New pen pal

So I have this new pen pal who has been writing me. She's originally from Norway, but ended up living near the North Pole. I didn't even know people live that far north!

She just started writing me, so I haven't really gotten to know her that well yet. She seems really easy to talk to though. I think that's because she has her own rough past, so she can relate to a lot of the same things. Most of the people who write just say things that are encouraging, but she actually has been through a lot too. She is one of the lucky few that broke the criminal cycle and is currently going to college in the UK at Lancaster University. The name is just a coincidence.

Anyway, I hope to soon be doing what she is doing now. Well I guess I want to end this with a proper shout out to her: "A.K., Thanks for writing. You probably don't know it, but what you wrote me has been a real inspiration. I hope to hear from you soon."

You can write Ted or another inmate (even if you live outside the U.S.) by signing up at EmailingAPrisoner.com.

Ted will be transferred to Lake Butler on Monday. He says he will be there for a week before being transferred to a work release camp in his home county.

EmailingAPrisoner.com

Now there’s great new service that makes it easy to write an inmate.

Simply write a letter and email it to www.EmailingAPrisoner.com. They will print it, stuff it in an envelope, stamp it and mail it on your behalf through the US Postal Service. The envelope is addressed to the address you provide and has your return address listed in the upper right hand corner.

If you attach a photo to your message, your photo is printed on high quality 4x6 inch photo paper and mailed along with your letter. 
You can upload photos to a Photo Gallery in your account.

Each letter costs $1 (US). Overseas writers can write US inmates and it costs the same as someone writing domestically. Lots of people can save money by using the service because it’s much cheaper and faster than international mail. Credits can be added to your account through PayPal or a credit card.

Messages are not emailed to a prisoner. The company simply prints and mails your letter to an inmate. You can search for an inmate by state on the company’s web site. The company recommends limiting letters to 3 pages (roughly 3000 words). All messages are printed and mailed within 1 business day (excluding Sundays and Holidays). The service estimates 3 to 5 days for delivery.

EmailingAPrisoner.com makes it easy to find a pen pal. You can search for an inmate to write to on their site.

Ted has a new pen pal from the UK that told me about this awesome service. Right now, he will need to use double the amount of stamps (that a normal domestic letter would require) to write her back. But EmailingAPrisoner.com will soon launch a new service through the site where he can send the letters to EmailingAPrisoner.com (by snail mail), then they will scan the letter and email it to the person who it is meant for. This will save him money on international postage and the letter will arrive in a week instead of 2-3 weeks.

Not only can you save money in postage, paper, envelopes and photos, but it will save you the gas it costs to get to the post office!

Reaching the world

Since its inception six months ago, the blog Teen in Jail has received comments and emails from scores of teenagers, parents, grandparents, teachers, churches, youth groups, drug rehab programs, former inmates and families of prisoners. They’ve emailed from as far away as the U.K., Greece, Brazil and Malaysia. They’ve written asking for advice in personal situations with drugs or gang involvement or to convey their fears about their children or grandchildren. Others have just emailed encouragement to Ted. Many have written to tell him they are praying for him. Ted has already received invitations for speaking engagements when he is released.

If you Google “Teen in Jail” and Braden, you get over 103,000 hits. The blog has appeared on a wide variety of sites for teens, criminal justice, a congressional bill, newspapers, news channels and sites in countries such as France, Italy, Thailand, Russia and Ethiopia.

Not all the responses have been favorable. Some are understandably skeptical as to the outcome. Most, however, encourage Ted to keep up the good work and to let them know he is making a difference.

And he is…

To get a message to Ted, you can either leave a comment on the blog or email teeninjail@yahoo.com. I print out all comments and emails and send them to him. He appreciates all your thoughts and prayers.