On December 26th, 2024, three letters were sent to incarcerated women serving time in prison.

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In the letters I shared the story of losing Erika to fentanyl poisoning in 2023. I explained how we used to write back and forth in 2017 when she spent time in jail. Those 7 letters are sacred to me now and continue to help me feel connected to my daughter.

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Erika told me how excited she was when she heard her name at mail call and how writing me seemed to her like we were talking together. I thought this experience might be beneficial for me in my healing process and provide some comfort for people in prison who may need a new connection with the outside world and a place to express their grief.

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On March 24th, 2025 a woman who has been in prison since 2012 responded to my letter which had the following questions:

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What losses in life have brought feelings of grief? What comes to mind when you think of grief?

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On April 15th, 2025 I received her letter back and here is some of what she shared:

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“I lost my son on December 29th, 2024. He was 28 years old, handicap and had a lot of health problems. His heart stopped, that’s what they told me. So yes, I am going through it. It’s hard to grieve in here.”

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I am not certain but it may be that the last time she saw her son was 13 years ago, when he was just 15. I felt some sadness and frustration come through in her letter, along with hope, faith, prayers and hugs. I responded a few days later, letting her know more about Erika, my life & the Art of Grief program and asked if she would be open to share some fond memories or funny stories about her son.

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She ended the letter saying “My plan when I get out is I want to go to a new place where no one knows me, start over, start a new life.”

 

If you would like to participate in this project in the future please write to: AOG Prison Letter Project PO Box 881 Springfield, OR 97477 or message us through the contact form