Hi (IOA),

They took —- to prison on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving..which made Thanksgiving Day for me very hard. I cried for two days.

People just have no idea how hard jail and prison is for the family also. My heart is broken over our mean and cruel system where instead of helping all these people with counseling and teaching them trades for good jobs…they waste the money by throwing people away like broken toys and expect them to be o.k. after years in prison with no help and many experiencing abuse in jail/prison.

Sometimes I wish all of government could experience a loved one being in so change would come to our system for all. How else  can they truly get it?

Non-violent offenders should be kept separate from violent offenders. And mental illness cases should be kept apart as they already have issues and then they are taken advantage more by the stronger ones. These are not rats but “human beings” but they are treated less than that just because they have issues that may not be just like the ones the rest of us have.

My heart shall be broken until my son is home where he belongs. The people nor the families are cared for. If they were, they would give them the help they need and not separate them for long. Time and love on the inmates/prisoners and families are robbed. We get just one life and we cannot regain lost time together, holidays, hugs and kisses.  Where are the hearts to care about all our loss?

How are we making anything better this way as a society? We aren’t! I sit here and cry over cases on t.v. that are real where those in prison…them and their families hurt so much over years and miss out on so much. The children that miss out on knowing their mom and dad because they are locked up. Sisters and brothers, moms and dads missing their children who are in.

All I see is pain and heartache not working to make things better to create productive citizens and healthier families.

I pray for a better day for us all. I pray for wiser government and ones with true hearts for the people. Only then can we be a better society.

-Debbie