Sunday, July 16, 2006

In Contemplation.

I originally set out to write this post about weither or not I should have a prison pen pal. But the post turned into something much longer, and i posted about a skirt and some creepy guys, that were completely incidental. You're right Linny...the post was really long.

I was online last night, and I have NO idea how I wound up on a site for prison penpals....but each inmate had their profile, and pictures, and of course what they were convicted of, and release date....oh and if they were on death row, if they had an upcoming execution.

Im FAR from lonely, and dont feel that I need a pen pal, as I have a surplus of great amazing friends, who I can talk to anytime....there's a professional part of my being that feels bad for these inmates. Grantid, I do NOT feel bad for the crimes that they have committed, and do NOT feel bad for the consequences they have to pay because of those crimes...But I do feel bad that maybe their families have disowned them, or refuse to talk to them because of what happened....I have seen the other side of being abandoned....its bad.

Then I wondered if people were penpals with Charles Manson....they are. I wondered if people were penpals with John Gotti, or Ted Bundy...they were. And then I wondered, if these turned out to be fan letters, glorifying these criminals, and somehow justifying these crimes to themselves....And then I realized how easy it would be, for someone like Charles Manson, to get one of these fans to do whatever he wanted them to.....

I cant imagine the hell that exists on the other side of crazy....but im sure there's atleast ONE person out there, who thinks that getting a personal letter from a serial killer would be cool....

I'm not saying that i'm going to get a prison penpal....i just know that recidivism rates for petty crime increases, the longer you spend time in jail only associating with other criminals. In an effort to correct the behavior, the government throws them into a confined area where they learn new skills, and where they relearn negative behavior.....maybe if they had someone outside to talk to.....its just finding the person that would put aside all stereotypes, and volunteer.

23 comments:

Miss Ash said...

I would get a PO Box before writing to any of them. I"m sure your parents would be thrilled to find Charles on your doorstep one day "i'm out and had nowhere to go."

Oh and did i mention this is a terrible idea?

Princess Pessimism said...

Is it a terrible Idea, if he's on death row? IS it a terrible idea if he's servie 2 life sentences, and has no chance of parole?

Lindsey said...

I you sure you have nothing to post about? This post was damn long...i was getting tired just reading it. lol.

By the way, upon further research with my new hits counter, i've found out that I'm also linked on another adult blog site called joyscape.com or something like that. I'm getting tons of hits off it so I went to see what it was...and it's a sex blog site! HOW THE HELL DID I GET MIXED INTO THAT?

Miss Ash said...

Oh linny LOL.

It's always a terrible idea. If you want to make a difference then why don't you get a job or volunteer with people that go into the prison system? There is a group that goes into the detention centre, though i think they are religious but they are all volunteers and they speak to the inmates. Should be in the the orange book.

A few of my coworkers go in and do various things in the prison system, counselling, release planning etc. They don't take volunteers but i know the above group is made up of all volunteers.

yrautca said...

It sounds like a bad idea to me. On the same note, did you know that one of the jurors in Scott Peterson trial who put him on death row is now corresponding with him in prison through letters? If you know which woman I am talking about you would agree that she is indeed crazy.

rawbean said...

I'm with miss ash - P.O. box all the way! Maybe you should get a penpal in Australia instead. I had one when I was in grade six...her name was Peta.

Princess Pessimism said...

Miss Ash - I would do that, do prisons allow volunteer visitors? I know kingston wouldnt let us in even to look

Yrautca - I did NOT know that...but thats' fucked up. I'm not looking to be best friends....

Rawbean - You guys are sorta like my own personal penpals...which I never really thought of blogging like that before, but its true.

Princess Pessimism said...

Linny - I felt that you deserved your own comment space for that one. LOL!

I appreciate your comments about editing, and length, I fixed it.

As for being linked to adult sex sites...i dont know what to tell you. How did they find you to begin with? Is "spinster" some code porn name for something? Or is it just becuase you blog about your love life?

Natalia said...

