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<H2 ALIGN=CENTER><FONT COLOR="#0000FF"><FONT SIZE=+3>The PRISONER PROGRAM</FONT></FONT></H2>

<CENTER><P><IMG SRC="colorbar.gif" HEIGHT=3 WIDTH=600></P></CENTER>

<DD><BR>
<BR>
<B><FONT SIZE=+1>Our prisoner program seeks to provide moral support to
incarcerated boy-lovers. These people experience <A HREF="nassauco.htm">a
harsh and exceptionally hostile environment</A> which undermines <A HREF="crimjust.htm">their
self-concepts and self-respect.</A> &nbsp;We keep in touch with prisoners,
primarily through a monthly Prisoners' Letter. &nbsp;For current news of
the Prisoner Program, read Peter Herman's regular column, <FONT COLOR="#6B6BD8">&quot;<A HREF="mybrother.htm">My
Brother's Keeper</A>&quot;</FONT>.</FONT></B></DD>

<P><B><FONT COLOR="#0000FF"><FONT SIZE=+1>The Prisoners' Letter</FONT></FONT></B>
</P>

<P><B>Our Prisoners' Letter includes excerpts from our <I><A HREF="bulletin.htm">Bulletin</A></I>
and our other publications. Those publications, which are legal reading
material in the United States, have been rejected by many prison mail rooms
as detrimental to the rehabilitation of the inmate. </B></P>

<P><B>(We maintain that we are the only organization helping inmates to
understand and cope with their sexuality. Certainly the penal system is
not in the rehabilitation business.) </B></P>

<P><B>The unstated reason for the rejection of our publications by some
prisons is that they contain pictures. Although these are legal images,
they seem to offend some of the mail room personnel. However, our Prisoners'
Letters contain only text, so they are usually accepted. A former prisoner
may continue to receive the Prisoners' Letter while on parole, or may switch
to a regular membership and receive all of our publications by paying dues
(or limited income dues if unemployed). </B></P>

<P><B>Requests to receive the Prisoners Letter must come from the individual
himself. These requests should be sent to our New York office: </B></P>

<UL>
<P><B><FONT COLOR="#0000A0">NAMBLA-WWW, P. O. Box 174, Midtown Station,
New York NY 10018</FONT>. </B></P>
</UL>

<P><B>If you can, please send money to cover the costs of printing and
mailing to prisoners. </B></P>

<P><B><FONT COLOR="#0000FF"><FONT SIZE=+1>Pen Pals</FONT></FONT></B></P>

<P><B>Maintain contact and let the prison system know we care about prisoners!
We encourage you to correspond with prisoners. Occasional friendly <A HREF="mybrother.htm#Pen Pals">letters
from friends and family</A> can be a lifeline. Many ugly prison incidents
can be prevented or mitigated by a prisoner's contacts with the outside
world. Letters and visits also provide much-needed social and psychological
support for inmates facing an arbitrary and often brutal prison system,
who might otherwise lose touch with reality.</B></P>

<P><B>Prisoners' incoming and outgoing mail is opened for inspection, and
usually checked for contraband. However, the mail is sometimes read. We
urgently advise pen pals to avoid writing about any activities, whether
real or imagined, that could be considered illegal. Correspondence could
affect a prison's evaluation of a prisoner's state of mind, degree of &quot;rehabilitation&quot;
and suitability for parole. We also advise that you should never become
involved in any financial transactions with your pen pals.</B></P>

<P><B><FONT COLOR="#0000FF"><FONT SIZE=+1>Resource Limitations</FONT></FONT></B></P>

<P><B>Because of the volunteer nature of our organization, we do not have
the resources to become involved in individual cases, and so cannot offer
financial support or legal counsel. Nor can we send free books or other
publications to prisoners. Upon request, we will supply a list of the books
and other publications which are sold through Ariel's Pages. </B></P>

<P><B><FONT COLOR="#0000FF"><FONT SIZE=+1>Disparate Treatment</FONT></FONT></B></P>

<P><B>There is a &quot;pecking order&quot; throughout the criminal justice
system, shown in everything from treatment at the hands of the police,
through court proceedings, to treatment of prisoners and parolees by fellow
inmates, guards, and parole officers. Violent criminals, even murderers
and rapists, are given a higher status in the prison populations than boy-lovers
who were convicted of consensual relations with minors. </B></P>

