CO - Jessica Ridgeway, 10, Westminster, 5 Oct. 2012 - #23

[Knox]

Prisoners do not retain any of their constitutional rights. After they have served their sentence they cannot even vote.

I think GD was talking about the person corresponding with the inmate, as retaining their constitutional rights. Not the inmate ...

 

[SapphireSteel]

bbm

And there are so many of them, eileen, so many. I feel sure that Jessica would be happy for each flower in her garden to represent one of them.

That's a lovely idea.

I think Jessica would like something like that in a park where people can bring their puppies too.

Her puppy must be missing her almost as much as her family.

:rose:
Jessica

 

[borndem]

That's a lovely idea.

I think Jessica would like something like that in a park where people can bring their puppies too.

Her puppy must be missing her almost as much as her family.

:rose:
Jessica

It's all just sadness isn't it? So many people affected in such sad ways. Her puppy and her neighbor's hairless cats that she cared for from time to time. Maybe up from all this, one day, there will be some bit of triumph.

 

[mck16]

I think GD was talking about the person corresponding with the inmate, as retaining their constitutional rights. Not the inmate ...

In what prisons do prisoners have access to the internet? Not in Texas. Anyone can correspond with the inmate, but the inmates cannot solicit pen pals on the internet.

 

[Knox]

In what prisons do prisoners have access to the internet? Not in Texas. Anyone can correspond with the inmate, but the inmates cannot solicit pen pals on the internet.

Did I not read back far enough? I saw nothing about inmates soliciting pen pals on the internet? :waitasec:

If that's the case, ignore my comment mck16.

 

[nikb]

<snipped for space>
In any case, there's very little chance that a prisoner could deceive a penpal as to their prisoner status. If someone chooses to become a prisoner's penpal, then I say let them make that choice. My assumption is that they are not prisoners themselves, so retain all constitutional rights.

I think I've talked about this here before, but we had a friend (mostly my husband's ) who was in prison on prescription drug charges for a little over a year. In that time I was shocked how much I learned.

- You can Google it - there are dozens if not hundreds of websites devoted to supporting the prisoners, families, friends. etc. MANY of these include places for prisoners to ask for pen pals, or friends/family to ask people to be their pen pals. This includes death row and other prisoners. The only rule I've seen consistently is you have to be over 18.

- There's a whole industry devoted to knowing the complicated rules and regulations on what prisoners can and can't receive at the different facilities, how often, etc. For example they can get maybe a quarterly package worth up to $100 as long as it's within certain weight and size requirements, and there are companies devoted to putting together these packages that are ordered by family, friends, probably pen pals.

- Maybe some jails/prisons do it differently, but there is NO WAY in heck he was writing to us without it being obvious it was coming from a prisoner, and that's from 3 different facilities he was in. It was stamped in huge red letters all over the envelope, and was actually pretty embarassing! The first time he sent us "jail mail," the mail carrier checked to make sure it was ok to deliver it. And my gosh if you accidentally break one of the rules it's even more embarassing. We once got a letter returned stamped something like "nudity not allowed, with a further handwritten note below it saying 'no nudity!'" I was mortified when I got THAT out of the mailbox. It had a picture of him with his girlfriend, who was apparently wearing too skimpy of a tank top. NOT nude, not even suggestive. Anyway, sorry, OT.

- Yes IMO the prisoners are pretty desparate for outside contact. One time when our friend got transferred and we didn't know yet, his former cell-mate got one of our letters by mistake. He sent it back, with a big long letter of his own telling me what he'd done (his crime), was sorry he accidentally opened the letter, but it was such a nice letter, how he had found God, and was reformed, and he was hoping I'd write to him too. I almost sent a quick note thanking him for returning the stuff but my husband made the good point that I really, really didn't need any additional "pen pals" especially people I don't know at all, and people who (in this case) would be getting out in a year or two.

Sorry, that got kind of long but wanted to share some of my own personal experience on this topic.

 

[nikb]

Did I not read back far enough? I saw nothing about inmates soliciting pen pals on the internet? :waitasec:

If that's the case, ignore my comment mck16.

There are a TON of them. I don't want to post links here for various reasons but you can Google "prison pen pal." Some of them charge per prisoner's mailing info, some of them make exclusions for death row inmates (those are free), some brag about being free. I don't know how the content/ads get there to begin with because you're right, I don't think most inmates have Internet access unless maybe it's through an illegal phone. I was trying to figure it out but it was making me way too sick going through a few of the ads, so I'm not sure. ETA: At least some of them are posted in the prisoner's own words because I read one from a woman who asked for "no incarcerated males please, I've had bad experiences in the past."

Also ETA: I'll see if I can ask our friend about it next time I see him. He never solicited for unknown strangers as pen pals, just got letters from friends and family, and he was super excited (and popular) when he started getting the daily local newspaper. I'm sure he knew of people who did post these ads.

 

[KALI]

Are able to access the internet, but...educate yourself. They absolutely do!
They are ALL over the net, looking for Pen pals.
Yes, even convicted serial murderers, on death row.
How, I don't knoe- but even the worst of the most sickening worst are on the net cultivating pen pals.
I personally, find It disgusting.

OTE=mck16;8545788]In what prisons do prisoners have access to the internet? Not in Texas. Anyone can correspond with the inmate, but the inmates cannot solicit pen pals on the internet.[/QUOTE]

 

[Mustang Sally]

Actually, the prison system has done very little to validate the claims that solitary is safer for anyone, prisoner or staff.

The US has put itself in the position of criticising the human rights practices of other nations but we sure scream like four year olds when anyone turns the same lens on us.

In any case, there's very little chance that a prisoner could deceive a penpal as to their prisoner status. If someone chooses to become a prisoner's penpal, then I say let them make that choice. My assumption is that they are not prisoners themselves, so retain all constitutional rights.

