One small voice can change the world!

So, here I am sitting at the computer really minding my own business when a little birdie tells me that my petition in support of allowing inmates at TDC to make calls to family outside of the US has been "noticed" by a radio station in Houston. Not only was it noticed, it was put on their home page and their Facebook page. Well after I went and checked it out here and here I decided I would write the Prison Show and thank them for the posts. Here is what I said to them:


My name is Kim and my husband is currently an inmate in TDC. I live in Canada and I am the woman who started the petition about allowing inmates of TDC to make international calls to their family outside of the USA. My husband is from Texas but the only family that he has is here in Canada. He is only allowed to call once every 3 months for 5 minutes and that is only if the warden approves.

I just wanted to take a minute to thank the Prison Show for posting the link to my petition on your Facebook page and on your Prison Show home page. I don't claim to know how many husbands and wives outside of the U.S. have spouses in TDCJ but I am sure I am not the only one so thank you for helping to draw attention to the plight of so many. My children and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts."

Thinking that would be the end of it, I closed up my email and carried on with my evening. Not 15 minutes later I received a response from the show's producer and host and here is what he said to me:

"Hi Kim!

The Prison Show, then under Ray Hill, fought hard to get the phone system into Texas prisons. It was one of the few states without this privelege. In the documentary on "Ray Hill's Texas Prison Show" entitled Citizen Provacateur there is even a segment regarding the battle to get the phones allowed as show volunteers testified before the State Legislature and played the voices of the children that called into the showw to talk to their Daddies, but their Daddies couldn't answer them. It was said by several of the legislators that that was key in their decisions to allow the phones.

Behind the scenes, we have toyed since the inception with a way for family and friends outside of the US to be able to connect. Unfortunately, the system can determine when a call has been forwarded, though not every time, it does happen, and then all calling priveleges are suspended.

We amazingly have listeners in some 25 countries, and foriegn calls into the show are not uncommon.

We think it is only fair that an inmate should be able to talk to their loved ones wherever they may live. As we took the call letters and sort of changed the meaning long ago, KPFT, in our opinion, stands for Keep Prison Families Together. The outside support is vital for someone to come through the prison experience and re-establish themselves on solid ground when it's over, or, for those with longer sentences, to maintain their sanity as they navigate the system. In our opinion, phone calls only help to improve unit security and control, and benefit any possibilities of recovery for those incarcerated.

Thank you for your petition. Keep it going. I will be glad to hand deliver it to Whitmire and Madden and lobby for it in the next legislative session if that's what it takes!

Best Wishes!

David

David Babb, Producer/Host

The Prison Show

KPFT 90.1 FM - Houston"

Well, I am not sure whether to laugh or cry. As I told David, when I started this petition a little over a week ago, I really didn't think much would come of it and now I have someone willing to hand deliver my petition to Legislators in Texas. My husband and I have always said "leave no stone unturned" and after this I can honestly say I haven't.

"Hi there,