FOR THOSE GOING TO PRISON Those who first become enmeshed in the criminal justice system frequently lack the knowledge and experience necessary to prepare themselves for life and growth throughout a term of confinement. If you are facing a prison term, one of the biggest hurdles you should prepare yourself to overcome is the chasm that will separate you from your family and society. When prison gates slam shut behind you, it means more than just a physical removal from the community and law-abiding citizens you knew prior to confinement. Once inside, communication - other than with felons - becomes significantly more difficult. Accordingly, is wise to begin making preparations for this reality BEFORE you are confined. One way to keep those lines of communication open is through a personal website on PrisonerLife.com. Websites are effective tools because of their global reach. Through a website the opportunity exists for you to share your progress, interests, hobbies, goals, dreams and accomplishments with the world rather than leaving society with a one-dimensional view that is focused on your current situation. Internet users all over the world will be able to learn who you are as an individual - a person of worth. In my case, this website has been a very effective tool in facilitating communication with society and my community as I strive to make amends for my bad decisions and share the efforts I am making to reconcile with them. Although it is possible to open your website after you have been confined, creating and designing it while you are still living free is the most effective way to gain access to this important tool. Behind prison fences, modern technology (including the Internet and computers) is not available, therefore a prisoner desiring to start a personal website must rely on someone in the outside world to convert their information into an electronic format. This can be a time-consuming endeavor. Representatives of PrisonerLife.com are available to assist with this task, however there is some cost associated with the service. It is much easier to prepare yourself for continued connection with the world by opening a personal website on PrisonerLife.com BEFORE you are confined in prison. Then you need only update your site regularly rather than having to create it from scratch. I wish that opportunity had been available to me when I began my term in 1987, however the Internet did not exist at that time. In today's environment of long-term mandatory sentences, it is IMPORTANT for you to make every effort toward maintaining communication with society beyond prison walls. Your personal website can help you do just that. For more information on becoming a member of the PrisonerLife.com community, please contact the WEBMASTER for New Member Information.