Letter in support of Lorne

January 29, 2011
Letter of Support
Lorne Richardson
Inmate # 64899, Nevada State Prison

To Whom It May Concern:
I am writing this letter of support on behalf of Lorne Richardson, 64899, an inmate currently incarcerated at Nevada State Prison, Carson City, NV.
Before I tell you about Mr. Richardson, I would like to tell you a little about me.  My name is Erika Flavin.  I have a Masters Degree in Management with an emphasis in Human Resource Management and am currently on track to complete another Masters Degree in Adult Education and Training in May 2011.  I have worked in the field of Human Resources/Occupational Safety for over 10 years and currently employed as Training and Safety Manager for a protein beverage manufacturer located in Whitehall, PA, just outside of Allentown. 
I am also a High Priestess in The Rainbow Under the Moon Tradition and co-founder of Sacred Circle Clan, a group of earth based religious practitioners.  I have been involved in prison ministry, either in person or via mail with inmates since 2004.  It was in this guise that I first encountered Mr. Richardson.  In 2004, at the request of my teacher, I initiated contact with the chaplain at Lovelock Correctional Center to assist in providing information and training for the inmates who are practitioners of earth based religions.  In late 2004 after my approval and background check cleared, I started weekly classes for inmates who were practitioners of earth-based religions.  Mr. Richardson was one of approximately 12 inmates that attended my classes on a consistent basis.  It did not take me long to realize that Mr. Richardson would become one of three star pupils.  He has a keen mind, a longing for finding his place in this world and was extremely introspective at that time.  All excellent qualities for someone who studies any earth based religion.  Mr. Richardson soaked up all the information that I had and hungrily asked for more.  Mr. Richardson was one of five students who eventually completed the first year of training and was elevated to second year status.  The expectation of all my second year students was that they assist the first year students in their studies.  This was a task that Mr. Richardson took very seriously and mentored several students through their classes while he was at Lovelock. 
Unfortunately, in early 2006, Mr. Richardson was transferred to Nevada State Prison and I was no longer able to have contact with him since I was still visiting the inmates currently incarcerated at Lovelock.  Volunteer rules prohibited me from being his spiritual counselor or having any other contact with him.  I worked with the inmates at Lovelock until October 2008 when I moved to Pennsylvania for family reasons.  I kept in touch with my students at Lovelock and when one of them was transferred in the summer of 2009 to Nevada State Prison, Mr. Richardson was given the opportunity to continue his studies with me and this has been the case since November 2009. 
In the process of getting to know each other all over again, I found that Mr. Richardson had been very busy, especially in the earth-based community at NSP.  He has held several leadership positions that have been of great benefit to those who practice this faith path.  It is my understanding that due in part to Mr. Richardson’s leadership, harmony has been maintained between all the earth based groups that practice at NSP and share common grounds.  Not an easy task when everyone feels they should have their own “space” for their spiritual practices and logistics dictate that a shared space is the best that can be done. 
In the intervening time that Mr. Richardson and I were not in contact with each other, Mr. Richardson kept up his studies of our faith.  Unlike the Abrahamic religions, our faith path does not have a deity that will grant us forgiveness.  We have ones who will grant us justice, mercy and show us compassion but none that will grant us forgiveness.  The person who was injured is the only one who can do that.  It was during this time of self-study that Mr. Richardson came to understand that he would never be granted forgiveness for his crime.  Mr. Richardson must bear that burden until he dies.   He will carry this burden as a required consequence of his actions and as our faith path dictates.  From the moment I met Mr. Richardson, I never got the sense that he could not understand the gravity of his crime or that he would go on to do something like this again.  I always had the sense that, in the blink of an eye, bad decisions were made and lives were changed forever and there was no turning back once that path was taken. 
In the time that I have known Mr. Richardson, even during the time when we could not communicate, he was never far from my mind.  He was an outstanding student and I was sad to see him transferred.  I was elated when he re-established contact with me.  Letter after letter flowed from him like a man who was hungry for “meatier” spiritual counseling than he had available to him.  I was happy to comply and over time, spiritual matters gave way to discussions of the more mundane aspects of his life behind bars. 
