tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post4633489624792623042..comments2024-02-17T04:06:00.805-05:00Comments on Just Not Said: Prison penpals IVJohn Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08729625146043379286noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-84577916985805941272018-11-24T04:46:32.066-05:002018-11-24T04:46:32.066-05:00I would really love to correspond with one of the ...I would really love to correspond with one of the women honestly <br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-11698562534686071942017-06-26T15:52:08.633-04:002017-06-26T15:52:08.633-04:00Anon --
Thank you very much.
Yeah, the inmates h...Anon --<br />Thank you very much. <br /><br />Yeah, the inmates have nothing to do but sit around and think up scams all day long, so they come up with some pretty good ones. And since a fair percentage them are sociopaths, they often think of ones which you'd have to be absolutely shameless to pull off, which means they're less likely to be suspected by the naive. <br /><br />I've always fund PrisonPenPals a great place to study sociopathy. Not all inmates are that way, of course, but plenty are, and when they put their personalities down in an advertisement, their character is there for all to see, if you know what to look for.<br /><br />Here's my advice to prospective pen pals (on the outside): don't go for the inmates who tell you what warm, wonderful people they are. Usually, it means just the opposite. John Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08729625146043379286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-22545651112200949112017-06-26T15:08:42.898-04:002017-06-26T15:08:42.898-04:00You're welcome John. And if I can give one mo...You're welcome John. And if I can give one more little bit of advice to your readers.....if they do want to send any of these ladies money, of course it is at their own risk and even money sent to a legitimate commissary account service such as Access Corrections or JPay can be used to buy things to trade for drugs or other contraband (but of course it may also be legitimately used to buy commissary food and hygiene products.)<br /><br />What I would like to warn readers about if they do decide to correspond...we recently got wind of a situation involving female inmates at one of the womens prisons who attempted to extort several thousand dollars out of a man who was corresponding with one of the women (who he had met using a PenPal site) using PayPal QuickCash cards (sort of the current version of GreenDot MoneyPaks which are used for all sorts of illegal purposes.) The scheme was pretty complex though.<br /><br />What happened was that one of the other women used a cell phone and a spoof app to make it appear that phone calls were coming from the prison offices and claiming to be a corrections counselor. She even used the name of one of the corrections staff and set up a spoof Gmail account which she also used to correspond with the victim. The victim, who lived in Arizona, was told that if he paid his pen pal's girlfriend's restitution off, she was eligible for release on ACP (an ankle monitoring program for non-violent inmates with less than a year to go on their sentence who hae been on good behavior) and that a prison van would personally deliver her to him by a certain date. They requested payment be made in, you guessed it, PayPal QuickCash. All told the man lost about $750 and, as you might expect, no prison van pulled up and when he contacted the local state parole office they told him they had no record of it and that they didn't allow California inmates on ankle monitors to transfer parole to Arizona either and that they only allowed Interstate Compact agreements for people who had actually completed their terms and did not require GPS monitoring. They also informed him that while released inmates were still responsible to pay restitution, that an inmate released with restitution still owed would not be prevented from transferring to Arizona if they had an established residence to go to (although they would need to arrange to pay their restitution over time.)<br /><br />I've been reading up on Michelle Carter. Definitely a bit of a sick puppy, and I'll go take a read on what you've got. Based on what I've read elsewhere....while only she knows for sure what her real intention was, my impression is that she knew damn well that her boyfriend's psyche was fragile and that him actually killing himself was a potential outcome. A sick way to get attention, in my opinion. I can't speak a lot to other states, but I can say that California does little to really help rehabilitate people like her and that it also does little to protect the general public who seek pen pal relationships with these women from the scams that some of them perpetuate.<br /><br />Definitely a cool little blog you keep here though, especially since there's a lot less attempts to gain insight into the female criminal mind than the male....thanks for sharing your thoughts!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-17061300657137930352017-06-22T18:38:26.196-04:002017-06-22T18:38:26.196-04:00Anon --
