Hey how are you doing? I thank you for you imagination, but no things are not that well. I’m a young 23 year old Muslim. I’ve tried to reach out to my family and they have shunned me. Honestly, I just desperately want a female pen-pal to correspond with. Somebody that’s willing to be a part of my support system that I can get close to. I’m locked up for an “armed robbery” to which I had no weapon, the store clerk just juiced up the story.

I’m very talented and I love writing poetry. I will submit some of my work in this letter. I’ve had a bit of a rough life My side of the family that stays in NC I barely even know. I have a grandmother that’s 90 years of age. My plans consist of trying to obtain my GED and I want to go to community college for landscaping. My other talents consist of drawing and writing music based on my feelings and what I’m going through.

I’m a bright young man. I want to say that what y’all are doing is very positive and helpful to those who have nobody in their corner. What I need in my corner is a lady friend. One who I can get to know and release my thoughts to. My birthday is November 9^th. I love cooking, listening to all music, drawing, talking, and working with my hands. I liked what D— wrote in her letter. I wonder how many responses do y’all actually get.

This time, I am using my time wisely and I’m reading a lot more books. Not enough young African Americans know about their ancestral history. They know not where they came from. They are brainwashed and blind to a lot of things. We constantly are fighting our brother instead of building a bond with them. Why do so many of us only care about self?

In what ways do IOA shoot to help us inmates? Are ya’ll actually making any progress? I can use some help with literature on African American history. Any book on that subject, no matter who the author is. I want to expand my mind and horizon. Positive thinking is all I’ve been doing. My main goal is not to fall backwards again. The FEDS are taking custody of my case. Would you still write me? People don’t know how it feels not to have anybody. To see every person around them get love and mail, but never hear their name be called. I’m one of them and I can say it felt damn good to hear my name called even if it was IOA. At least I can say that IOA cares.

What’s going on with me right now? Well, it’s not just me it is multiple of us, and by us, I mean 5 inmates in the jail are on admin seq. We only get to come out our cell one hour and 30 minutes a day. We are not housed here because we have a bad rep. but simply because that’s how we were classified. We’ve actually had some good CO’s such as Nelson and Goldston who gave us extra time and they’ve moved these officers from our unit. To add, they’ve even got in trouble. Now that’s just outrageous. We are some of the best behaved inmates in the jail, not to mention, we even help clean up the unit and empty cells at night. Tell me, does that sound like we’re being treated right? They’re even going as far as sending the extra trays we used to get back to the kitchen. As far as CCS, I feel that they are wrong charging us $20.00 for us needing medical attention. If we fill out a sick call they charge us $20.00. Now come on, how do that sound?  Hope ya’ll have some more positive feedback.

-Isaiah Bethea #B72578