"I was in prison, and you wrote to me"

Virginia Public Radio photo

 "Remember those in prison as if you were also in bonds, and those who suffer as though you were suffering with them." 

Hebrews 13:2

It's hard to imagine the sense of isolation and abandonment many feel in our prisons. When I visited someone recently at the Augusta Correctional Center, he told me this was his first and only visit since being transferred there 18 months earlier, and that he's gotten virtually no mail except my letters. His mother and other family members have all turned their backs on him, leaving him desolated and devastated.

Today I am posting the names of some remarkable people like him who would love to receive a card, letter or almost any kind of communication from someone on the outside. Check the Department of Corrections guidelines, then send your letter, articles, photocopies, etc., (total of one ounce or less) to one or more of the following persons (or to one or more other inmates you may know), and I assure you it will make their day:

Mr. James E. Bender #1010837 (special concerns: general prison reform)
Greensville Correctional Center
901 Corrections Way
Jarratt, VA 23870-6914

Mr. Bulue Berry #1415952 (special concerns: successful return to the area in a year)
Lunenburg Correctional Facility
P.O. Box 1424
Victoria, VA 23974

Mr. Stephano Colosi #1037581 (special concerns: geriatric release for aging prisoners)
Buckingham Correctional Center
P. O. Box 430
Dillwyn, VA 23936-0430

M. Steven W. Goodman #1028377 (special concerns: legal research on restoration of parole)
Buckingham Correctional Center
P. O. Box 430
Dillwyn, VA 23936-0430

Mr. A. Jefferson Grissette #1143033 (special concerns: plea bargain and photo line-up reforms)
St. Brides Correctional Facility
P.O. Box 16482
Chesapeake, VA 23328

Note: If for whatever reason you prefer not to include your return address with your letter, have the person respond to me and I'll relay their message to you (assuming I have your contact information). In my 50-plus years of corresponding with individuals in prison I have never had any problems due to disclosing my address, but some people do recommend against it.

Click here for other posts on prison reform.