Prison Living Magazine’s
Founder - Michele Millikan

The conception of PLM was quite simple. I’ve always liked magazines and I love people. It was a favorite pastime of mine to grab a good magazine, a friend and spend an afternoon in a coffee shop. One day, while looking through a magazine and talking with my cellie, we realized we could not apply most of the articles to our unique lifestyles. We also wondered how all us prisoners could find all the available resources in the free world.

It took more than two years of brainstorming, designing, researching and redesigning to create the first issue of Prison Living Magazine. I also must give credit where it’s due – to all those who originally met to discuss its potential and, now, to those who work full time birthing these suitable issues. Great job!

Before coming to prison, I had experience in desktop layout and graphics, plus I grew up in a home of counselors who were always helping others, so PLM is a perfect match for me. It is my desire to someday become more involved with the magazine once I leave this place. I was given the privilege of taking a few of the PLM staff members on a tour of the prison grounds where I live. I believe it was a great experience for them to see the prison cells, the school rooms, the recreation area, etc. It gave them a better understanding of our confined lifestyle and a more accurate view of prison living as they develop each issue.

I don’t want to look back on my years of incarceration and see that I wasted that time with a negative attitude. I’ll humbly admit, I still have moments and even days of despair, but through the learned discipline of prayer and speaking truth to my soul, I always know God will eventually free me from this darkness. This has been, and continues to be, a life-changing (for the good) and horrendous experience for me. I desire to scream from the mountaintop to everyone to think twice about their situation or choices if they’ve headed in this direction. They might reconsider their course of life. I am grateful that PLM has become a voice for many that otherwise may never have been heard. It continues to be my desire that the stories in PLM will reach deep into each reader’s heart. I want it to inspire you to better days, not just entertain you in your idle time.

Thank you for all your letters of endorsement and encouragement. So many of you have thanked me, so let me take this opportunity on behalf of all of the staff to say, “You are welcome.”

I only shared an idea I had with someone else and the ball started rolling. Now, it’s your turn. We can’t just stay in our facilities and our guilt or we’ll slowly sink in the quicksand of our mistakes. You are not your mistake! I know the world and our surroundings impose guilt and disgust on us everyday. I feel it too, but after we sincerely repent before the Lord and go through the process of Godly sorrow, we must chose to walk in our complete forgiveness from our heavenly Father – today, tomorrow and everyday. It is finished! Even though we continue to serve our sentences. No matter how small or large you think your idea is, let God use you, too, by speaking out and using your heart, gifts and resources to bless others. You might think, “Nothing will ever happen.” Well, let me tell you that when I received the first issue of Prison Living Magazine and I was holding it in my hands, tears were streaming down my cheeks because I thought this could never really happen. Not everything will succeed, but you must open the doors for opportunity. It will always come back full circle and bless you, as I have been by the testimonies we’ve received from our readers. God bless you in all you do as we reach out and help each other.