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ciudadana06 · #1 09-30-2011, 06:19 AM

Hello,
I am new here. I just started to be the pen pal of a Polunsky DR inmate. I used jpay and emailingaprisoner.com to write. Can any pen pal tell me it these internet services work well with Polunsky unit?

My pen pal is hispanic and he requested a spanish speaking pen pal. As I feel more confortable with spanish I decided to write him. I saw his ad on a french website against the death penalty.

I would like to get in touch with other pen pals of this DR to share experience and to get advise.

Many thanks in advance.

Sorry for my englsh, I am french.

mammastalkin · #2 09-30-2011, 06:52 AM

Welcome to PTO! You'll find many friends here. Jpay works well--I don't know the other service. Best of luck with your new friend. You should be aware that mail can be quite slow out of Polunsky so don't get discouraged if it takes some time to get a response. It is good thing that you are doing. And your English is great!

hmc1029 · #3 09-30-2011, 07:04 AM

Mamma- polunksy mail is incredibly slow right now! Generally get a letter from Erick every 7-8 days depending on the weekend but haven't heard from in two weeks... Good to see you!!

Hope all goes well with your new pen friend & your English is great!

ciudadana06 · #4 09-30-2011, 08:50 AM

Many thanks to both of you!

In the message I sent through jpay, I did not put my address. I have a doubt now, will my message be distributed to my pen pal or should I resend it inserting my address?

Is it ok if I say on this forum who my pen pal is?

Today, I just sent him a birthday car through post mail. I know he might receive it a bit late but I want him to know that I will be thinking of him that day.

Niki · #5 09-30-2011, 09:11 AM

Your message will get to him. JPays are generally delivered with the regular mail Monday thru Friday and typically are delivered 1-2 days after you send them to Polunsky. If you didn't put an address in your JPay he will not be able to respond to you so if you'd like a letter back you are going to need to send him a mailing address. Welcome to PTO!

RainyCola · #6 09-30-2011, 09:17 AM

See, and I've never had a good experience with JPay and my DR pal. I sent him 2 and he didn't get them until a week later, which defeated the whole purpose. So now I just use pen and paper.

And I found the mail to be moving pretty "quick" out of there too! My last 2 letters I've gotten got to me a week after he sent them, and he's getting mine in the same timeframe.

mammastalkin · #7 09-30-2011, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ciudadana06

Many thanks to both of you!

In the message I sent through jpay, I did not put my address. I have a doubt now, will my message be distributed to my pen pal or should I resend it inserting my address?

Is it ok if I say on this forum who my pen pal is?

Today, I just sent him a birthday car through post mail. I know he might receive it a bit late but I want him to know that I will be thinking of him that day.

I usually reccomend that you keep your friend's name private. These are public boards so everyone can read the posts. Occasionally someone will join with the intention of creating drama. Of course we keep you safe here but wait until you have more experience and then decide what you should mention.
Jpay has a confirmation # attached to each message. If he doesn't get one, call the mailroom and give them that #. They will reprint it for free. Please also be aware that the prison makes two copies of each message. One goes to the prisoner, the other goes into the prisoners file. There is NO privacy. If you notice that your messages are not being delivered timely enough you can complain to jpay. They pay the prison to provide this service so all parties have to comply with the rules.

susy dahmer · #8 09-30-2011, 12:15 PM

i use jpay or kitesender.com ,for now both of them have worked wery well .

RainyCola · #9 09-30-2011, 01:19 PM

Well dang it, y'all! (How "Texas" was *that*?) Now I think I might have to do a JPay just to see if it works for me now.

ciudadana06 · #10 10-04-2011, 10:17 AM

Yes jpay worked fine! I just receive today the first letter of my pen pal! He got my jpay 2 days after I sent it.

I am so glad and his letter is so deeply nice.

mammastalkin · #11 10-04-2011, 11:39 AM

That's good!! I hope it is a long friendship!

ciudadana06 · #12 10-05-2011, 08:00 AM

An envelope, a picture and a 4-page long letter, so human, so caring. I feel proud to be his friend and I sincerely thank him for giving me the opportunity to be a better person.

I feel as a strong and long genuine friendship is starting! A new way on which we'll be walking together as 2 human beings.

He is now part of my life !

