12 Days til State Prisoners Become County Inmates

In exactly 12 days, the CDCR prison system will begin releasing low-level prison inmates to the custody of various California county jail systems. These changes are due to begin on October 1, 2011 as one of many efforts to help the prison overcrowding problem in our state. 

 

What This Could Mean to a Loved One

If your prison loved one is a low-level offender who is classified as a low-level CDCR prison inmate, these new changes affect your lives, specifically:

• He or she could be released from the state prison and placed in the custody of their county as early as October 1, 2011.
• If your loved one is placed in an overcrowded county jail system to serve the remainder of their time, they may be released even earlier to make room for higher level inmates.
• Your loved one will be released to the county jail probation system, instead of the infamous state prison parole system. This could help to serve your family reunification process in a few ways. Here's just three:

1. Probation rules are not as strict as parole rules. This does not mean they will be free to re-offend just because they are not on parole. It just means that the smallest mistake will not be automatic cause to be returned to the state penitentiary, like not paying a traffic ticket on time.
2. Probation systems are more lenient when it comes to career needs. They have even been known to allow non-troublemakers to travel for really good jobs, as long as they check in regularly.
3. Those who do re-offend, but commit very low-level offenses, will be sent back to the county jail, not the CA state prison. This may sound crazy, but I believe this is good for the morale of a man who just made a simple, silly mistake. He can get out soon enough to save his job, but get knocked upside the head long enough to remind him how lucky he is to have his early prison freedom.

I just wanted to post some quick thoughts on the subject of moving CA state prisoners to CA county jails. If you want more technical information on the subject, read "CDCR Changes for Low-Level Prisoners" now.

I will do my best to stay up-to-date on this topic as it unfolds. In the meantime, here's a short, informative blog on the subject. Check it out."CDCR Changes for Low-Level Prisoners"

Introducing the Prison Websites Affiliate Program

Thank you for visiting my blog. I am proud to announce that I am starting an affiliate network specifically for Websites and blogs related to prisons, prisoners, prison-life, prison reform, etc...

My Reason

I am creating this network simply because I cannot find one like this to join myself. Affiliate marketing programs such as CJ, Linkshare, & Google networks are all great, UNLESS your site is related to prisons. There are very few links that I have found to be relevant to sites like ours. If you do find an affiliate that may work, (IE, online greeting cards, phone companies, etc...) they are bound to decline you as a network member because they simply don't see how their product is relevant to your Website or blog.

With this network, all backlinks will be relevant to your prison-related site!

My Current Ideas

• Below are some ideas I have in mind for launching and promoting this program. 
• This will be a paid-program. The cost will be very affordable. I'm thinking somewhere between $5-$20 per month to remain in the program.
• 50% of all proceeds made from this program will go towards the purchase of my mom's quarterly packages.
• Anyone who has a prison related site will be approved, as long as the site is not an adult site, hate-site or down right distasteful.
• Once you become a member, you will have access to banners and affiliate links to all of the prison related sites in our network.  
• The Website itself will feature quality backlinks to all members' Websites and blogs.

Click here to read the benefits of having backlinks to your site.

Site Pages

• The home page will contain blog updates of new members, their company info, Website info, etc...
• There will be page categories that will be customized to ensure that all members are placed in a category that makes sense.
• Each Regular Member's site will be featured in the appropriate category.
• Premium members will also have their own page that will profile their company and link to their own Website.

Interested?

Click here to complete the questionnaire. 

You are not signing up for anything. This questionnaire is just to give me an idea of how many people may be interested and what they need.

Send me an email at: prisonrideshare@gmail.com

Post to my FB page or send me a PM at: http://on.fb.me/iO4Zv0

Tweet me at: www.twitter.com/PrisonRideshare

www.PrisonRideshare.com

www.PrisonRideshareStore.com

Please, Don't Hurt My Mom!

So, I get a call today informing me that my mom needs $300 on her jpay acct TODAY, or some broad is gonna cause her great harm.I immediately started shaking. Something kept telling me not to answer the phone earlier when this person kept calling. I am not a morning person and really didn't need to start my day with my mom on the 3-way, frantically telling me this story.

I didn't even care why. I really didn't even want to know. But, I realized that the caller had been dealing with this all morning, while I was being the denial queen I am famous for being. I knew in my gut that she was calling with something bad. So, when I finally answered her call, I had to let her get it all off of her worried chest.


Then, it came down to the money itself. The caller had already sent $100. I only had $100 to send, which I put on her jpay account while we were still on the phone. She said that everyone else told her no, for one reason or another. I am trying to understand every one's point of view. But, the bottom line is, this is not extortion. She actually owes this woman money for something another family member promised to give her the money for. A necessity. Now, that person doesn't have the money. Understandable. So, we ALL need to pitch in. Even if you can only send $10. That's real talk!

Anyway! I don't have it in me to let this stress me out today. I have been making myself physically ill with my alcoholism, cigarettes and stress. As of this moment, I am giving this up to God. I made a decision this morning to check into rehab, ASAP. I cannot let this deter me from what I need to do to save my own life.

God will take this problem under his wing and handle it for us, because He knows I cannot. I need to save my strength for the journey I have ahead of me.

This is the life of The Prisoner's Daughter.

She Wants to be a Grandmother

Every so often, I get a letter from my mom which contains a newspaper clipping or other information related to fertility. My mom has wanted to be a grandmother most of my adult life. Now that I am 40, she's going through a panic about me starting menopause recently.