Thank you for that. Sounds as if you have ...Anon --<br />Thank you for that. Sounds as if you have them pegged just about right. <br /><br />Female sociopaths are even scarier in a way just because they can look so sweet and innocent. I've been writing about another one recently, Michelle Carter, the one who basically pushed her boyfriend into suicide so she could appear to be the bereaved girlfriend and get lots of attention and sympathy that way. same story: sweet on the outside, the opposite inside. <br /><br />And you're right, one thing the pretty sociopaths learn early is how to use sex as a lure. John Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08729625146043379286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-13709831615240307592017-06-22T18:18:22.091-04:002017-06-22T18:18:22.091-04:00LOL! For the sake of privacy, I'm going to re...LOL! For the sake of privacy, I'm going to remain anonymous, but I will say that my girlfriend had a past that caught up to her and did some time in the same prison as Meghan Powell who I got to know a little. Visiting room. When I met her I asked her if she was in for stealing all the books in the library. She laughed and I said "oh....so you're more the type who's silent but deadly" and she said "basically." She's a very nice gal, but your analysis of her being the last person you'd suspect of carrying out a crime that heinous is spot-on. And relative to her sentence's length, 2020 is just around the corner, so she's hoping those correspondance college courses come in handy. She does have a boyfriend now, though, and he seems like a nice enough guy. I can say from my own girl's time (we were together before she went to prison, not pen pals,) that post-release comes with its own challenges, so I guess we'll see how that goes for them if they make it to 2020.<br /><br />Can't tell you much about the other girls though. But I will say this...while we've kept in touch with a few of the ladies my girl was locked up with, and while a few would definitely benefit and thrive with the love and support of someone on the outside, for the most part these girls are nothing to mess with. Even the sweetest-looking or best-sounding of them are involved with one scam or another, and I won't get into some of the ways they tried to get one over on us on a few different occasions. If anyone reading this blog is thinking about corresponding with one of these lovelies or anyone of their ilk, they should go in being cautious, not getting their hopes up too much, and being very guarded over their money.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-44722111572615640082016-09-16T13:12:49.154-04:002016-09-16T13:12:49.154-04:00Anon --
Of course depressed people have their up m...Anon --<br />Of course depressed people have their up moments. And some depressed people are bipolar, which is an altogether different thing. But would someone with depression described themselves the way Ms. Reynolds did?<br /><br />"I'm a very happy, positive person."<br /><br />Doubtful. John Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08729625146043379286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-51694680913070449132016-09-16T13:02:27.050-04:002016-09-16T13:02:27.050-04:00FYI, you can have depression and still be happy an...FYI, you can have depression and still be happy and positive. HAVING depression and BEING depressed are two different things. As a depressed person myself, I have days where I feel great and happy and normal. Then there are days where I cry for no reason and can't get out of bed.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-55252566123302936052016-09-13T17:46:33.925-04:002016-09-13T17:46:33.925-04:00One thing I can say is I remember how intence youn...One thing I can say is I remember how intence young "love" was as a teenager I remember how much breaking up hurt so deply HAVING THE ABILITY & MATURITY TO DEAL WITH THE UP'S & DOWNS OF LOVE ONLY COMES WITH MUTURITY The intensity & pain doesn't change you just learn to suppress the feelings FORGET & move on For a teenager with a weak mind or mental illness I can them possibly coming undone & losing a grip and losing control of reality Coming from a mother of two I've seen the change in my children's personality THE INTENCITY as they go through puberty and the hormonal change/imbalance that creates highs & lowes I myself am going through menopause and before I could put my finger on it I felt that I was falling apart LOOSING MY MIND and was totally aware that whatever was happening to me I COULD NOT CONTROL IT "I WAS NOT IN CONTROL!" It was and I'm an adult I can only imagine what BECAUSE I CAN'T REMEMBER FULLY MY OWN EXPERANCY WITH PUBERTY BUT DO REMEMBER EMOTIOL STRUGGLE'S a teen goes thought, through in LOVE or BULLING or any of the things a teen has to go through and a weak state of mind well it's A DISASTER WAITING TO HAPPEN I'm not saying she should get away with killing in any way but I do see her confession as a young girl being completely honest about her crazy thinking/thoughts after snapping and having to face the horrible thing she has done I believe that is why this young girl need a lawyer present because WHAT YOU SAY CAN & WILL BE USED AGAINST YOU and she was not a criminal without remorse Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-80582512798292352542016-08-20T01:55:27.395-04:002016-08-20T01:55:27.395-04:00Sociopathy is so very "in" right now in ...Sociopathy is so very "in" right now in pop culture, most people don't know what they're talking about. Why does it take a degree in psychiatry? For the same reason it would take a degree in law to defend a client. I mean, sure, you could try, but you probably wouldn't fair very well because you wouldn't have the underlying understanding. It takes many, many, MANY years of medical training to get your Ph.d and MD, notwithstanding how much longer it takes for certain certifications in criminal or forensic psychiatry, and training