As I scrolled through the profiles online, I stopped by a friendly-looking face. ‘He looks nice,’ I thought, reading Joshua’s bio. It was February 2018 and I was enjoying a day off from my work as a carer. I loved my job, and got great joy out of helping and caring for others. It had become a passion of mine. I’d even got a cat just so that I had someone at home to care for. My two grown-up sons had long left the nest, and single, I wanted to spend my free time doing something that I felt was making a difference. And now, as I scrolled through Joshua’s profile, I was hoping I could do just that. But the profile wasn’t for a dating website, it was for pen pals. For prisoners.
Joshua was an inmate at a prison in America and was looking for people to write to in order to combat his loneliness.
I’d come across the pen-pal website writeaprisoner.com after reading up about the controversial case of Gary Tyler, a 16-year-old sent to death row for the 1974 murder of a 13-year-old boy. He’d spent 41 years locked up, avoiding the electric chair after the US Supreme Court ruled the Louisiana death penalty unconstitutional. He was released in 2016.
The case had fascinated me and made me wonder how hard it must have been for him locked up for all those years, frightened and alone. Had he had someone to talk to? My curiosity had led me to researching pen pals for prisoners, and now here I was, ready to write to an inmate myself.
MAKING CONTACT
Joshua’s profile had caught my eye. He was 35, serving a life sentence in Ohio, and had warm brown eyes and a kind smile. With nothing to lose, I sent him a message, telling him who I was and that I was interested in writing to him.
Bu hikaye WOMAN'S OWN dergisinin January 22, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye WOMAN'S OWN dergisinin January 22, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Model Emily Ratajkowski has had hers turned into 'divorce rings' after her split. We ask...
Would you still wear your rings after a divorce?
5 REASONS TO join in the fun at
Online bingo has been one of the UK's favourite pastimes for years - and here's why
ΜΟΝΕΥ matters
Our expert Rebecca Gamble helps make your cash go further
DO THE LEAST TO FEEL YOUR BEST
Want to find your spark again, but lacking motivation? These simple tips can help you to look and feel healthier
A SPICY FEUD
As Mel B admits she's been thrown out of the Spice Girls WhatsApp group, could we be waving Goodbye to a reunion?
I'M PROOF BLONDES HAVE MORE FUN
For Stacie Swift, 38, the key to her confidence lies in her locks
THE RISE OF MIDLIFE LONELINESS
It’s an age when a lot of us feel our most content, but for others, it’s our loneliest era. Woman's Own investigates...
SINGLE MUM SUCCESS
Being a solo parent isn’t easy but these mums were determined to make their kids proud
CRUISE THE FRENCH RIVIERA
Enjoy the glamour of an all-inclusive trip on a Club Med schooner
CIAO BELLA!
Feast like an Italian with these thrifty family favourites