Brian Tranmer
02683-017
Federal Correctional Institution
P.O. Box 5000
Pekin, IL 61555

July 12, 2001

Hello Carl,

        It's been awhile but we figured the schooling you informed us of is keeping you well occupied.
        Our life here has been going by pretty smooth, so far, considering the environment.  Of course, it's a daily struggle to maintain one's sanity and to stay away from confrontation with the vultures who are circling at all times.  This system has dramatically deteriorated since you remember, mostly all street hoodlums now.  Just to give you a little example of the animals we have to deal with on a daily basis.  The other day I was walking the track, in Rec, and this black guy was standing there with his cock in his hand (mind you, there's a female camp here and they can sometimes see the women doing landscape work outside the fence, where the black guys usually congregate for mating rituals) yelling at the women beyond the fence, "Come on, who wants to get down, who want to be my baby mama!?"
        On a brighter note, me and my papa have one of the few two-man rooms with a view.  About a month prior to me arriving here a couple of Mexicans successfully escaped so they have since sand blasted all the windows that look out over the perimeter of the fence, supposedly for security reasons.  Half of the two-man rooms have been turned into three-man abodes with another steel bed bolted to the already cramped room.  Now they're in the process, and almost finished with turning all the old TV rooms into 8- & 10-men bed rooms.  The TVs are now in the common area where three out of five are usually on BET (24 hour rap music) the entire day.
        I hope to finish out the last of my three years here with my father.  I expect to get six months halfway house as a readjustment period seeing how I've done so long in prison.  I'm still not sure where my best opportunities will be, so I'll have to play it by ear until then.  I was planning to go out to San Rafael, California where my good friends Timmy & Terry Orme (you might remembers them as neighbors of Nathan & Cynthia in Homestead, Florida?) live and have a business where they've offered me a job.  However, Timmy was just killed this last month, June 15th, on his motorcycle.  Just another sign of how fragile and unpredictable life can be.
        Now, to ask you for a favor if possible.  I would like a copy of the article I had sent you on Marty's co-defendant, who the Norwegian authorities gave asylum to.  I lost my copy!  Also, if by chance you have any old newspaper articles on the Coptic cases (including Maine, David in Massachusetts, or any around the country) through the years.
        Is there any way, through the Internet, where you would have access to old data, such as newspaper articles, on public library web sites?
        I hope this letter finds you in good health and bright spirits.
        Much Louv and Respect from us both,
        Your friend,

    Brian Tranmer
    02683-017
    Federal Correctional Institution
    P.O. Box 5000
    Pekin, IL 61555