I have always wanted children, all my life. I could never seem to be in a relationship that I felt was loving enough to bring a child into. So, I've pretty much put it off until now. But, having a family of my own is definitely still my biggest dream and daily prayer to God.

Now, things are complicated even more by the fact that I am in love with a man prison. (See my blog, "The Prisoner's Fiance" for details.) He still has a couple of years to go, while I continue to go through menopause. My mother truly fears that this choice may cause me to never be able to have children.

I've started researching the different fertility options that I may have. I am still researching and going through consultations, but it looks like I've pretty much made a decision. I plan to have my eggs frozen. That way, if all of my eggs are useless by the time my boo gets released, we will still have the option of using my frozen eggs to make our family.

Because he has been my best friend for two decades, he always knew there were some type of fertility issues for me. Now that we're in love, he is more than happy to go through whatever procedures we need to in order to have children together.

I guess the only question will be, "How many eggs do we use at one time"? Knowing my mother, she will say "Use them all"! But, Lord knows I don't want to be "Me & Him + 8" or "The New Octo-mom." LOL! LMBO!

FILED: "Ex Parte Motion to Correct Defendant's Presentence Custody Credits"

Recently, my mom sent me a copy of something she had, what appears to be, a jailhouse attorney write up for her. She had already filed it with the courts and was mailing me a copy so that I could join in praying over it with her. It was called an "Ex Parte Motion to Correct Defendant's Presentence Custody Credits."

Basically, when my mom finally got tired of fighting her case (3 yrs) and agreed to take a deal, somehow, they got her to "agree" to let them "keep" the 3 years she had already served. In essence, her time started the day she was sentenced. But, this person in jail helping her with her legal stuff found that this was unconstitutional and figured out the loopholes somehow.

The irony is that people inside have been telling her for a couple of years now that this can be corrected. So, she's been asking for out help, without success. It was just too much for any one person to deal with after we finally got settled down from the whole ordeal. And, we are not exactly a "come together" type of family. Which meant that she had to turn to someone in prison with her to help her with this legal issue.

Don't get me wrong. I've told you before that my entire family supports my mother. We all do what we can. That's what I requested in the beginning when people asked me what could they do to help. I simply told everyone, "Everyone has a part. Just figure what your part is, and do it." And, everyone has. But, there were major reasons why we could not help her with this request:

1. Money. There are only two financially secure (rich) people in our family. The rest of us are all struggling to get back on top. Who has the money to invest in this? Attorneys were asking for $5,000 just to sit down and consult on this. And those two people help her financially as it is. It's too much to ask that they do this alone just because they have it.
2. Faith. Those of us who are skeptics, didn't even believe it was possible for her to get that time back. We just assumed that since she agreed to it in court during her sentencing, it was etched in stone. We figured it was a losing battle that we did not have the strength to fight. And those that did believe, did not have the strength (or money) to fight the battle alone.
3. Strength. I have to mention this one again. It took so much out of those of us who were so close to my mom to get through the three years of fighting, and the initial shock of her actually being in the pen. Once the dust settled, the crying finally stopped, and relationships with the sober her started to rebuild, most of us didn't have the strength to even think about starting a new fight. Personally, on the selfish tip, I just wanted her to do her time and let me try to put my life back together. I needed to work on ME for a while.

Now that my mother has found someone inside that she can count on to help her with this struggle, I can "do my part" instead of being in control. It took me a long time to learn the difference between supporting her and enabling her. Now that I know the difference, I see the negative affect it had on me, personally.

Supporting her means that she fights her own battles and I'm in her corner to root her on, bandage her up, give her water, pump her up, towel her sweaty face, etc... Enabling her means I push her out of the way and fight all the rounds for her. That is unhealthy for the both of us.

As of now, due to the research and diligence of her and her "Friend Inside", I am intrigued. I will be researching this subject, finding old cases, seeking affordable legal assistance, etc... I am just looking for someone to advise HER on steps SHE needs to take to move this along. She is finally fighting for herself again. She just needs me in her corner. I love my mother. I will support her through this!

Check out this cool video about how one man uses his love for music and dance to help change the lives of women in a maximum security prison. Prisoners at Maldon's Tarrengower Prison are the focus of a television choir program Jail Birds which was previously broadcast on TV ABC1.

I Am The Prisoner's Daughter

It's been a long 6 years, 11 months & 14 days since that horrible day when my mom was arrested. I can still remember it like it was yesterday. That day officially became the worst day of my life.

After 3 years of fighting 3 seperate cases, 2 hung jurys, 2 public defenders, 2 private attorneys, 5 judges and 4 district attorneys, she finally took a deal. I begged her to keep fighting, but 3 years in the county jail were just too unbearable. All she kept speaking of was grass, butterfiles, fresh air and outside. I had to try to understand. It was time for her to move on.

I am her 40 year old daughter who has never even been in handcuffs, let alone been arrested. She is my mother, a woman who prided herself on raising me right and making sure I know that I am entitled to the the best life has to offer... always. But, she is human. She made a mistake. And as she would do for me, I must stand by her.

It's been hard living my life out here in the world without my mother. She is the strongest woman I know. I have always been able to count on her. But, I must thank God that he put her in jail instead of letting her addiction cause her death. My mother is alive. And for that, I am grateful.

My mother may be a prison inmate, but I will never let her go through this alone. She is my mother. I am her daughter. Together, we will survive this and have great stories to tell.

Love,
The Prisoner's Daughter
prisonersdaughter@gmail.com