Hmmm I am torn about the issue. I think there are probably a lot of people in jail who don't deserve to be there. I don't have that much faith in the legal systems we have. Also, I know that some of the punishments do not fit the crimes...both ways. Also, I know that some people just messed up once and wouldn't do it again and just had bad luck. Some could be rehabilitated. I also know life is jail must be hell in a lot of ways. Although I am still pissed that we pay for some of these people who get free cable and free food and a gym and a library while some decent people do not have money for meals or a place to sleep. Ahhhh torn... really.

-N

Scott said...

That would be way too weird. NO chance I woudld be giving my address to a prison pen pal.

Scott

Trib said...

I think that the PO box is a good idea, but you also consider that if you start writing to somebody they may become dependent on you pretty quickly. I think they're kind of desperate for human contact. So if you were to become pen-pals you'd have to be willing to do it for awhile.

Princess Pessimism said...

Natalia - See, thats the thing. I also dont agree on the amount of money that is spent on prisoners in keeping them comfortable with cable, and better food that I was eating in university...however, they have no choice in that matter, and its not something that they can control, so I dont hold them responsible, and out of fairness, that cant be a part of my decision

Scott - P.O. box....i would NEVER give out my address to anyone in prison either. That is the reason that I would really only write to inmates serving life sentences, and who have no chance of parole, or who are on death row.

Trib - thats true...It would be and extended commitment. I never thought of that actually, I mean, its obvious, but it never crossed my mind.

Jennifer said...

This is a terrible idea!

Phil said...

Princess- I once new a girl who was a pen pal of Charles Manson. I hope she had a P.O. Box, I don't know. We don't keep in touch anymore. Sure Charles Manson is good enough to write to, but not me? Anyway, she quit when his letters started getting creepy.

yrautca said...

I am appalled that so many of you have such negative feelings about inmates.

I will now come out in the open and tell you all that I keep my blog from a low security federal detention center in Vermont. I am doing time for embezzlement and stealing ice cream.

You all love me alright!

Princess Pessimism said...

Jennifer - Is it SO bad if you have a P.O. box, and are writing to inamtes on death row??

Phil - She was a penpal of Charles Manson?? Was that all heresay, or did she show you the letters? I'd have to see it to believe it.

Yrautca - So you're waiting for the FBI to ram your new condo door down because of your embezzlement jokes??? HI FBI!!!

Miss Ash said...

Death Row means shit. They get a stay or an appeal and voila they are out. Life sentences same thing. As well, some of these people are career criminals, they are smart cookies who know how to manipulate as well as break out of such a place. It does not matter if they are there for two years less a day or for life....you never know.

berly02 said...

I never looked at prison has reinforcing negative behavior. Good point. Although, I really think they have it easy in prison. Anyhoo, if you do get a pen pal, I agree with miss ash, get a po box.

Princess Pessimism said...

Ash - Okay, well what if you had a P.O. box that was under a different name...and besides, giving out that information to a stranger is breach of confidentiality. They cant give out that information anyway.

ALTHOUGH, they could watch it, and watch who accesses the box, and then follow you home. Ya...thats sorta bad. However, is it possible for those awaiting execution to get an appeal?

Berly - I would agree that they have a lot of luzury in prison, but i wouldnt say they had it easy...it's still prison.

Amichai said...

I say go for it. What's that big of a deal? And do women's prisons also have a pen pal program? If they do you might want to look into that as well. Less scary for a girl to write a girl I think.

Though the PO box isn't a bad idea.

Princess Pessimism said...

Amichai - Ya, they do have pen pal programs. Although, im starting to make my decision based on conviction....i would like to find out what motivates people to kill someone else, but am finding, that I dont know if I want to talk to a murderer....but I also dont want to talk to someone who is getting out anytime soon.

David Amulet said...

Of all the writing I've done--and all that I've considered--I can't say that I've gone in the direction of prison pen-pals.

I'm with the majority, it seems like a bad idea. But if you can do it anonymously, why not?

-- david

Princess Pessimism said...

Mr. David Amulet...LOL!!!

Well, arent you glad you stopped by here to read then? Now you can sit and think it over. how tall is john stewart???