<P><B>The convicted individuals near the top of this pecking order often
receive lighter sentences and are routinely paroled at the earliest opportunity;
sometimes they are even paroled early to make prison space available for
those at the bottom of the pecking order. A convict at the bottom of the
pecking order can expect to receive at least as long a sentence as a murderer,
and some receive multiple, consecutive sentences. Even if concurrent multiple
sentences are imposed, this can affect an inmate's parole chances. One
conviction for each illegal sexual act is common.</B></P>

<P><B>Blindly, the criminal justice system fails to differentiate between
individuals accused of coercive or violent sexual acts against youngsters
and consensual, loving relationships between younger and older people.
The Prisoner Program's intention is to support those unjustly imprisoned
for the latter, and to raise the consciousness of those guilty of the former.</B></P>

<P><B><FONT COLOR="#0000FF"><FONT SIZE=+1>Therapy</FONT></FONT></B></P>

<P><B>Some states conduct &quot;therapy&quot; programs for inmates, and
for parolees once they are released. The therapy ranges from drug therapy
and aversion therapy to group counseling. For parole or early release,
an inmate's &quot;cooperation&quot; with the prison therapists conducting
these programs is required. Prisoners are required to enroll for a &quot;cure,&quot;
to participate, and to seem to be rehabilitated. Some prisoners refuse
therapy. These programs have never been shown to have any lasting value
for the prisoner or for society. </B></P>

<P><B>Some states are continuing to hold those they consider to be &quot;sexual
predators&quot; even after completion of their original sentence and parole
time. These people are kept behind bars under &quot;civil commitment&quot;
laws even though they have not been shown to be dangerous or mentally ill.
Other recent laws require the registration of ex-&quot;offenders&quot;
with police agencies and community notification of a parolee's presence,
assuring pariah status and inviting vigilante action. </B></P>

<P><B>Many states are notorious for returning sex &quot;offenders&quot;
to prison for trivial violations of parole conditions. Of course, this
disrupts and prevents the parolee's adjustment and re-entry into ordinary
society. Parole violations are a major contributor to widespread over-crowding
of jails and prison facilities.</B></P>

<P><B><FONT COLOR="#0000FF"><FONT SIZE=+1>Family and Friends of Prisoners</FONT></FONT></B></P>

<P><B>Incarceration is a terrible thing. For a boy-lover ground into the
criminal justice system, it is an especially harrowing fate. </B></P>

<P><B>One of the factors that can add to a prisoner's despair is the loss
of all social and family support. Society's confusion about the nature
of man-boy love and its stigmatization of this orientation often cause
family members and friends to distance themselves from the incarcerated
individual. The distant locations of prisons and their intimidating procedures
also discourage visits and continuing support. </B></P>

<P><B>This does not have to be so. If you have a relative or friend incarcerated
for non-violent acts and want to get a better understanding of the issues
involved, please get in touch with us. </B></P>

<P><B><FONT COLOR="#0000FF"><FONT SIZE=+1>Things You Can Do: </FONT></FONT></B></P>

<UL>
<LI><B>Make a monetary contribution to the Prisoner Program. This will
allow us to increase the number of newsletters we can send. </B></LI>

<LI><B>Tell incarcerated boy-lovers you know about the Prisoner Program.
</B></LI>

<LI><B>Acquaint yourself with the dos and don'ts of writing to prisoners
and become a pen pal. </B></LI>

<LI><B>Visit an incarcerated boy-lover. </B></LI>

<LI><B>Connect with the Prisoners' Civil Rights movement. </B></LI>

<LI><B>If you have an incarcerated family member or friend and you need
to better understand his situation, contact us. </B></LI>
</UL>

<CENTER><P><IMG SRC="colorbar.gif" HEIGHT=3 WIDTH=600></P></CENTER>

<P><A HREF="select.htm"><IMG SRC="m0p7nau7.gif" BORDER=0 HEIGHT=58 WIDTH=58></A>Copyright
&copy; NAMBLA, 1999. All rights reserved.</P>

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	<HEAD>
	<TITLE>NAMBLA's PRISONER PROGRAM</TITLE>
	<META NAME="DESCRIPTION" CONTENT="NAMBLA's goal is to end the oppression of men and boyswho have mutually consensual relationships. Our membership is open to everyone sympathetic to man/boy love in particular and sexual freedom in general.">
	<META NAME="KEYWORDS" CONTENT="NAMBLA, NORTH AMERICAN MAN/BOY LOVE ASSOCIATION, MAN/BOY LOVE, PRISON, PRISONER, IMPRISONMENT, INCARCERATION, CRIMINAL JUSTICE, PAROLE, SEX OFFENDER, PRISONERS' RIGHTS, AVERSION THERAPY, CIVIL COMMITMENT">
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	<BODY TEXT="#904050" BGCOLOR="#FFFFE8" LINK="#1F74CF" VLINK="#0070FF" ALINK="#0070E3">

