I know this has been raised many times before:
Beware of prisoners in Kentucky presenting as gay.
I encouraged three of my gay friends to write to prisoners. They all wrote to different individuals at the same prison. The responses they got were all virtually identical in content, and two of them were in the same handwriting. None had any reference to things my friends had said. All asked for assistance with the costs of postage.
Last post
Yep. A well known problem. Or at least, should be well known by public service messages like this one! What's up with Kentucky, I ask you!
All those gay male prisoners in Kentucky, six pages worth on writeaprisoner alone.
Not a single reference to Barbra Streisand?
It cannot be coincidence.
it's funny that they think no one's on to it by now. (like we all don't talk to each other, or at least glance at these forums perhaps.)
Having lived in Kentucky I can shed a bit of insight in this. Well not this in particular but the attitudes in general. I know Im gonna offend some, but I lived there and seen it. There is more people per-capita there on "disability" then everywhere else n the country. They also have the highest car insurance rates in the entire country in south eastern Kentucky. You know why? I asked the insurance agent why, and he said that area has the highest rate of staged accidents and insurance fraud in the country... You know wh? The people there dont want to work. So they use fraud to get what they want without working for it. Same goes in the prisons there, and NOT just the mens. I worked (Im ashamed to say) for CCA, at Otter Creek Correctional, in Wheelwright, KY and knew many employees there... At that time it was a womens prison, and the guards would talk about some of the scams the women were running, and that the men used to run when Otter Creek was a mens prison. Which it now is again. One of the biggest for the women, and men, was to pretend to be gay/lesbian in order to get more money from the outside, as it was seen that gays tend to be more giving, and forgiving, to their friend, family, and penpals inside...
In my time there, from may 2007 to july 2010.. I found Kentucky to be the most user personality state I have ever been in. Just for a frame of reference, I have lived in 47 different towns in 11 different states, so I do know whats good and whats not... :)
So what is it about Kentucky that promulgates this "user" personality?
What saddens me most, is that the genuinely gay and lesbian folk in Kentucky prisons suffer from of the bad reputation that the State has, as a result of these scammers' efforts.
All three of my friends chose to find another prisoner to write to, but all agreed [I]not from Kentucky[/I].
[QUOTE=Silas Sydenham;1048174]So what is it about Kentucky that promulgates this "user" personality?
What saddens me most, is that the genuinely gay and lesbian folk in Kentucky prisons suffer from of the bad reputation that the State has, as a result of these scammers' efforts.
All three of my friends chose to find another prisoner to write to, but all agreed [I]not from Kentucky[/I].[/QUOTE]
Right? God help you if you really ARE gay and from KY at this point!!!! No one's going to believe you! Too many boys crying wolf.
When I first joined this site, the first thing I was told was not to write to anyone in KY, really sad for the legit ppl there
Maybe if enough of us wrote letters to random "gay" kentucky prisoners, explaining the situation, the scammers would be warned off?
Along the lines of : "Gay Kentucky prisoners are suspected of being scammers, so I was reluctant to contact you. However, if you are who you say you are, and can accept that I will not send you money, please reply."
Would only take 12 of us to email 5 letters each.
?????????????????????
Decent idea. You spelled gay wrong
Ooooh spell check! Hahah :D
I did NOT! And even if I did, it was a deliberate mistake to keep you on your toes. :lol:
If I have spell check, I don't know how to use it. I have a brain and a dictionary.
I say that that, so you can't
QUOTE=Silas Sydenham;1048190]I did NOT! And even if I did, it was a deliberate mistake to keep you on your toes. :lol:[/QUOTE]
You and I are very different people :)
I should say so! Otherwise it would be incest.
Um, well this is awkward, either you don't know what incest is or I have been grossly misinformed
I know from first-hand experience what incest is.
You may or may not have been misinformed.
But you are still my brother.
You're old enough to be my Dad, totally daja vu. Ever wonder if your in a game and deja vu's are just starting over after you died, and they are your last level saved?
I'm old enough to be your Grandmother.
As for this: "Ever wonder if your in a game and deja vu's are just starting over after you died, and they are your last level saved?" I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about.
But you are still my brother.
Its kind of a new age concept.
Nothing new age about brotherhood. Its been around since long before the birth of Jesus.
The road is long
With many a winding turn
That leads us to who knows where
Who knows when
But I'm strong
Strong enough to carry him
He ain't heavy, he's my brother
So on we go
His welfare is of my concern
No burden is he to bear
We'll get there
For I know
He would not encumber me
He ain't heavy, he's my brother
If I'm laden at all
I'm laden with sadness
That everyone's heart
Isn't filled with the gladness
Of love for one another
It's a long, long road
From which there is no return
While we're on the way to there
Why not share
And the load
Doesn't weigh me down at all
He ain't heavy, he's my brother
I wrote a letter to a nice young man in Ky and I got a letter back from him and mentioned nothing about needing money for postage and he did not even mention money one time in his letter which was really sweet. I think that scams go on in all of the Prisons to tell you the truth and if you are honest with your self and who you are and you pay attention to who you are writing and read profiles you can tell which ones are the same person in a way. I have to say that I was nervus about writing an inmate any where in the country but I decided to take a chance.