Wasn't there a "Victim's Rights Advocate"...(a large woman with long, dark black hair)...who appeared at FCA (Felon Casey Anthony!) trial. She was around for only a few days and sat by FCA, rubbed her arms and fawned all over FCA. Then poof... she never appeared again!

IIRC she was married to a man on Death Row in Florida...Whom she had met as a Pen Pal! I do not remember her name, so you can tell she made a lasting impression on me...LOL..So stranger things have happened!

If someone is so lonely (or introverted) and their only contact would be to have a pen pal with a person in prison. Then so be it...Knock themselves out!

IMHO... you would be scraping at the bottom of the barrel to become pen pals with a convicted killer on Death Row!

Dear God..Please Let Jessica Ridgeway and Caylee Anthony Run and Play Together!

 

[catswhiskers]

So you think all these people are lying about being friends with Sigg? Are the witnesses who saw him with his friends also lying?

If that girl actually went on TV and falsely claimed to be friends, with a murderer, I think she's more mentally ill then Sigg is.

http://www.9news.com/news/article/295988/339/Ex-girlfriend-says-Sigg-was-sweet-kind-guy

I very clearly stated that I was expressing my opinion, and certainly did not mention anyone lying. I said they may or may not have known him well at all. And no, I really don't believe the short grabs I have seen from several fellow students were from his close friends. They may well have been past or present classmates (even that much we don't know for sure), but not necessarily have been his friends or even really known much about him. I do believe that close family and friends are usually the ones who are most reluctant to talk to media at any length.

In the absence of more info from LE, or what will be revealed in future via the courts, we are speculating about almost everything here apart from the fact that this terrible thing happened to Jessica and AS is the one who did it. I'm grateful for all the posters here who let others voice their ideas (for example regarding any behavioural/psychological/physical conditions AS may or may not have, where certain events took place, etc.) and toss ideas backwards and forwards without taking offence.

:moo: and :moo: some more

 

[mck16]

Are able to access the internet, but...educate yourself. They absolutely do!
They are ALL over the net, looking for Pen pals.
Yes, even convicted serial murderers, on death row.
How, I don't knoe- but even the worst of the most sickening worst are on the net cultivating pen pals.
I personally, find It disgusting.

OTE=mck16;8545788]In what prisons do prisoners have access to the internet? Not in Texas. Anyone can correspond with the inmate, but the inmates cannot solicit pen pals on the internet.

[/QUOTE]

I guess even in prison some inmates follow the rules. Sorry, I can't speak to those who don't. Sorry for my only know those who follow the rules.

 

[catswhiskers]

And no, I don't doubt that his "girlfriend" of 2 years ago speaks genuinely as his friend. It seems they dated (which also means different things to different people - at the primary school where I teach it can mean you sit together in class or at lunch - nothing more) when he was 13 and 15 - teens change a lot in 2 years though, and AS is obviously a very different fellow now.

:moo:

 

[nikb]

<snipped for space>
IIRC she was married to a man on Death Row in Florida...Whom she had met as a Pen Pal! I do not remember her name, so you can tell she made a lasting impression on me...LOL..So stranger things have happened!
<snipped for space>

I remember reading a lot about this very common phenomenon when Scott Peterson went to jail and apparently received dozens of marriage proposals from women writing to him. Joran Van Der Sloot (sp?) too. I seriously couldn't believe it and thought it was a fluke, but it happens a lot.

As much as it turns my stomach, IMO I wouldn't be surprised if the same thing happens with ARS.

 

[Dr. Know?]

I kind of chalk that stuff up to groupies, lost people, need for attention badly. Or for everyone that is born, there's another.

Hard to swallow that someone would throw themselves at a criminal, but they do, both sexes do from my readings. Some ignore the facts and some know the facts but accept them.

Odd, isn't it? jmo

 

[nikb]

Did I not read back far enough? I saw nothing about inmates soliciting pen pals on the internet? :waitasec:

If that's the case, ignore my comment mck16.

Curiosity got the best of me and I read the FAQ on one of the sites. It makes more sense now. The prisoners submit their profile information via a brochure that someone can request have mailed to them. I wouldn't doubt some of them are sneaking online as well maybe via phones, but from what I read it's mostly set up via mail. I wish I could link to the info but the only place I can find it is on the sites themselves which have all kinds of legal caveats and disclaimers to click through first, so I don't think they'd be linkable here.

 

[Dr. Know?]

I've seen prisoners being able to communicate via email. I'd have to dig back but some prisons do allow it. One guy I saw was accused of chopping a poor young teen up here in AZ. He had a profile and all. I went looking for it the other day and can't find it now.

About 15 to 20 years ago here, a prison or jail had a huge telephone bill due of calls to 900 numbers for sex. They caught it after a month or so but it was in the thousands of dollars. duh..

Not an advocate for prisoner ease for communications at this point yet. jmo

 

[otto]

And a little garden of violets!

This is what comes to mind ... does it look like she's reading a book?

 

[otto]

I remember reading a lot about this very common phenomenon when Scott Peterson went to jail and apparently received dozens of marriage proposals from women writing to him. Joran Van Der Sloot (sp?) too. I seriously couldn't believe it and thought it was a fluke, but it happens a lot.

As much as it turns my stomach, IMO I wouldn't be surprised if the same thing happens with ARS.

Amanda Knox had the same kind of attention.

 

[nikb]

This is what comes to mind ... does it look like she's reading a book?

That's beautiful!

 

[Dr. Know?]

O/T Heck, even R Cummings, Haleigh's father had groupies.

If it's in the news, there's someone for every criminal. Attention?

Van der Sloot and what I read about him in the Peruvian prison just burns me up though.