Prison Letter Project
I am an avid fan of the CWG material and have had a group of my own for the last two and a half years. But that's not why I'm writing you!
I have a very, very, very exciting project which I am undertaking and I am choosing the CWG community to be major participants in it. I am selling absolutely nothing except the possibility of changing people's lives from ones of fear to ones of love. At retreats and lectures, Neale often speaks of reforming the prison system. It is a project near and dear to his heart, as it is to mine. That's what this is all about, and it will take no more than 90 minutes for those participating to begin that great transformation. History of the project: As a course requirement for a "personal-growth" curriculum in which I am involved (called Landmark Education) I am taking on a project that will allow me to experience myself as a leader. I need to then choose other leaders to take the project on and make it bigger than what I could make of it alone. So, should I "die," this would go on without me.
What the project is: 50 people from the CWG community will write letters to one prison in the US. These letters will be heartfelt depictions of a significant hardship the writer has experienced in his or her life. Each letter will be a sharing of understanding, compassion, and encouragement from a stranger to a stranger. And then, along with the letter, the writer will send a book that changed his/her life (some CWG, but mostly other titles), music, poetry, even art, that took the writer from a point of despair and hopelessness to one of restored faith and peace. At the prison, there will be a room or a selected part of the library, that will house all of these inspirational offerings.
Intention of the project: Landmark Education uses a phrase which I fell in love with; it's called "Standing for another's greatness." This is perfectly aligned with God's decree that we should relate to one another not by our yesterdays but by our today's and our tomorrow's. It means that we see the men and women in prison as worthy and valuable, not cast-aside reprobates who deserve to rot behind bars. It means refusing to accept their belief in their own smallness, and certainly not the beliefs of the mass majority in their smallness. God says that 'people tend to see in themselves what we see in them.' The intention of this project is to begin to thaw the hearts of these defended individuals, so that they begin to experience a force of love on the 'outside' that is demonstrating a grand vision for them. For, as God says, "the grander our vision of them, the grander their willingness to access and display the part of them we have shown them."
People show up the way we see them. Let's see these inmates as valuable, lovable, intentional, giving, loving, striving, heartfelt Souls. God says, and I know that it's true, that if they have someone who sees them as such, they will show up that way.
Together--with the start of just 50 people taking an hour to write a letter and another half-hour to gather a book or music or other offering to send off-we can shift the prison system paradigm from one of fear to one of love.
Commitment: Mine is to make this difference.for my own sake, the sakes of the writers--who will know themselves as activists in the promotion of Oneness--and for the sakes of the inmates, whose lives will be transformed. In addition, I have stated that I will have these 50 letters written, and the room in the prison created, by July 24th. I have no doubt it can be done. "Where two or more are gathered."
Your commitment: Do you want to be a part of a tangible expression of love, greatness and unity? If so, I ask you to participate in this project.
I want nothing more in my life than to make a difference. This is not a vocation of mine, indeed it is in some ways not much more than an experiment in a class I am taking. But it really IS much more. I believe we can shift the entire prison system paradigm, one letter at a time.
In Landmark we create "Who We Are" statements. I will conclude with mine: Who I am is the Possibility of Greatness, Freedom, Leadership and Transformation. I am committed to generating that for others, as well as myself. Blessed be, Lizabeth Phelps lphelps@mindspring.com 973-783-5070
Here are the guidelines for the Prison Writing Project. I apologize = for not writing each of you individually, but I received such a = response, that it is necessary to send this to you as a "group."
It is about 4 pages long, so i suggest printing it out.
Please email this to everyone in your group, or pass out Xerox = copies when you see them.
I am so, so, so thrilled that you have taken on this project with = me. I "got" Attica yesterday, which has also thrilled me. I spoke with = the Senior Librarian there. After going through the project with him, = he told me that he couldn't offer anything for tax write-offs, and I = said that that the people writing the letters didn't want that. He = paused for a minute and said, "You mean people are doing this just to be = NICE?" ANd he was genuinely shocked by that. "You don't understand, we = don't get much of that around here." He was really inspired by the = idea, saying he had never heard of anything like this before. I can't = tell you how excited I am that we will be impacting one of the most = renowned prisons in the country.
The guidelines are detailed. Please don't be put off by them. = Enjoy every minute of playing God with this, and know that you are = touching lives deeply by sharing so deeply of your own lives.
God bless all of you. I don't know you personally, but I know your = souls, and i love you all. Let me know if you have further questions. Lizabeth Phelps
Suggested Guidelines for Letters To Prisoners
Some Frequently Asked Questions:
What prison will receive the letters?-An Essex County = Correctional Facility in New Jersey.and Attica in New York State
Will the letters be sent to individual prisoners?-No. Write = to "everyman prisoner" so-to-speak, however we do know the sex of the = inmates. Attica is an all-male prison and most likely we will be = writing to women in the New Jersey facility.
Is this an on-going project?-I certainly hope so!! However, = your involvement is only requested as a one-time event. You may = participate as often as you wish, should this project go nationwide.
Where do we send our letters and books?-See the multi-step = guideline for this at the end of this document.
With whom should I correspond during this project?-Full = details follow, but in short, Cindy Rohrbough from California and I = (Lizabeth Phelps) will be the primary contacts for now. You may reach = me at lphelps@mindspring.com. and Cindy at cyndals@yahoo.com.
