I was talking with another inmate, who also claims actual innocence, when the subject of a support network came up. I watched as tears welled up in this man’s eyes, as he spoke of the few supporters he had were dying off. Literally, dying. Inmates lose family members while they are incarcerated. It is difficult enough to lose a family member, and not be able to say goodbye as it is. When that family member is the total of your support system, it has a deeper impact on the inmate. When they are lost, hope is lost with them. The possibility of a future is gone.
When the inmate is reliant upon the lost family member in support of proving a person’s innocence, well, I can think of no greater crushing effect on a person’s hope. I am sure that there are many who would sacrifice their freedom to have a lost family member back. Maybe, that is just my opinion,
The judicial system makes it extremely difficult to prove your innocence. They come up with new ways to prevent a person from getting the court documents they need. They limit the number of times you can file an appeal. They put time limits on filing those appeals. It becomes important to have someone outside fighting for you. A person who can do the things a person locked inside a prison simply cannot. A support network.
Moral support will not get an inmate home. It will not prepare them for success when they get home. Inaction early on ensures decades behind bars. In a justice system that is this corrupt, there are no bystanders. What they do to one free citizen in the US, they will eventually do to many others. If you think I am kidding, look at the sex offender registry. They started with sex offender, then arsonist, and it has vastly expanded from there. Some states register drug offenses, drunk drivers, and violent offenders. You may think these registries are needed. What you may not know is that all the studies show these registries do nothing for public safety, and the government spends millions of dollars to maintain them.
It is important for inmates to have someone who can and will help them. However, if you are going to be that support system for an inmate, be proactive. What would you want people to do for you if you were wrongfully incarcerated and stuck in prison? Would you want people to let precious time slip by? Time that is forever lost to you. The time you could have been spending with those you love? I think everyone should adopt an inmate and help them. Find an inmate online and contact them. Learn about them. You will see we are all regular people no different than you.