Hello! My name is King. I’m 26 years old and currently incarcerated in Queensland. I’m writing to About Time with an idea in mind that I believe could help our nation’s prisoners’ morale – giving hope to the hopeless and saving some lonely souls that believe they have lost everyone, no friends and family to ring or write to, no one that checks on them, to support them, to make them feel understood and accepted or even someone to just talk to – on the inside with them or the outside!
The saying “don’t make friends in jail” doesn’t make sense to me because, right now (this is just my experience but I’m sure I’m not the only only one that feels this way), some of the girls I have met in jail have been bigger supports than a lot of people I knew prior to being arrested! They’ve hugged me for no reason. They walk me back to the unit. They sit up with me if I’m waiting to go to medical at night. They tell me they love me every day and night. It’s also said that a friendly smile and a quick “hi” from a stranger can change a person’s mood, their outlook on life, and help them feel seen! It can save someone’s life!
With all that constantly on my mind, I can’t help but wonder what can be done to help the mental health of our fellow inmates around Australia. So I’ve come up with an idea! A readily available penpal list that could be published monthly in the About Time newspaper and posted fortnightly or monthly on the notice boards around the jails all over Australia. It would be completely voluntary, with prisoners able to request their name or initials and CRNs along with what centre they’re at to be put on said lists or removed. I understand my idea isn’t perfect, so feedback, tips, suggestions, criticism (good or bad) – it’s all welcome.
Hello! My name is King. I’m 26 years old and currently incarcerated in Queensland. I’m writing to About Time with an idea in mind that I believe could help our nation’s prisoners’ morale – giving hope to the hopeless and saving some lonely souls that believe they have lost everyone, no friends and family to ring or write to, no one that checks on them, to support them, to make them feel understood and accepted or even someone to just talk to – on the inside with them or the outside!
The saying “don’t make friends in jail” doesn’t make sense to me because, right now (this is just my experience but I’m sure I’m not the only only one that feels this way), some of the girls I have met in jail have been bigger supports than a lot of people I knew prior to being arrested! They’ve hugged me for no reason. They walk me back to the unit. They sit up with me if I’m waiting to go to medical at night. They tell me they love me every day and night. It’s also said that a friendly smile and a quick “hi” from a stranger can change a person’s mood, their outlook on life, and help them feel seen! It can save someone’s life!
With all that constantly on my mind, I can’t help but wonder what can be done to help the mental health of our fellow inmates around Australia. So I’ve come up with an idea! A readily available penpal list that could be published monthly in the About Time newspaper and posted fortnightly or monthly on the notice boards around the jails all over Australia. It would be completely voluntary, with prisoners able to request their name or initials and CRNs along with what centre they’re at to be put on said lists or removed. I understand my idea isn’t perfect, so feedback, tips, suggestions, criticism (good or bad) – it’s all welcome.
Hi King!
Thank you for your letter and the suggestion. Unfortunately we’re unable to facilitate pen pal connections, though we wrote an article in a previous edition of About Time about the importance of letter writing in prison and the need for pen pals to better mental health. We hope corrections departments around the country take your suggestion on board!
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It is not a pleasurable experience. It is very difficult to face all those emotions and reflect over the course of your whole life.
I was always drawing as a kid, and when the opportunity came up to do an art course at age 17 I went for it.
I remember our living room used to be filled with hundreds of CDs. My mum is where my love of music came from.
You can have as many support workers and parole officers as you can get, but it will never make you stop doing crimes. It has to come from within yourself.
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