Yesterday, he brought me light from the darkness of the DR. And that is the miracle of humanity.

Gracias Amigo mio!

RainyCola · #13 10-05-2011, 11:36 AM

Congratulations on your letter! I'm sure you will forge a great friendship and this will be an enlightening experience you'll never forget. I wouldn't trade my friend for the world.

Elenita05 · #14 10-11-2011, 06:47 AM

I've wrote many letters via Jpay and postmail to my penpal but did not get any answer!! I think that the mail in Polunsky is quite long no? Last time, he wrote me on September 20 and the letter was posted on September 26!!! Why is it so long?????

Elena

mammastalkin · #15 10-11-2011, 08:20 AM

Currently D/R is on lockdown. So slow mail just got slower. Hopefully it will only last one more week.

All the mail is read and some of it is copied to the prisoner's file. This will add to the time spent processing. They do hold it on the unit but no one truly knows why.

RainyCola · #16 10-11-2011, 09:54 AM

They must only post mail out of there once a week. I'm convinced. Last letter I got was received in record time. He posted it on the 23rd and I got it on the 26th.

I hate when they're on lockdown. I get so spoiled by my weekly (usually Monday) letters and now they're just going to be stupid with the mail. (whining session over)

Elenita05 · #17 10-12-2011, 07:43 PM

Lockdown? What does that mean exactly? And why do they read the mail? It is legal?

Elena

RainyCola · #18 10-12-2011, 08:18 PM

polunsky puts DR on lockdown every 90 days. i think it's just an excuse to annoy them. they'll search the cells, make sure everything's okay, and let them shower 3 times a week (maybe). they eat food in a bag that may or may not be cooked and the mail almost grinds to a halt. other things go along with lockdown, of course.

all facilities have to inspect the mail. they do it for security reasons. it's completely legal.

Elenita05 · #19 10-13-2011, 05:05 AM

No mail....this is really crazy!! I had a friend who have a pen-pal on D/R and she received two letters......me nothing!!! This is completely crazy!!!

The mail here in France works very good. I think that it's coming from Polunsky!!! Are they making differences between offenders? Or is it lockdown for all of them?

I'm very anxious because I did not receive anything from my pen-pal! This is really strange!

mammastalkin · #20 10-13-2011, 05:17 AM

Only D/R is on lockdown at this time. All of the cells will be searched--hopefully they're almost done. Since this one is routine, visits are not suspended. The men that are on disipline are always treated differently. They have less food, property, commissary. Other then that things should be about the same.

Elenita05 · #21 10-13-2011, 08:11 AM

Thank you so much! I miss his letters so I really hope that the mail will come very very soon!

Cloudy · #22 10-13-2011, 08:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elenita05

I've wrote many letters via Jpay and postmail to my penpal but did not get any answer!! I think that the mail in Polunsky is quite long no? Last time, he wrote me on September 20 and the letter was posted on September 26!!! Why is it so long?????

Elena

Polunsky is so messed up right now. My friend wrote a letter July 31st, it was mailed out Aug 8th and today October 13th!!! I received it! I'm getting real tired of these things. But we know we have to be patient!

ciudadana06 · #23 10-13-2011, 11:03 AM

I am the lucky one then: 2 letters in 2 weeks! Hope it will continue on this pace, his letters are so caring, they give me light, smiles and human warmth. Each sentence touches me deeply inside.

In his second letter, he asked me to number our letters to ensure we receive all the letters from each other. So I have now a table, in which I detail all the sending: jpays, photos, postcards with the date. This way we will know if there would be a hole sometimes.

mammastalkin · #24 10-13-2011, 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cloudy

Polunsky is so messed up right now. My friend wrote a letter July 31st, it was mailed out Aug 8th and today October 13th!!! I received it! I'm getting real tired of these things. But we know we have to be patient!

That is not within the federal guidelines. You should call the mailroom about that one.

RainyCola · #25 10-13-2011, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ciudadana06

I am the lucky one then: 2 letters in 2 weeks! Hope it will continue on this pace, his letters are so caring, they give me light, smiles and human warmth. Each sentence touches me deeply inside.

I've been getting a letter a week as well. Still waiting on this week's letter though.

I always mark on a calendar when I mail his letters out. Don't know why, but I do. And I number them as well. And when he replies he'll note on it "reply to #8" for example.