Letters to a Future Death Row Inmate, Part 18

Part 17 can be seen here

Dear X,

I just want to give you some advice and share my thoughts with you. I hope that you think about what I tell you. I want to ask you a question before I go on. “Do you love life?” I ask you this because in the present circumstances that you find yourself in you are going to have to fight to stay alive. And by that I mean you are going to have to stay informed with what your attorneys are doing with your case. If you should think about anything that might help your attorneys shed some light on your case/right now is the time to express those thoughts to them! And right now is also the time to bring up any questions you might have for them. I have no idea who your attorneys are, but I do hope that you have some experienced help at your side. I say this because after being here a few years I have seen many people sold out by their attorneys. Some of them simply don’t care if we live or die. They just do the bare minimum on a case and file it with the courts and move on to the next person. Being that it’s not their own life they are fighting for, they simply don’t care what the end result is. Sad, but very true! And that is the reality of it. So, you need to stay informed with everything involving your case.

Being here in this gray and concrete world can be a roller coaster ride full of ups and downs. The desolation can be overwhelming at times. So it does get rough. I have no idea if you have family and friends to help support you emotionally and financially. Most people here have been abandoned by the family and friends they once had. Either because of the crime they were accused of and sent here for, or because of the pain and not being able to endure it.

I bring this up because if you should not have contact with any family or friends, you can always reach out to the people on the outside to try and establish a line of communication and make friends. This is actually of vital importance also because you want to try and stay busy here in one form or other. And expressing your thoughts in a letter can help maintain your optimism. Regardless of how bad the circumstances here might seem, you want to always try to stay positive! You want to try and develop a daily routine to keep your mind occupied. Writing, reading, drawing or even exercising can help you maintain a positive attitude in here.

You will find that there is people here from all walks of life. There is some goodhearted people here that will go out of their way to help you, but there is also deceptive people here that will go out of their way to harm you. Just keep your eyes and ears open and carry yourself with respect and you’ll be alright. Try not to let these walls get the best of you. If you should need help with anything, don’t be afraid to ask. Keep your head up and your hope alive!

Beto.