Support and Caring

I saw something on Facebook a couple days ago that started a conversation, and I haven't been able to get the whole thing out of my head since.
Recently a young lady was sentenced to a very long time in prison. A very controversial case and much hate toward her from the community... but the community doesn't know the person. A friend of mine knows the person she was prior to her crime, prior to her life being turned upside down.
Support is so vital to people like her surviving the prison experience. I told her to write her, remind her that she is still worth something and cared about.
During my time in prison I lost everyone. My mother sent me occasional letters with photos of my kids, I got a card from my aunt, and I had one friend who, after about half my time there, started writing me on a regular basis. One person. I was not a bad person. But when no one reaches out, no one tells you that you are loved or valued, you truly feel hopeless and worthless and wonder if your life even matters.
Too many people look at the fact that you are in prison, you committed a crime. No one sees the amazing mom you were prior to this, no one sees the suffering you endured and survived for years of your life, no one sees the help and support you gave others for most of your life, no one remembers the good times- they see that a court of law put you in prison.
It took me a long time to care about myself while there. I was hurt, I felt like maybe I did deserve to be where I was... for longer than even the system wanted me there. No one cared about me, no one cared where I was or how I was or what was happening to me. I was emotionally destroyed.
This young lady is barely an adult by legal standards. She had a very difficult childhood, she was a sweet but confused girl just trying to find love and acceptance in a world that showed her everything but. And she has now been abandoned by society, by most who ever would have given her a chance. I begged my friend to write to her! She spoke of this girl as if she truly cares about her and how she is doing. Until you have actually been on that side of the fence- you have no idea how vital that little bit of support can be to your overall success.
Some of you might think "what kind of success can you have locked up in prison marked as a killer?" If she remains in the frame of mind she is in, constantly being put down- she will self destruct. If she has support, she can find herself! she can make progress and understand why she made the choices she did and how they were the wrong choices. She can learn how to make better decisions in life, and most importantly- she can believe in herself if she knows that others believe in her.
I saw and got to know so many ladies who had started out just like her. No one to support them, never hearing their names at mail call, never getting visits. Girls who would return to prison after getting out because there was no one who believed they were worth anything. These girl self destruct when locked up. They don't care about themselves, they don't care about others... because no one cares about them. They may not have started out violent, but become that way, they may not have started out hateful, but become that way too... because nothing matters. Wouldn't you be hateful too, if no one ever called or stopped by to see you? It hurts.
What Im getting at here, isn't forgive and forget. She broke the law, so did I. But if you care about someone, put the anger of what they did aside, reach out and support them. Let them know you care, let them know they can get past this and be strong. Give them hope of a future!
We all make mistakes in life, well, personally I don't believe in mistakes, but we all make choices that aren't the best. If you walk away from everyone in your life who makes a questionable choice- who are you left with? that would leave you alone! Don't be judgmental, let the court do that, let God do that. If you are a Christian, you have been taught not to judge and to love everyone, right? 
And where would we all be without support from others? Did your friends support your career choices? Family support you thru rough times? why should this kind of situation be different?
I don't know this girl personally. I know what happened to land her in prison- it was highly publicized. I am not ok with what she did or what she was involved in. But I do, to some level, understand her involvement. I hate what happened, but how can I hate a person I don't know? But that isn't my topic, maybe I'll write about hate another day.
Just please, support the people you care about! No matter what they are going thru! You have no idea their struggles, but inside I'm sure you realize they need you.
Thank you Tami, for your inside view of this girl, it opened my eyes and reminded me of the reality and the fact that felons are people! She's not just some girl that did something bad who needs to be locked up... she is a girl with a story, with feelings, a girl who needs help and love.