Snail Mail Research Paper

Let’s face it, snail mail is archaic by many peoples standards. The cumbersome chore of writing a letter, addressing the envelope, applying proper postage, and putting it in the mail box seems a bit ridiculous in the age of electronic mail and instant messaging. To one part of the American population, the US postal service is still their primary source of communication. They are the forgotten victims of the war on drugs, those serving time in the prison system for a plant.

Who are these forgotten victims? They are dispensary owners, growers, and caregivers. They are patients, possessors and consumers of medicine. They are mothers, fathers, and children. Many are even grandparents. There are countless individuals, who have not harmed

Sometimes family members are angry at the inmate for committing a crime. Often people who are incarcerated do not have much to talk about or tend to be gloomy, making communication emotionally draining. The average person who has never experienced being locked up have little understanding about how much people in prison count on mail call.

The first amendment right to freedom of speech is about the only constitutional right an inmate has left. Providing an avenue for a fellow cannabis warrior to exercise this freedom can be rewarding. “Free speech in the prison context is also important since it is the only first-hand account we have as to how the penal system is run. Communication also plays a vital role in an inmate’s access to the courts and his relations with counsel” (Holtz, 2002, p.

“Several studies suggest the prisoner's mental health is dependent on his contact with the outside world” (Hairston, 1991, p. 93-4). Also, the more they know about what is going on in the “real world” the easier it is to fit in with those who have not been in a black hole of the penal system. The system should have an emphasis on maximizing contact with the outside world, both to minimize the division between the norms of incarceration and those of the free world, and to discourage dysfunctional withdrawal from society that is difficult to reverse upon release (Hany, 2002, p. 17). Often removal of communication is used as a form of punishment but all prisons are required by law to provide the inmates with access to the U.S. Postal system even during punishment periods where email communication and visits are disallowed. Writing to an inmate gives them a link that sometimes is the only one they have. Your letter may be the only kind hearted human contact the person in prison for cannabis receives.

Now that you know why you should write to a cannabis POW, how do you locate your new pen pal? With a quick google search one can locate many organization that can help connect you with non-violent prisoners all over the country. It is wise to verify all