curses to work with inmates and those with severe mental illness who have been incarcerated or adjudicated to a psychiatric hospital in leu of prison time. The only REAL diagnosis of sociopathy is ASPD in the DSM V (that's anti-social personality disorder for those who don't know). Anti-social personality disorder is a fairly high axis diagnosis and is very difficult to diagnose, and to treat--however it is not impossible. Those who are diagnosed need a LOT of mental health help, but they are not beyond repair. Having "sociopathic traits" is a different thing altogether, as is being on the "sociopathic spectrum". Taking these tests (just search, tons will pop up online) is all the rage these days, as are films and books about sociopaths (the sociopath next door for example, confessions of a sociopath). when i read that, i was like, damn, that was what i was going to name my blog! ;D Anyway, I empathize with the family who are left behind--who we are taught in law school to call co-victims, as their lives are forever changed, the lives they used to live come to a complete halt when their loved one dies, just like the life of that person comes to a complete halt. I don't blame anyone for using 'psychotic', "sociopathic", "nuts", "crazy", "cold blooded", etc interchangeably because this is what our society teaches and these co-victims of homicide have complete right to feel enraged to this day, and perhaps until the day they die. I also don't fault someone for doing online diagnoses--however spreading misinformation IS dangerous and people tend to jump on any pop culture band wagon along with the fire starter. Please inform yourself about ASPD before you throw the term "sociopath" around. Psychopath actually MAY be a better possibility as the rough definition of a psychopath that is generally accepted in psychiatry is someone who exhibits clear cut sociopathy (ASPD) and also has brain injuries that can cause things like poor impulse control and other issues you see with frontol lobe damage. It is quite possible also, that these damaged children and adults have brain injuries that have caused damage to the frontol lobe or another part of the brain to cause them to act in a manner that is not fitting with societal expectations, and that causes them and their familes great distress. Does anyone know which of these ladies are out yet? Are there lesbian or bisexual women out there?<br />Thank you,<br />AyashaAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11585231296266751344noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-66351425575401444572016-07-03T04:58:00.226-04:002016-07-03T04:58:00.226-04:00She's been out almost a year already.She's been out almost a year already.You and Whose Army?https://www.blogger.com/profile/10783741437776321287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-22095632741003657072016-07-02T23:51:38.341-04:002016-07-02T23:51:38.341-04:00I certainly hope that Nikki changes because soon s...I certainly hope that Nikki changes because soon she will be amongst us. It is now July 2016 and she will be out in a few years. Have mercy.October Misthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10648247248707826177noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-39193558908553778112016-02-05T08:26:27.303-05:002016-02-05T08:26:27.303-05:00No one knows or cares how she feels, but there is ...No one knows or cares how she feels, but there is a lot of evidence she is a sociopath. She stabbed her mother even as she begged for her life and incredibly said she loved her. She didn't even hesitate.Also planned to kill pops and a boyfriend. Didn't do it because it was hard work stabbing mom. Despite being tired, she kept whacking mom, till she was good and dead. There's no cure for sociopathy. Its who and what she is. Pauliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17250541191968118561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-28116369749882132322014-03-01T12:11:14.473-05:002014-03-01T12:11:14.473-05:00FAP --
Are you referring to one of them in particu...FAP --<br />Are you referring to one of them in particular or all of them? <br /><br />(I seem to have gotten a lot of Google inquiries on Nikki Reynolds today.) John Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08729625146043379286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-40821147620249447422014-03-01T12:08:44.387-05:002014-03-01T12:08:44.387-05:00FrighteningFrighteningFormer Attractive Personhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10668322716654792759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-72372025922470450602013-11-18T07:56:54.949-05:002013-11-18T07:56:54.949-05:00You and Whose Army --
How would a PhD in Psychiatr...You and Whose Army --<br />How would a PhD in Psychiatry know how she feels? <br /><br />But one doesn't need to have a PhD to know that sociopaths never lose their sociopathy. It's "incurable.' John Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08729625146043379286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-8626378949253031862013-11-18T07:47:40.059-05:002013-11-18T07:47:40.059-05:00I'm not in the cell with her John Craig, but h...I'm not in the cell with her John Craig, but how to you know how she feels after 18 years of incarceration. Do you have your PhD in psychiatry? You and Whose Army?https://www.blogger.com/profile/10783741437776321287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-26310986714074922452013-11-18T03:58:13.120-05:002013-11-18T03:58:13.120-05:00Jessica --
My condolences. She disgusts me too.
