Pen-pal programs

Does anyone know of any that are good?  I checked out "Write-an-Inmate" but it seems to be full of guys are gals who are looking for something more than a platonic correspondence.  I don't have enough experience with meditation to be a mentor, and I think I'd be fooling myself and another if I passed myself off as anyone with any definitive answers.  But I am trying to sincerely follow Dharma, and am very open-minded and non judgmental.  So far, I'm writing people I know personally, but am willing to extend that circle to those I do not know, preferably for those looking for a spiritual friend.  

Any suggestions?  

With love,

~Aaron

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Permalink Reply by Carole Baker on December 15, 2010 at 10:39pm

Aaron,

Yes, I believe so.  It's thoughtful and generous of you to think of it.  Don't include any money or stamps, though.  California takes out 60 percent of any funds sent to prisoners for "administrative costs."  Once I went to Harley-Davidson & got cards with Santa on a cool bike.  The guys loved them.  It's fun to lift the spirits of someone you've never met.

Carole

Permalink Reply by Aaron Quinley on December 16, 2010 at 1:05pm

Can he receive pictures?  I took some Christmas pictures for an inmate friend, and am sending a few of those also to some other inmate friends.  Just a few shots of ornaments and a tree, that kind of thing, but they're pretty.  Or would that bother him.

Permalink Reply by Aaron Quinley on December 16, 2010 at 10:34pm

Took the liberty anyway. It's in the mail.  I hope he can receive them.

Permalink Reply by Carole Baker on December 17, 2010 at 10:44am

Bless you for your compassion and engaged practice.  I'm sure he will enjoy your photos.  He doesn't get to see any trees, just concrete and once a day, the sky, straight up.  I often send postcards with far away scenery, after a prisoner told me he had to get glasses to see in the distance because his eyes had adjusted to the size of the cell.  I hope the landscapes are a suitable substitute.

Namaste,

Carole

Permalink Reply by Aaron Quinley on December 18, 2010 at 9:24pm

It's funny how that is.  When I was in jail, the guys watched an excessive amount of cop, jail, legal, and prison programs (define irony!).  One MSNBC there airs a very good weekly program called Lock Up.  One episode had this guy who I believe was on death row.  From his cell he could outside see a good bit of green and grass.  Everyday he covered up his window so he couldn't see it.  The sight of the grass mixed with never again being able to touch it was too much.

Then there's the other side of the coin, those who are starved for the sight of life in nature, on the outside.  I do have some nature shots I took for a friend in prison here in Va.  Do you know of what kind of mail and/or picture restrictions Ernie has.  I write one friend in AZ who has none of either, yet Va Doc restricts to five pictures and 1 oz letters.

I'm sure the landscapes are more than suitable.  :)

Permalink Reply by Kate Crisp (PDN Director) on December 15, 2010 at 7:33am

also check out our PDN Resources page...

http://www.prisondharmanetwork.org/resources.html

 

and another good site on the issue of solitary is:

http://solitarywatch.com/

 

PDN's Books Behind Bars Project:

http://www.prisondharmanetwork.org/books_behind_bars.html

 

Downloadable Meditation Kits (from PDN and our partner Tricycle Magazine):

http://www.prisondharmanetwork.org/chaplaincy_library.html

 

Prison Dharma Press:

http://www.prisondharmanetwork.org/project_pd_press.html

 

and our Dharma Mentor Program (we have connected thousands of prisoners with mentors) (we do have 'qualifications' for mentors though.

http://www.prisondharmanetwork.org/dharma_mentor_project.html

 

PDN's Bookstore (on all sorts of prison issues)

http://www.prisondharmanetwork.org/bookstore.html

 

Permalink Reply by Chris de Ocejo on December 16, 2010 at 10:17am

Carole,

 

Sorry I'm a bit late in responding to this, but you might want to contact the ACLU for the Pennsylvania area about equal-time for services. Depending on the state chapter's funding (which is always an issue) it seems like the sort of thing they might be interested in pursuing legally.

Permalink Reply by Carole Baker on December 17, 2010 at 10:37am

Thank you, Chris, I support the ACLU, too, ever since I heard a diatribe in my local library.  I might try them, the  one time I wrote them about a prisoner's rights, they were not intererested.  The prison "rule" is that an inmate must request services in a religion other than what already is offered through the chaplaincy.  Catch 22:  they don't know I'm here & I don't know they're there.

Permalink Reply by Lisa Dahlquist on April 20, 2011 at 2:58pm
My daughter would love a pen-pal.  She is 20 years old and is in NCCIW in Raleigh, NC.  Her sentence is currently 30 years.  She loves to write.  If your interested, her address is at http://www.allegradahlquist.com.
Permalink Reply by Carter (PDN Admin) on April 20, 2011 at 3:42pm

Hey Lisa,

I must have read your mind, because I sent her a Dharma Mentor request form today along with a few other resources and a book I hope she'll like :)

Best,
Samara

Permalink Reply by Lisa Dahlquist on April 20, 2011 at 3:44pm
Thank you!  She lives for mail call every evening.  Thank you!!
Permalink Reply by Aaron Quinley on April 20, 2011 at 5:10pm
Does she currently lack pen pals, outside of family?

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