Hello All,

I want to thank everybody who sent Christmas greetings over the holidays as well as thank all who wrote me wonderful letters. I really enjoyed hearing about the Christmas ham and all the other wonderful traditional Swedish Christmas food. I know snow gets tiresome for folks at home, but I truly enjoyed all the cards and photos featuring that magical white stuff.

I celebrated the holidays with the women I have come to call my “family” here. We are a group of women who have come to know each other over the past 20+ years. We sang Christmas songs, played games, talked, laughed (a lot!) and shared some “homemade” food. Yes we do cook here even without stoves. We use what is called “immersion heaters” that you put in water to boil the water. Then we put another bowl in that hot water and “cook” our food. We had homemade tamales, spaghetti, nachos, a variety of rice dishes and coffee. There were about 50 of us all together.

In bringing a new year, I look forward with hope for what the future may bring and gratitude for what the year past has given me. While this is not an easy place sometimes, the blessings and joys in my life far outweigh the negatives. I consider myself very rich indeed. I have friends and family who love and care about me, both out there and in here; I have a warm, dry bed and room and some small comforts. There are many homeless and others suffering a variety of hardships out there who are not as blessed as I. This keeps things in perspective for me. Which is not to say it is all joy and happiness all the time, let’s be real - I get down and depressed and very tired of it all sometimes. Those times don’t last too long though and I know that eventually I WILL walk on my native soil once again.

Sometime during the first half of the year, I anticipate appearing before the Board of Prison Terms for review of my bid for a parole date and transfer home. I am cautiously optimistic about this hearing. I must show them that I am not a danger to society, that I have conducted myself correctly in here, have availed myself of all programs geared towards change and understanding of what led me here, as well as built my skills towards a job or “vocation” as they call it. To the best of my ability, I have done all of those things, and now we will just have to wait and see. Something else the Board looks at is the support on the outside the prisoner has. To this end, any letters in support of my parole or transfer can help. They should be addressed to:

Pam Clark, C & P R
California Institution for Women
16756 Chino Corona Road
Corona, CA 92880-9508
USA

Or, see the sample letter on this site and sign and mail or fax it back to Pam Clark.

On other fronts, I am currently going to school to learn graphic arts and printing. I am learning to lay out newspapers and various ads for magazines, and other medias. I am working on a computer program called Photoshop, which I really enjoy. I love all the things having to do with computers and technology and look forward to the day I will be able to experience the Internet!!! I have also learned to run several different printing presses, shoot negatives and develop them as well as various other aspects of the printing/graphics process. I enjoy learning new things.

I am also very much involved in the programs here that deal with helping women deal with various addictions. Spiritually, that is my greatest satisfaction. To see the light of hope in an addict’s eyes is the greatest gift I could possibly get.

Another program I am involved in that gives me great happiness and satisfaction is the Prison Puppy Program. Through this program, a group of women, including myself, train dogs as service animals for people in the local community with various disabilities. Many are in wheelchairs and these dogs will be their living “assistants”. Their training includes basics such as sit, down, stay etc., but they are also trained in very difficult and specific tasks such as retrieving items and bringing them to their person, turning lights off and on, how to behave in restaurants and public places etc. It is a rewarding and challenging task. The dogs actually live with the women (2 women and a dog in an 8x11 foot cell is in itself a challenge!) for a period of anywhere from 6 months to almost 2 years. I participate as a “puppy sitter” and take the dogs when their trainers are busy or have to go somewhere within the prison the dogs cannot go. In that way I get to play “grandma” and have time with the pups and then send them home to “mama” like any good grandmother! These dogs are just a joy. We attend classes once a week to learn how to train the dogs. Having participated in this training for almost 2 years now, I can say that I will never look at a dog the same again. I have learned how to read body language, barks, wags, etc., as well as hot to “communicate” with the dogs to convey what it is I want them to do. It is truly a wonderful cooperative effort between the community and the prison and prisoners that flows both directions.

That’s about all the updates I have to share. I want to make sure, once again to thank all of you for the wonderful cards and letters. They always bring me a smile and give me strength and courage to keep moving forward. I am a terrible letter writer so I apologize to all who have not received a response, but want you to know that I am deeply grateful for all the support you give and the prayers and positive thoughts you send my way.

With much gratitude…