In 2011, Will Leverett stabbed 54-year-old Melissa Millan as she jogged alone at night on a trail in Simsbury, Connecticut. The case went unsolved for over four years. Overcome with guilt and shame, Will confessed his crime, first to a good female friend of his, and then to some members of his church. Soon after, they walked with him to the police station, providing moral support as he confessed to the crime. Will, now a member of PenPals.Buzz, hopes to meet an understanding and open-minded pen pal who would be willing to write him letters and emails. He loves animals, the outdoors, and hopes to travel one day, after completing his 35-year sentence.
Later in the episode, we chat with Tennessee inmate Luis Paz. Luis, who has written blogs for PenPals.Buzz, explains why giving real support to an inmate has nothing to do with money. He also talks about ways to make genuine connections with your pen pal. Spoiler alert -- it doesn't involve love letters or romance. He reminds us all to stop sugarcoating, and to give inmates real-life goals and encouragement (not a pity party).
Camy Matthay co-founded Wisconsin Books to Prisoners in 2006. For 18 years, she and her team of dedicated volunteers have sent over 70,000 books...
Jason Kurtz, an incarcerated author at the Waupun Correctional Institution in Wisconsin, has written four highly praised books: Secrets to Wealth, Secrets to Wisdom,...
It was Easter, 2020. PenPals.Buzz member Colby Brookman was driving home from dinner at his mother-in-law's house, where he had been drinking. His wife,...