...Jessica --<br />My condolences. She disgusts me too. <br /><br />She is not psychotic, by the way; she is a sociopath, who feels no remorse and has no conscience. Unfortunately, well-meaning parents will sometimes adopt a child who has already been damaged beyond repair psychologically, and no matter how much love they try to give that child, there's nothing they can do to prevent that poisonous seed from growing up to be a sociopath. John Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08729625146043379286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-51852105826307365222013-11-18T01:08:59.005-05:002013-11-18T01:08:59.005-05:00Nikki Reynolds is my cousin. I have absolutely NO ...Nikki Reynolds is my cousin. I have absolutely NO sympathy for her and for all I care she can live with a " void" for the rest of her life. Just as her family must live with the void of a family member that was murdered over her selfish psychotic-ness. She absolutely disgusts me!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17608197693792600900noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-86477512114124746762013-08-07T12:43:22.157-04:002013-08-07T12:43:22.157-04:00For the record, at the current time Florida is EXT...For the record, at the current time Florida is EXTREMELY strict when it comes to Pen Pals behind bars. They will send any letter back if its mentioned. <br /><br />Its kind of a catch 22, because we preach that we want these people rehabilitated but at the same time, 3 states want to cut off potential human contact.<br /><br />Let the punishment fit the crime without compromising our 1st amendment rights. Recidivism has to be high.You and Whose Army?https://www.blogger.com/profile/10783741437776321287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-83100745140815069652013-07-02T20:47:14.451-04:002013-07-02T20:47:14.451-04:00Stettin --
I was just going on what I read in her ...Stettin --<br />I was just going on what I read in her prisoner penpal information page. I have no way of ascertaining whether that was accurate or not; you could well be right.John Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08729625146043379286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-55299749037458840532013-07-02T20:37:09.653-04:002013-07-02T20:37:09.653-04:00You wrote that Meghan Powell "won't be wa...You wrote that Meghan Powell "won't be walking down any streets until 2020." It was my understanding she was serving 35 years to life and won't even have a parole hearing until around 2039. However, that's dated information.426Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07735439196520961987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-63464995551762538802013-02-21T08:52:27.406-05:002013-02-21T08:52:27.406-05:00Amy --
Wow, you're not kidding. Recognizably t...Amy --<br />Wow, you're not kidding. Recognizably the same person, yet she's gone from one end of the spectrum to the other. I've noticed that with other inmates, too, very few of the women use recent pictures, they almost all use shots from younger and happier times. <br /><br />Thanks for sending that. John Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08729625146043379286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-19261416252072887032013-02-21T08:39:46.413-05:002013-02-21T08:39:46.413-05:00John,
I was intrigued when I came across the love...John,<br /><br />I was intrigued when I came across the lovely picture of Lavender Perkins in your post this morning. Perhaps she has never heard of Google, but I would hope that anyone with half a brain would consult with the site before writing to her. Follow the link below to her mugshot image. I just had to see for myself, and when I did, I realized why she <br />surreptitiously used the picture she did. It looks like prison has not done anything for her.<br /><br />http://www.mugshotsworld.com/lavender-denise-perkinsAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-8510516914560067592012-12-10T11:17:08.216-05:002012-12-10T11:17:08.216-05:00Dave --
Ha! Well, life with Nikki would never be b...Dave --<br />Ha! Well, life with Nikki would never be boring, that's true. <br /><br />You're obviously more open-minded than me, you should write her.John Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08729625146043379286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-3774474694787373702012-12-10T11:07:11.497-05:002012-12-10T11:07:11.497-05:00i have to wonder--if one is charmed by Nikki and w...i have to wonder--if one is charmed by Nikki and were to weave here into one's life when she gets to experience fresh air ... does the fact she might stab you on a whim give one some hesitation to take naps or sleep at all? or is the fact she can turn so quickly a bit of her charm?<br /><br />what surprises me about her is her solutions to what seems to be minor obstacles are so extreme. of course minor obstacles while you are prepping to go stab someone might seem like a larger obstacles to one with a such a sense of purpose.<br /><br /><br />what happens if you took her out for chinese food and they didn't have her favorite on the menu? is the cook a goner? i suppose it makes those nights out a tad more interesting. Dave Moriartyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11280611549973778922noreply@blogger.com