	<H2><IMG SRC="newlogo1.jpg" HEIGHT=78 WIDTH=310></H2>

	<H2 ALIGN=CENTER><FONT COLOR="#0000FF"><FONT SIZE=+3>The PRISONER PROGRAM</FONT></FONT></H2>

	<CENTER><P><IMG SRC="colorbar.gif" HEIGHT=3 WIDTH=600></P></CENTER>

	<DD><BR>
	<BR>
	<B><FONT SIZE=+1>Our prisoner program seeks to provide moral support to
	incarcerated boy-lovers. These people experience <A HREF="nassauco.htm">a
	harsh and exceptionally hostile environment</A> which undermines <A HREF="crimjust.htm">their
	self-concepts and self-respect.</A>  We keep in touch with prisoners,
	primarily through a monthly Prisoners' Letter.  For current news of
	the Prisoner Program, read Peter Herman's regular column, <FONT COLOR="#6B6BD8">"<A HREF="mybrother.htm">My
	Brother's Keeper</A>"</FONT>.</FONT></B></DD>

	<P><B><FONT COLOR="#0000FF"><FONT SIZE=+1>The Prisoners' Letter</FONT></FONT></B>
	</P>

	<P><B>Our Prisoners' Letter includes excerpts from our <I><A HREF="bulletin.htm">Bulletin</A></I>
	and our other publications. Those publications, which are legal reading
	material in the United States, have been rejected by many prison mail rooms
	as detrimental to the rehabilitation of the inmate. </B></P>

	<P><B>(We maintain that we are the only organization helping inmates to
	understand and cope with their sexuality. Certainly the penal system is
	not in the rehabilitation business.) </B></P>

	<P><B>The unstated reason for the rejection of our publications by some
	prisons is that they contain pictures. Although these are legal images,
	they seem to offend some of the mail room personnel. However, our Prisoners'
	Letters contain only text, so they are usually accepted. A former prisoner
	may continue to receive the Prisoners' Letter while on parole, or may switch
	to a regular membership and receive all of our publications by paying dues
	(or limited income dues if unemployed). </B></P>

	<P><B>Requests to receive the Prisoners Letter must come from the individual
	himself. These requests should be sent to our New York office: </B></P>

	<UL>
	<P><B><FONT COLOR="#0000A0">NAMBLA-WWW, P. O. Box 174, Midtown Station,
	New York NY 10018</FONT>. </B></P>
	</UL>

	<P><B>If you can, please send money to cover the costs of printing and
	mailing to prisoners. </B></P>

	<P><B><FONT COLOR="#0000FF"><FONT SIZE=+1>Pen Pals</FONT></FONT></B></P>

	<P><B>Maintain contact and let the prison system know we care about prisoners!
	We encourage you to correspond with prisoners. Occasional friendly <A HREF="mybrother.htm#Pen Pals">letters
	from friends and family</A> can be a lifeline. Many ugly prison incidents
	can be prevented or mitigated by a prisoner's contacts with the outside
	world. Letters and visits also provide much-needed social and psychological
	support for inmates facing an arbitrary and often brutal prison system,
	who might otherwise lose touch with reality.</B></P>

	<P><B>Prisoners' incoming and outgoing mail is opened for inspection, and
	usually checked for contraband. However, the mail is sometimes read. We
	urgently advise pen pals to avoid writing about any activities, whether
	real or imagined, that could be considered illegal. Correspondence could
	affect a prison's evaluation of a prisoner's state of mind, degree of "rehabilitation"
	and suitability for parole. We also advise that you should never become
	involved in any financial transactions with your pen pals.</B></P>

	<P><B><FONT COLOR="#0000FF"><FONT SIZE=+1>Resource Limitations</FONT></FONT></B></P>

	<P><B>Because of the volunteer nature of our organization, we do not have
	the resources to become involved in individual cases, and so cannot offer
	financial support or legal counsel. Nor can we send free books or other
	publications to prisoners. Upon request, we will supply a list of the books
	and other publications which are sold through Ariel's Pages. </B></P>

	<P><B><FONT COLOR="#0000FF"><FONT SIZE=+1>Disparate Treatment</FONT></FONT></B></P>