I know this may seem mean and every thing but postage is not that much and you have to know that while this may be happening it is not all inmates in KY some times letters are passed on to other people because an inmate may be getting to much mail or the inmate that you have wrote to is just not interested in writing you back. my question was it in the first letters that they got back asking for money? because I wrote to a nice young man in Ky and he said nothing about any money at all in his letter and he also told me about him self. if he ask me for money for postage that I would send him money for postage because he is replying to my letters and I am greatfull for this fact. I mean what is 5.00 for postage stamps?
Can[I] I[/I] have some money for postage?
Wait.. Wut?!
YOU should feel grateful? Why exactly?
He/shes the one inside for a crime he's done not you, so why should you feel grateful for writing him?
You took time out of your life to keep someone company through letters not vice versa, he should be happy you're writing him.
Don't feel like you need to send them money for stamps because he's writing you.
Its perfectly ok to feel grateful to have a pp that replies to you :) It shows maybe that the person see them as a human being and not judging them based on why they are in prison. But i do agree there is no NEED to send money. But if the person can afford to send a few $$ now and again of their own free will then thats fine too.
The thread wasn't meant as it's always bad for inmates to need help with postage, it was meant that for a while at least, in Kentucky, there was a known problem about men posing as gay who weren't actually gay that were writing to men in order to get at their wallets, perhaps starting small like asking for postage money. It doesn't mean every guy in Kentucky is at it but there was a known circle of people doing it. I had a pp in KY for a while and he knew about it too.
IMO it sets a precedent of money giving if you give money out of the box. As is said many times, if you're going to give a financial gift for any reason, it is better to wait and see who you are really dealing with. People who put ads on WAP from prison have to realize that if they DO want a pp, the stamps cost money and that's going to be on them to get them, not the person they are writing to.
I think that you should feel greatful because of the fact that they are writing you back I do not know about any of you but the way I feel about it is if the person you wrote to writes you back and does not pass it on then all the better because that person reconizes the fact that you have sent them a letter and not some one else. this shows me that they respect the fact that I sent them a letter and not some one else. I had one of my letters passed on from an inmate to another inmat that I wrote to in Texas and this inmate passed it on to some one that I would never consider writing to because of the fact that that is not the kind of person I want to corospond with so I ignored the letter that the guy from Texas sent me because it was not some one that I wrote to and he asked me for money no way no way now if it would have been the person that I wrote to there than i would have considered it. The reason why this web site charges to place an add on it is as a way to weed out spam in my mind.
I write to a very nice man in Kentucky. He is not gay, even though his profile says that he is.
He presented himself as gay so that he could write to someone for companionship and conversation, rather than have some sheila fall in love with him.
I think that is okay.
Taking the tangent a wee bit further, does anyone know if inmates have to pay to use the JPay kiosks and if they have to pay to have letters or photos printed out? I would think they would have to and wonder if I am socking them with the bill when I would actually prefer to just send a letter by postal mail (except for the extra time).
And, Josh, I'll send you money for stamps, now that I realize that you must be unemployed or bedridden and unable to work. I also realize that times are rough and I have myself been forced to beg...albeit not for stamps, but if that helps keep you with us, then you can use the money for whatever keeps you afloat!
Awesome, thanks!
Yes they do, in Washington its 10 cents a page to print them off.
thanks, josh, that's what I i was worried about. i sent a man money for stamps though he hadn't asked. and then i was using email and babbling on and on, thinking he may be happy for five page letters and such...
btw, did JPay raise its stamp prices? I don't see the 50 for $10 anymore, only 20 for $8.80? The rates say more but when you go to actually buy them there is no discount anymore.
sure, if you're really screwed, just let me know. i'm already so far in the hole, just digging it a bit deeper won't matter.....
If you have a penpal (or randomly add someone that is in a Washington State prison) in Washington you can get 60 jpay stamps for $10
good response! I agree, I certainly can and do feel grateful for someone writing to me. I take time out of my life. He takes time out of his. I think the feeling and the effort is mutual. If you are keeping score, tit for tat, I don't think that's much of a friendship, more of just an agreement, in which case, maybe money [i]should[/i] be involved. one can't equate working on the inside for the pittance of a wage people make and the things they need to buy at the exploitive prison stores with our opportunities on the outside?! and gooddog is right, just see it as a red flag if the request comes a bit soon! ;)
But, Josh, the account and the stamps work for everyone on your list. I write to people in three states and Washington is one of them and I bought stamps at 60 for $10 before but when I looked last night, the top was 20 for $8.80. I'm wondering if that was because at the time I was writing to someone in Michigan....nah, he even told me the cheaper price and when i made that initial purchase, i was only writing to him. will have to check again...
Oh yes you have to buy the stamps from the person in Washington, but you can use them to send to anyone of your jpay contacts.