It was during this time that I discovered that I could no longer be Mr. Richardson’s spiritual advisor since we both felt a mutual and growing emotional attachment to each other.   So in addition to the brief biography about myself at the beginning, it is also important for you to know that I am also Mr. Richardson’s fiancĂ©e.  For the past 10 months, the depths of our feelings have grown immensely.  I have given you a bit of knowledge about Mr. Richardson, now I would like to tell you about Lorne
Lorne is a very driven individual.  I think that part of this comes from his high intelligence and his need to always keep his brain active.  The things that he is good at, computers, programming languages, web design, and statistical analysis will serve him well upon his release.  Certainly he would need to brush up on the changes in technology that have taken place since his incarceration, however this can all be remedied by classes at a local community college.  There is no doubt that within a few months of his release he would be able to find a gainful employment. 
Lorne is also a very kind and compassionate person.  I have a son who is currently overseas serving with the United States Marines.  I am not unlike any other parent who has a child serving in the military, I’m scared.  Despite his incarceration, he was the one encouraging me to be strong.  From time to time he will send me small gifts…for no reason other than he loves me.  I recognize what this may have cost him in being able to purchase extra food from the commissary or other items he may need as well.   He also helps facilitate the Alternative to Violence Program.  Taking this on is voluntary however, Lorne feels that if he can help others, then he will do what he can.  His continued participation in this program also allows him to keep those skills sharp and reinforces appropriate behaviors in himself. 
Lorne has a keen mind and other inmates look to him for guidance.  Lorne’s status as the head of his faith group means that he has to interact with the other earth-based groups on a regular basis to coordinate land use and to ensure that harmony is maintained.  His need for mental stimulation also means that he has participated in many programs in order to not only stimulate his mind, but to gain insight into his own behaviors and make the changes necessary changes in order to be successful while incarcerated but also upon release. 
Lorne is always looking for ways to increase his knowledge about himself.  I have always found him to be a very introspective person.  When I first met Lorne out at Lovelock Correctional Center, I asked him a question that I asked all my students; why do you want to study this faith?  Certainly, I got many of the typical responses one would expect like “I want to become a better person”, or “I want to live in harmony with my surroundings and the earth”.  Lorne’s response was an unabashed “I want to understand women”.  Of course, I had to chuckle since women are supposed to remain unknowable, that is part of our allure.  However at that point Lorne had two failed marriages behind him and he knew enough about himself to know that he had a role to play in the demise of those relationships.  Lorne wanted to make sure that should he ever get into another relationship, that he was sensitive to the needs of his partner.  Being that I am now the recipient of that insight into his own behavior, I can attest that he is indeed sensitive to my emotional needs and that he goes out of his way to ensure that he does not repeat those behaviors that helped break down his previous two marriages. 
While no one knows what the future holds for him or her, Lorne and I have made plans.  We understand that he will need not only emotional support upon his release from prison but financial support as well.  To that end, we have a five year plan in place.  I am committed to remain in my current employment position for the next five years.  As a manager in a growing company, I will have a wealth of experience under my belt to look for employment in Las Vegas in my chosen field of occupational safety and training.  My income, for someone with my educational background and job experience will be in the $60,000 to $70,000 range, if not higher.  With little personal debt, this will be adequate finances for Lorne and I to live on. Lorne will need to attend school to update all his computer skill credentials and I can assist in this expense along with his mother.   His mother and I are both committed to ensuring that Lorne is supported in any way he needs to be in order to be successful when he is released from prison. 
Thank you for taking the time to consider Lorne’s case.  I hope that I have adequately conveyed to the Board that Lorne is beloved by his family, has taken many steps to improve himself and that those of us who love him are willing to do whatever is necessary to ensure that he is successful in his life outside prison.

Sincerely,

Erika Flavin