers...W