Writing to Lori
It would raise Lori's spirits to receive letters, postcards, and/or photos from supporters. Please write, and ask others to write.
Teachers: A card, consisting of a folded sheet of paper with the signatures of all the students would be appreciated, and indicate to Lori how many people are thinking about her and are aware of her plight. One 7th grade class made beautiful cards for Lori.
Rules and Restrictions on Letters
The prison authorities require that letters respect certain rules.
- All letters are read by censors before Lori receives them.
- All writing is encouraged to be in Spanish, so that the prison guards can read it easily
- Writing in English is acceptable but it will take longer to reach Lori as all mail is censored and there are few guards who are literate in English. Please have patience as there will be delays.
- You should not discuss her case, anything political, nor any recent news item.
Mailing Information
Over the past several years, Lori has frequently been moved among prisons. Since there is no way of knowing how long she will be held at her current location, the best way for her to receive mail is through her parents. To have them deliver correspondence to Lori on their next visit, please send it to:
The Committee to Free Lori Berenson
320 E. 25 Street, #2AA
New York, NY 10010
You may write to Lori in prison directly but it may be delayed. Please send to:
Lori Berenson
Huacariz Prison
Cajamarca, Perú
Spanish Phrases
These are some Spanish phrases you may find useful in you letter to Lori.
- Querida Lori - Dear Lori
- Valor - Bravery
- Esperanza - Hope
- Buena suerte - Good luck
- Salud - Health
- Mis mejores deseos para ti - Best wishes
- Espero que estes gozando de buena salud - Wishing you good health
- Animo y buena suerte - Keep your spirits up
- Recibe mi sincera solidaridad - My sincere solidarity
- Te envio mis mas sinceros abrazos -I send you my warmest feelings
- Espero poder saludarte personalmente muy pronto - I very much hope to say hello to you personally
- Vaya con Dios - Go with God
- Me despido por el momento - Goodbye for now
- Atentamente - Sincerely yours
Free Translation Service
All letters to Lori must be written in Spanish If you don't know Spanish, you can use a free translation service available over the Internet.
- Read the restrictions on off-limit topics!
- Go to http://babelfish.altavista.com, and type your note to Lori in the space provided. Or, you can write your letter in your word processor, and then cut-and-paste the text directly into the area in your browser. (Please preface your message with a statement that it is a machine translation.)
- Select the appropriate translation (e.g. English to Spanish)
- Press the Translate button.
- Your message is 'automagically' translated!
- Cut-and-paste the translated text into your word processor (or Notepad, etc). To do this, highlight the text, then select Copy from your browser's Edit menu. Switch to your word processor, then select Paste from it's Edit menu.
- Print your letter.
- Send it to Lori. Mailing information is listed here.