We’d like to invite you to join the BZC County Jail Pen Pal Program, a new project emerging out of the BZC anti-racism committee, initiated by Preston Evers, Penelope Thompson, and Laurie Senauke.
The BZC County Jail Pen Pal Program will connect BZC participants with incarcerated people in the Alameda county jail who are looking for friendship. The program will also provide a network of support, a listening ear, and a sounding board for BZC participants.
The main purpose of the correspondence will be to build bonds with our incarcerated community members, offer emotional/spiritual support, and learn about life inside the county jail. While pen pal relationships with incarcerated people can be beautiful and illuminating, they can also be upsetting and confusing, as jails and prisons are concentrated sites of oppression, deprivation, and trauma, so BZC participants will regularly meet as a group to process their experiences and seek guidance from one another. Though not a requirement for participation, BZC members will also have the opportunity to join an ecosystem of individuals and organizations advocating on behalf of loved ones incarcerated in Santa Rita. The project will have its own P.O. Box for receiving letters.
See details here: County Jail Pen Pal Program for more information about the Program. If you’re interested in joining this project or have any questions, contact Preston at prestonevers13@gmail.com.