<p>Good for him and good for you for asking.</p>
<p>Perhaps he wanted to make visiting less burdensome to you and a more frequent event. Or even just knowing he is closer to home may be a comfort to him. I hope the time flies by until he is back with his family.</p>
<p>I’m glad to hear you have a contact who can help you navigate this process. It sounds like your son knew the right questions to ask so that he can be closer to home. That might outweigh the reputation of the place. </p>
<p>A word of caution about visiting-most places have very specific hours or even certain days only for specific inmates-the website would spell this out for you most likely. My H just toured our local county prison for work and there are also rules about what you can bring in, and even what to wear (not that it applied to him, but no low-cut tops for women at the one he toured, for example).</p>
<p>Hope you get to see your son soon.</p>
<p>It’s very good to hear that your son has a social worker who’s also somewhat accessible to you. I bet proximity to home guided your son’s choice. I am hoping that, as your son settles in and you become more familiar with the routine and the bureaucracy involved, your worries will be eased.</p>
<p>I doubt very seriously it’s helpful to point out fauxmaven’s son’s learning or lack of learning lessons to fauxmaven. It’s not like she can fix the problem.</p>
<p>It’s only hurtful to do so. I imagine she has hurt quite enough.</p>
<p>Fauxmaven - hugs to you, and prayers.</p>
<p>Very well put, cromette. I was thinking the very same thing. </p>
<p>Hope you are feeling a bit better Fauxmaven!</p>
<p>I am quite confused. Was this two threads originally? I responded to the stranger and stranger thread, thinking it was good news. Then I found the original thread about it being the worst prison. I guess my response looks odd now.</p>
<p>Hope you are able to stay busy with something. You’re a good mother!</p>
<p>fauxmaven - thinking of you and sending hugs. Your son sounds like an amazing young man for requesting a location close to home…he knew this would be hard on you and is trying anyway he can to make your life easier.</p>
<p>Hugs to you, keep up the great spirit that you have exhibited so far.</p>
<p>I’m so sorry to hear this, Fauxmaven. I don’t have very much advice to add except do NOT get your cues and assumptions from TV. Make sure to find a healthy support group that can help you navigate these muddy waters. God speed.</p>
<p>Fauxmaven, i hope you have a good chat with your dear son today! I hope it puts your mind at ease a bit. I’ll be thinking of you.</p>
<p>I have no advice on the subject, but as a mom, my heart goes out to you. May God bless you and your son and get you through this difficult time.</p>
<p>Thinking of you today, and hoping that you will speak with your son. I am sorry for all that you are going through, but continue to reach out and stay strong. Please keep us updated!</p>
<p>no advice here either. Just hope you will keep the spirit up. Two years is not a long time, I can not believe one of the active thread on CC I follow is 3 years old and with 35K postings.</p>
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<p>Visits is one of the most valuable things you can do. Prisons life can get very boring.</p>
<p>I called to see if I could volunteer at this prison, but having an inmate son is a “conflict of interest” ? Really?</p>
<p>fauxmaven, you are going to have to let go a bit. This is his punishment for his illegal act. You can visit, but other than that you cannot influence his punishment. </p>
<p>Volunteering would not make it better for him. It would only increase your frustration.</p>
<p>Prisons have to keep very tight regulations about who is there. Family is a huge no no when it comes to working with or volunteering in a prison. They have to think first and foremost about the safety of the officers in the jail. It makes prefect sense. </p>
<p>See him when you can. Write to him. Two years will go by quicker if you try to find hobbies or support groups.</p>
<p>The most important thing you can do is to keep things going well at home in terms of the rest of the family’s well being. The better things are when he is released, the more everyone can do to help him reassimilate. I’m sure your DH and other kids are hurting too, as it 's a huge strain on the whole family when one member is in trouble. I know that it was a really rough time for all of my other kids when one was ill, and all of the attention was on him. Hugs to all of your other children, as I know this is hard for them too.</p>
<p>I know it doesn’t seem fair to you…but yes, it is a conflict of interest. If you think about ALL the possibilities, I know you will understand. This is prison, there are bad people there. What if one of them tries to get to your son by doing something horrible to you? Or vice versa, what if someone asks you to smuggle something in or they’ll hurt your son? And they don’t know you…there are parents who smuggle things in for their kids on visiting day…imagine if the same parent were there every day as a volunteer. They will not put a person in a prison where a relative works, and they will not let someone work in a prison where a relative is incarcerated. Why should they? It’s just asking for trouble. I know it has to be so very hard…but this is where he has to be a grown-up, and you just have to be a loving, visiting, supportive mom, and that’s all.</p>