[QUOTE=bbayer88;1081186]good response! I agree, I certainly can and do feel grateful for someone writing to me. I take time out of my life. He takes time out of his. I think the feeling and the effort is mutual. If you are keeping score, tit for tat, I don't think that's much of a friendship, more of just an agreement, in which case, maybe money [i]should[/i] be involved. one can't equate working on the inside for the pittance of a wage people make and the things they need to buy at the exploitive prison stores with our opportunities on the outside?! and gooddog is right, just see it as a red flag if the request comes a bit soon! ;)[/QUOTE]
sorry, i mean ashy, not gooddog.
Josh, I just went in to JPay and checked and the only stamp packages offered are 1, 10, and 20, so discounts.
$0.44 (1 JPay Stamp)
$8.80 (20 JPay Stamps)
$4.40 (10 JPay Stamps)
Interesting, I just went on and I could see where I could buy 60 for $10, maybe his guy is in a different facility. I wonder if I should stock up in case they change the price. The prices your stating seem like they are for Texas.
I know but I'm soooooo afraid of hitting the wrong send button on that. What if I write to my pp, have no intention of ever writing to the Washington guy, and send it to the Washington guy by mistake??? I'm so afraid of doing it that it keeps me from buying the stamps!
(I'm that lame, true.)
I feel ya there. I triple check then I worry that jpay will mess up and send it to the wrong person. Or this guy won't have money to reply to me. My only real complaint with jpay (and I know they need/want to make money and I am totally fine with that) is that it costs a stamp to send about a page of text, I could mail 5 pieces of paper double sided if I was sending it in the us. If I was sending it here in Canada it would only $1.05 to send it compared with $4.40 if I was to send it by jpay.
CASE OF THE STAMP RATES solved!!!
Wow, this is incredible. I solved it. And, Josh, you were right! The key to the whole thing is knowing which account you are signed in to or something like that. It's the name that appears as the default. I remember now, the first time I bought stamps wasn't for a Michigan guy, it was for a Washington guy and so my initial JPay account was made in Washington, so my default was the Washington name. Later, I learned how to change the name and that was in Texas, where the prices are the highest....hurrah Texas! another feather in your effin' cap!
So, if you have have multiple states you write to, shop around for the cheapest rate when you buy stamps. You have to change the default name in order to have the rates come up when you go to buy stamps.
Here's how to do it!! (and the way I found out is because I was ticked off enough to write to JPay and ask what was up and as I was about to, I hit upon the page that allows you to switch accounts:
1) Log on to your account.
2) Go to the bottom left under JPay.com and hit ContactUs.
3) On the right, it should say "Welcome, (your name)" and then under that say "Offender...." and to the right it says "change" Hit that and then "Email"
4) Then on the left hit "Buy Stamps"
Washington offers this:
Stamp Packages
$2.00 (6 single page eMessages)
$5.00 (20 single page eMessages)
$7.50 (35 single page eMessages)
$10.00 (60 single page eMessages)
Michigan the same:
Texas offers:
$0.44 (1 JPay Stamp)
$8.80 (20 JPay Stamps)
$4.40 (10 JPay Stamps)
In all fairness, I do NOT know if the page size is bigger in Texas or what, knowing that everything is big in Texas....whoopdeedoo! Somehow, I think, the pages for letters for prisoners is, if anything, going to be smaller......
Oh, and I am the same with worrying about sending the wrong letter out. I so far, have not, but I always check and recheck.
For, me, JPay for stamps isn't that bad, because I'm writing from Japan and likewise for those writing from the States. One guy's letters from Texas take forever and I realized he wasn't sending them airmail. He never asked for money, maybe he doesn't know he should send it airmail, but there's someone I'd like to send money to him for postage stamps so his letters would get here faster!
How much does it cost to mail a letter form Japan to the US? I also didn't think that USPS did the airmail non-airmail thing.
Josh, I just looked at the other letters that get here faster and actually they don't say airmail! So, maybe it is just Texas. I can't see any numbers on some of the stamps so don't know what the actual postage is. Anyhow, will look into that for them.
Letters from Japan cost 110 yen up to I think 25 grams, which is 4 pages of A4 size (bigger than letter size...don't know if you have that in Canada). 110 yen is about US$1.40
It may still be slightly cheaper to mail but not much and I'm not going to print out on both sides of the paper. Anyhow....for speed it's better by email. I don't write by hand so no matter there. Takes 6 days from here to the States and vice versa (in NORMAL states), about 12 days from Texas.
that's why i add a washington person, buy my stamps, then remove them. because the last time i had my random washington person, i ended up getting a "who is this?" message in my mailbox. :)
tell him to buy the $1.05 or 98 cent stamps from commissary. they're automatically marked for airmail (with a cute little plane on them). i know they're available because R uses them on my mail sometimes.
Wow, Moxie, so you know all about this. Us newbies don't. I just posted about it on a new thread. I don't worry about sending letters to the wrong name (knock on wood!) because I usually hit Reply. But changing the name on the Compose is easy. That doesn't change your account default though, which is when the rates will change. You probably know this....just for others. But are you saying that you didn't accidentally compose a letter to the wrong person, but that something else screwed it up?