Sam was a good kid. He played on his high school football team, always made the honor roll and took good care of his younger brother, Todd while their loving mother worked hard as a waitress down the street. Every Thursday after Tood watched is older brother's football practice with pride, Sam, Todd and their mother, Jenny, would sit in the same booth at the diner where Jenny worked, all three would order the house specialty, a cheeseburger, and they would sit around the table and tell stories about their week and tell jokes and laugh with each other for hours. It was the one day a week Todd got to stay up past his bedtime, Jenny thought it was well worth it to have the kind of quality family time they did.

A few months before graduation, Sam was invited by his wealthy friends to go with them to Las Vegas to celebrate their graduation. It was to be supervised by one of Sam's friends' father. That Thursday at the table, he asked his mom if he could go. After a long back and forth of worry and assurance, Jenny finally agreed, reluctantly.

Sam was so excited, he couldn't wait. He counted down the days and finally the time came to get in the car with his friends and go. He gave his mom a big hug, told her he loved her and he would see her soon.

A few hours later, the boys checked into their hotel room, excited. Immediately Sam's friend's father hit the casino. The boys ran out to explore the hotel and pool. Sam and two of his friends decided to go for a swim, and their other two went to go see what shows were playing over the weekend.

After his swim, Sam toweled off and the boys went upstairs to hit the showers. Their other two friends were already there and they seemed out of sorts and the room was extremely smoky. One of them, Craig, pulled out a bag of marijuana and offered it to Sam. Sam shook his head and said no. The boys all partook in smoking marijuana and the room became smokier and smokier. Sam just watched and laughed at his friends as they got weirder and weirder. All of a sudden there was a bang on the door. The boys became paranoid and told Sam not to answer it. Another bang, "Las Vegas Police! Open Up!" Sam panicked and knew he had to open the door. He did and in burst 2 police officers and the hotel manager. Within minutes all the boys, Sam included, were in cuffs and being hauled out of the hotel.

Sam was beside himself, but kept telling himself that he didn't smoke any marijuana so he would be ok. They would realize this once they got to the police station and everything would be ok. He could call his mom, and go home.

Sam was wrong.

Sam was eventually convicted of possession and in the state of Nevada, this carries a penalty of 1-4 years in prison and a $5000 fine. Sam was sentenced to 4 years, the maximum penalty. Because he had just turned 18 at sentencing, he was sent to an adult prison.

His mother had to somehow come up with a $5000 payment for his fine. So she sold her car. This was especially awful for Jenny, because this meant she couldn't drive to visit Sam on visiting days anymore. She told him, the last time she went to visit, that it would be ok, he could call her and they could talk on the phone instead.

When she got back home from Nevada after the whole ordeal, and Sam was sent to his adult prison, he called her. They talked for the 15 minutes they were allowed and promised to talk again the next day. Sam called again, every day for a month.

After that month, Jenny got her phone bill and was shocked. It was over $700! That was more than her rent! She called the phone company and found out that each call her son had made to her cost her $20. Her heart sunk. Now she knew they wouldn't even have the calls. She knew she wouldn't be able to pay her phone bill and rent in the same month and eventually her phone was cut off. She worked double shifts to try and get it back but couldn't make that amount of money. In the meantime, little Todd was now without his big brother whom he adored, and his mother, who was working so hard she was never at home.

Back in Nevada, as every Thursday passed, Sam's heart grew heavier. He was having a hard time in prison as is. He became angry and lashed out at people, winning himself time in the hole repeatedly. Finally, on his little brother's birthday he thought he might try his Mom's old phone number once again just to see, because he couldn't bear the thought of Todd not hearing from him on his birthday. Sam dialed, and he got the same message "This number is out of service". Sam felt like crying but in prison you can't cry or you will be harassed. As he was walking back to his cell, someone bumped into him and swore at him and Sam lost it. The fight lasted only a few minutes as his opponent was twice his size. Sam was carted off to the infirmary, where he died a few hours later.

Jenny got the call at work and became hysterical. Later, when Todd found out, he was inconsolable. Their beautiful family had been destroyed.

This story uses fictional characters and events but has happened more often than you know. There are 2.3 million people in prison in the USA, an estimated half of that are non-violent offenders. There exists, in reality, over 1 million people like Sam in lock-up.

Please, please help us to put a stop to the destruction of poor families with loved ones in prison for non-violent offenses. Sign the petition to lower the cost of calls from prison, now: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/3/lower-the-cost-of-calls-from-prison

and forward this to as many people as you possibly can.

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