	<P><B>There is a "pecking order" throughout the criminal justice
	system, shown in everything from treatment at the hands of the police,
	through court proceedings, to treatment of prisoners and parolees by fellow
	inmates, guards, and parole officers. Violent criminals, even murderers
	and rapists, are given a higher status in the prison populations than boy-lovers
	who were convicted of consensual relations with minors. </B></P>

	<P><B>The convicted individuals near the top of this pecking order often
	receive lighter sentences and are routinely paroled at the earliest opportunity;
	sometimes they are even paroled early to make prison space available for
	those at the bottom of the pecking order. A convict at the bottom of the
	pecking order can expect to receive at least as long a sentence as a murderer,
	and some receive multiple, consecutive sentences. Even if concurrent multiple
	sentences are imposed, this can affect an inmate's parole chances. One
	conviction for each illegal sexual act is common.</B></P>

	<P><B>Blindly, the criminal justice system fails to differentiate between
	individuals accused of coercive or violent sexual acts against youngsters
	and consensual, loving relationships between younger and older people.
	The Prisoner Program's intention is to support those unjustly imprisoned
	for the latter, and to raise the consciousness of those guilty of the former.</B></P>

	<P><B><FONT COLOR="#0000FF"><FONT SIZE=+1>Therapy</FONT></FONT></B></P>

	<P><B>Some states conduct "therapy" programs for inmates, and
	for parolees once they are released. The therapy ranges from drug therapy
	and aversion therapy to group counseling. For parole or early release,
	an inmate's "cooperation" with the prison therapists conducting
	these programs is required. Prisoners are required to enroll for a "cure,"
	to participate, and to seem to be rehabilitated. Some prisoners refuse
	therapy. These programs have never been shown to have any lasting value
	for the prisoner or for society. </B></P>

	<P><B>Some states are continuing to hold those they consider to be "sexual
	predators" even after completion of their original sentence and parole
	time. These people are kept behind bars under "civil commitment"
	laws even though they have not been shown to be dangerous or mentally ill.
	Other recent laws require the registration of ex-"offenders"
	with police agencies and community notification of a parolee's presence,
	assuring pariah status and inviting vigilante action. </B></P>

	<P><B>Many states are notorious for returning sex "offenders"
	to prison for trivial violations of parole conditions. Of course, this
	disrupts and prevents the parolee's adjustment and re-entry into ordinary
	society. Parole violations are a major contributor to widespread over-crowding
	of jails and prison facilities.</B></P>

	<P><B><FONT COLOR="#0000FF"><FONT SIZE=+1>Family and Friends of Prisoners</FONT></FONT></B></P>

	<P><B>Incarceration is a terrible thing. For a boy-lover ground into the
	criminal justice system, it is an especially harrowing fate. </B></P>

	<P><B>One of the factors that can add to a prisoner's despair is the loss
	of all social and family support. Society's confusion about the nature
	of man-boy love and its stigmatization of this orientation often cause
	family members and friends to distance themselves from the incarcerated
	individual. The distant locations of prisons and their intimidating procedures
	also discourage visits and continuing support. </B></P>

	<P><B>This does not have to be so. If you have a relative or friend incarcerated
	for non-violent acts and want to get a better understanding of the issues
	involved, please get in touch with us. </B></P>

	<P><B><FONT COLOR="#0000FF"><FONT SIZE=+1>Things You Can Do: </FONT></FONT></B></P>

	<UL>
	<LI><B>Make a monetary contribution to the Prisoner Program. This will
	allow us to increase the number of newsletters we can send. </B></LI>

	<LI><B>Tell incarcerated boy-lovers you know about the Prisoner Program.
	</B></LI>

	<LI><B>Acquaint yourself with the dos and don'ts of writing to prisoners
	and become a pen pal. </B></LI>

	<LI><B>Visit an incarcerated boy-lover. </B></LI>

	<LI><B>Connect with the Prisoners' Civil Rights movement. </B></LI>

	<LI><B>If you have an incarcerated family member or friend and you need
	to better understand his situation, contact us. </B></LI>
	</UL>

	<CENTER><P><IMG SRC="colorbar.gif" HEIGHT=3 WIDTH=600></P></CENTER>

	<P><A HREF="select.htm"><IMG SRC="m0p7nau7.gif" BORDER=0 HEIGHT=58 WIDTH=58></A>Copyright
	© NAMBLA, 1999. All rights reserved.</P>

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