Joey Smith
Joey's mother contacted me and asked me to write to her
sons Joey and Heath. Joey's letter impressed me so I decided
to let you see what he said in his letter. I feel that he is an
intelligent young man who knows he did wrong. He is real and her
seems to be very nice. The prisoners I have been writing to are
real people and are now good people. Many are innocent and those
who are not innocent seem to accept their responsibility for their crimes.
Many in prison are evil people who should never get out but many are different people than they were when they went to prison. Prison can make a man worse or it can make a man realize his mistakes and improve himself. Many of these men want to help others before they end up in prison.
When they get out the odds are against them. Many will beat those odds. I think Joey will beat those odds. He is in Texas and I am in Detroit, Michigan. Thanks the the Internet when he gets out I hope I can help him stay out.
This is Joey's letter.
Lee,
I received your letter today at mail call. I must admit, there isn't much that can tear me away from my art these days. You have just done that.
There are thousands of things running through my mind at this point. You and I have much in common. I admire everything you have told me about yourself and unless I miss my guess you and I are going to become great acquaintances.
I love my mother immensely Lee and if she asked you to write me it's because she feels we can both benefit from the connection. She is an extremely insightful person, uneducated but very worldly. An old loving soul in a young worn out body that may not last much longer. She's lived a pretty tuff life and I'm the cause of a lot of it.
I'm a simple man Eazy Lee. Not sure I's warrant even a sentence in your book. I'm outlining your life, you've pretty much out lived mine. Change a few names and dates. add a few addictions and prison sentences and we could be the same person. I love people Lee. I find more to love and compassion for the downtrodden and unlucky souls than i've ever glimpsed in the wealthy. I'm an addict though and surrounding myself with people like myself up to this point has caused irreparable damage to my psyche and the lives of the people who love me. I don't fit in anywhere else though if in fact I've learned to control my addictions then the only thing that will keep me from being satisfied in my life upon release is the fact that children had to grow to young adulthood without me. That can't be changed though and maybe the with time the scar will diminish.
Your letter mentions putting my story on your web site. I'm not sure what anyone would see in "my story", Lee. I am a convict two times over and a hopeless drug addict full of regret, despair and loneliness. Who would want to share those emotions?
The first thing that really grabs my atention is what you write about helping young people. If I can give something positive to someone who is headed down the same path I followed, maybe give them second thoughts, I'll do it in a heartbeat.
You write about exposure. I'm not in anyway proud of where I am today. If I could bury the years I've given to this place and never let anyone know the person I was, I'd do it. I'm lonely though. I don't get visits or much mail. What would this exposure mean to me?
Your letter did everything opposite of putting me to sleep. It's brought me to think about a lot of things. I appreciate you honoring my mothers request and maybe I can, in my own way give to your cause.
I am an artist. Many people around me say I'm really good. I do work I'm proud of . My soesialty is portraits though there isn't much I can't do. I sell my work from here which is not in accordance with TDCJ policy. If They have their way about my so called rehabilitaion. I will have absolutley nothing and no one, once I have completed my sentence. Excuse my French but FUCK THAT. I have a talent and I'm not going to sit in here wasting away and depending on my grandmother who already takes care of my disabled mother to send me $. So everyone I come in contact with is a potential client. You and the CHLS are no exceptions. You speak of exposure. You have sparked my interest into your cause. We can help each other, you are obviously well connected on the web. Cut and dried it goes like this, I'm lilling to give a heftu % of any profit I make from advertisement linked to your web site.
I'm not sure how it would work or even if it would. I'm open to suggestions and very willing to share and swap ideas.
Don't let my forwardness trouble you. I'd very much like to correspond with you and to know more about your project. I wish you more luck than you can imagine and honestly I can see you succeeding. Hell honestly, you already have. You are content with life. To me that is more wealthy than Anna Nicole and Bill Bates combined!
I'll bring this to a close now Lee with high hopes of hearing from you really soon. Take care of yourself.