Purpose of the Project:
To provide prisoners with an experience of an outside team of
'free people', that very simply "stands for their greatness." This is a = community that does not relate to them as their felony or their hatred = or their fear, but instead sees them as nothing else but valuable, lovable, capable, = viable, generous contributors to this society. God says, "You will = never disserve your relationship-nor anyone-by seeing more in another = than they are showing you. For there is more there. Much more. It is = only their fear that stops them from showing you. If others notice that = you see them as more, they will feel safe to show you what you obviously = already see."
We are about creating this "team/community" that allows prisoners to let = go of "every false thought they've ever had about themselves" by the = very simple act of relating to them with love and trust. Did you know = that a major contributor to recidivism (the return rate to prison) is = the fact that prisoners do not know how to handle being treated with = humanity, grace and trust on the outside? Because the prison = environment does not promote any of these qualities, prisoners forget = such common basic rights and often see those who treat them well as = having agendas. Bringing them an environment of love and trust while = they are in prison will go a long way in acclimating them to such an = environment when they are finally free.
What to communicate in the letters:
a.. Open by conveying an understanding that you see yourself as more = aligned with the prisoner than different from him/her. It may feel like = that requires a creative stretch on your part, but if you truly look = within, you will see the One-ness rather than the separation. In Book = 2, God says, "Your world, and the condition it is in, is a reflection of = the total, combined consciousness of everyone living there.The inability = to experience the suffering of another as one's own is what allows such = suffering to continue..Unity produces compassion, genuine equality." a.. Tell of a hardship/suffering/tragedy that you have experienced. = It is recommended that you share deeply with this, offering the feelings = you had at the time, the not so "God-like" actions you found yourself = taking, the thoughts that took you under and into shadow places. Don't = be stingy with this; be rich in your description, vivid and heartfelt. b.. Share the moment, or day, (be as precise as possible) when things = turned around for you. What did someone say to you? What song touched = your heart? In other words, how did God "talk to you" that lifted you = out of your "wrong thought," unhelpful action, or agonizing pain?
c.. Ultimately, what happened is you came to believe in something. = Maybe it was that life was worth living, even without your child, or = that "there is nothing to forgive" with the person who killed your = husband. That new belief took you from point A to point B. If there is = nothing but God, if we are all One, then what you truly came to believe = in was your Self. Offer this same gift to the prisoner: the possibility = that he or she can believe in him- or herself. And if it is something = you truly can say from your heart, tell the prisoner that you believe in = him. This is the crux and power of this project: that someone on the = outside believes in Who He or She Really Is.
d.. Conclude with an explanation of the book, poem, sheet music, etc. = that you are sending along. Why did it impact you so deeply and what do = you hope the prisoner will get from it?
What NOT to do in the letters:
a.. Convey a tone of superiority or condescension. We want to relate = to the prisoners--express how we are like them, not different from them a.. Give advice on how to "Be" (even if it is a Highly Evolved way of = Being) in prison b.. Discuss how the prisoner could improve himself or his life c.. Talk too often about God. The audience is unknown and we want to = reach as many men and women as we possibly can and they might experience = talk of God as evangelism. d.. Write more than four pages, type-written, or 8 pages hand-written
Other Guidelines:
When should the letters be completed?
We all get caught up in our lives, so I urge everyone to = write their letter TODAY. But let's put a "deadline" on it for = Wednesday July 19.
When should the books be ordered/sent out? By Monday, July 24.
What to do when you have written your letter:
a.. Email Cindy Rohrbough by July 19 at cyndals@yahoo.com to let her = know you have finished your letter and tell her what you are sending. = This is VERY important. Cindy will be taking steps to ensure that no = more than TWO of the same title are sent to the prisons. She will email = you back within a few days to "okay" the title or to encourage you to = send a different one. Please have a back-up title. (Remember: you can = also send a poem, a work of art, sheet music, etc. It does not have to = be a book.)
Where do the letters go?
a.. Once you have gotten Cindy's "okay," she will, in her return = email, give you her address. Send your letters to Cindy. Attica has = requested that we compile all the letters in a binded format. We will = do the same for the NJ prison.
b.. At this same time, Cindy will also tell you to which prison to = send your offering so that you can promptly contact a vendor, or mail = out a book yourself. c.. If you are sending sheet music, a one- or two-page poem, or a = small piece of art or photography, send this along with your letter to = Cindy. It will be included in the notebook.
Where do I send the books?
a.. Attica requests that the books you send come from the vendor = (Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc.) YOU NEED TO ASK THE VENDOR TO HAVE = "LIBRARY GIFT" STAMPED ON THE FRONT OF THE PACKAGE. b.. If you cannot go through a vendor for some reason, I was told that = you could send it yourself, but it is imperative that you have "Library = Gift" printed on the front of the package. This will be subject to = inspection.
Then what?
A form of in-mate feedback will be implemented in each prison so that we = can know the impact our love has had on these men and women. I will = pass along to you all the feedback we receive.
Have FUN with this. Be "in-love" as you write each word. Remember = God's most beautiful and powerful decree: "I have sent you nothing but = angels." Know yourself as an angel as you write and send these letters = off.and know that an angel is receiving them. Together, we can and will = change the world from one of fear to one of Love. You are all blessed, blessed souls, Lizabeth Phelps ---------------------