Valentine's Day

Not much is known about the real St. Valentine.  But it is believed that he was martyred in Rome about 270 A.D.  Some say he was a Christian priest or bishop and that his crime was that of performing illegal marriages.  Marriages had been outlawed by Claudius II in the interests of “national security” because it was believed that family ties made soldiers less willing to fight.  Whatever his crime, the story goes that while held in prison, Valentine became friends with the jailer’s daughter.  On the eve of his execution, he thanked her for her care and kindness in a note which he signed “Your Valentine.”  And so was born the tradition of exchanging such notes.

     An alternative celebration of Valentine’s Day can be a time of remembering and celebrating personal relationships between lovers, wives and husbands, children and parents, and friends in non-commercial ways.

     In keeping with the spirit of kindness shown by the jailer’s daughter, it seems most appropriate to include in our Valentine’s Day celebration consciousness-raising and meaningful activities on behalf of those in prison.

                                                          --from Alternative Celebrations Planning Calendar

     This can be done in many ways.  There is injustice and misery in every prison, people wrongfully imprisoned, people caught in a penal system which serves neither the prisoner nor the society that imprisoned that person and which badly needs alternatives.  There are a number of groups that are working for prison reform in this country, to exonerate the innocent, and to help reintegrate ex-prisoners back into society.  A few are listed below.

     There is no better way to get to know what the life of a prisoner is like than to hear about it firsthand.  Because of the isolation that prison causes, contact with people on the “outside” becomes terribly important.  Many prisoners receive neither mail nor visitors and would love to hear from YOU!   If you would be interested in writing to a prisoner, contact one of the organizations below.

     If you are interested in actually visiting a prisoner, you can contact the Prisoner Visitation and Support Committee for information on visiting prisoners in federal prisons.  This is an outstanding organization that has been around for many years and offers extensive training and assistance to anyone seriously interested in visiting in the federal prison system.

PRISON REFORM, ADVOCACY, EXONERATION, POST-PRISON SUPPORT:

Citizens United for the Rehabilitation of Errants

http://www.curenational.org

Offender Aid and Restoration (D.C. area)

http://www.oaronline.org

The Innocence Project

http://www.innocenceproject.org

Prison Activist Resource Center

http://www.prisonactivist.org

Howard League for Penal Reform

http://www.howardleague.org

PRISONER CORRESPONDENCE:

Prisoner Life.com (they have a very good page on guidelines for writing a prisoner)

http://www.prisonerlife.com

PRISONER VISITATION:

Prisoner Visitation and Support

http://www.prisonervisitation.org