Sincerely
Joey Smith
P.S. If your on the web any time soon shoot Raven an email and tell her I love her and appreciate her very much!
Write Joey at the following address:
Joey Smith #1029651
1992 Hilton Road
Pampa, TX 79065-9696
Many in prison are evil people who should never get out but many are different people than they were when they went to prison. Prison can make a man worse or it can make a man realize his mistakes and improve himself. Many of these men want to help others before they end up in prison.
When they get out the odds are against them. Many will beat those odds. I think Joey will beat those odds. He is in Texas and I am in Detroit, Michigan. Thanks the the Internet when he gets out I hope I can help him stay out.
This is Joey's letter.
Lee,
I received your letter today at mail call. I must admit, there isn't much that can tear me away from my art these days. You have just done that.
There are thousands of things running through my mind at this point. You and I have much in common. I admire everything you have told me about yourself and unless I miss my guess you and I are going to become great acquaintances.
I love my mother immensely Lee and if she asked you to write me it's because she feels we can both benefit from the connection. She is an extremely insightful person, uneducated but very worldly. An old loving soul in a young worn out body that may not last much longer. She's lived a pretty tuff life and I'm the cause of a lot of it.
I'm a simple man Eazy Lee. Not sure I's warrant even a sentence in your book. I'm outlining your life, you've pretty much out lived mine. Change a few names and dates. add a few addictions and prison sentences and we could be the same person. I love people Lee. I find more to love and compassion for the downtrodden and unlucky souls than i've ever glimpsed in the wealthy. I'm an addict though and surrounding myself with people like myself up to this point has caused irreparable damage to my psyche and the lives of the people who love me. I don't fit in anywhere else though if in fact I've learned to control my addictions then the only thing that will keep me from being satisfied in my life upon release is the fact that children had to grow to young adulthood without me. That can't be changed though and maybe the with time the scar will diminish.
Your letter mentions putting my story on your web site. I'm not sure what anyone would see in "my story", Lee. I am a convict two times over and a hopeless drug addict full of regret, despair and loneliness. Who would want to share those emotions?
The first thing that really grabs my atention is what you write about helping young people. If I can give something positive to someone who is headed down the same path I followed, maybe give them second thoughts, I'll do it in a heartbeat.
You write about exposure. I'm not in anyway proud of where I am today. If I could bury the years I've given to this place and never let anyone know the person I was, I'd do it. I'm lonely though. I don't get visits or much mail. What would this exposure mean to me?
Your letter did everything opposite of putting me to sleep. It's brought me to think about a lot of things. I appreciate you honoring my mothers request and maybe I can, in my own way give to your cause.
I am an artist. Many people around me say I'm really good. I do work I'm proud of . My soesialty is portraits though there isn't much I can't do. I sell my work from here which is not in accordance with TDCJ policy. If They have their way about my so called rehabilitaion. I will have absolutley nothing and no one, once I have completed my sentence. Excuse my French but FUCK THAT. I have a talent and I'm not going to sit in here wasting away and depending on my grandmother who already takes care of my disabled mother to send me $. So everyone I come in contact with is a potential client. You and the CHLS are no exceptions. You speak of exposure. You have sparked my interest into your cause. We can help each other, you are obviously well connected on the web. Cut and dried it goes like this, I'm lilling to give a heftu % of any profit I make from advertisement linked to your web site.
I'm not sure how it would work or even if it would. I'm open to suggestions and very willing to share and swap ideas.
Don't let my forwardness trouble you. I'd very much like to correspond with you and to know more about your project. I wish you more luck than you can imagine and honestly I can see you succeeding. Hell honestly, you already have. You are content with life. To me that is more wealthy than Anna Nicole and Bill Bates combined!
I'll bring this to a close now Lee with high hopes of hearing from you really soon. Take care of yourself.
Sincerely
Joey Smith
P.S. If your on the web any time soon shoot Raven an email and tell her I love her and appreciate her very much!
Write Joey at the following address:
Joey Smith #1029651
1992 Hilton Road
Pampa, TX 79065-9696