California Prison Letters of Stephen W. Winter

box 1, folder 1

Letter from Stephen W. Winter to his parents April 18, 1965

Scope and Contents

Stephen writes to his mother Helen and father Andreas, expressing excitement that he is 15 days away from seeing them. At the time of writing the letter, Stephen had just finished 8 weeks of mess hall duty. His parents are visiting from their hometown of San Antonio, TX to see him graduate as U.S.M.C. Private First Class on May 4th. (April 18. 1965 indicates the day letter was stamped at the post office)

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Letter from Helen Winter to Stephen W. Winter June 10, 1965

Scope and Contents

Helen writes to her son Stephen, as she is excited that he will be arriving in San Antonio in 3 days. She is preparing for his arrival by charging his razor and preparing his clothes. She normally writes to update him with news from back home, but expresses that this time the most important news is that he will be coming home. Stephen's address according to the envelope is Camp Pendleton in Southern CA.

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Letters from Stephen W. Winter to his parents October 1965 - November 1966

Physical Description: 8 items

Scope and Contents

This group of 8 letters was written from Stephen to his parents between October 1964 and November 1966. In the first letter, Stephen angrily reacts to news that a man from his old neighborhood was killed by a person of Asian descent. Stephen writes about potential career paths, living in San Diego, and purchasing a new car. After January 1966, the next letter on record is written in October 1966 where Stephen writes about his love for a girl named Gaylynn who he plans to marry when he leaves the "green machine" (Marine Corps). The very next month in November 1966, Stephen then writes that he's recently met a new girl named Beverly and is happy to have hit it off with her.

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Letter from Gaylynn Duncan to Stephen W. Winter December 16, 1965

Scope and Contents

This letter is written by love interest Gaylynn Duncan expressing her love and admiration for 'Steve'. She misses him dearly and hopes to see him in San Antonio during her holiday break from school. She is in Corpus Christy, TX. but hopes to see him before he returns to California. Date recorded is the date stamped on the letter's envelope.

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Collection of manuscript poems by Stephen W. Winter October 18, 1966

Scope and Contents

This envelope was addressed from Stephen to his mother and contains 7 pages of poems Stephen wrote under the pen name Elonso Fantane.

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Letter from Stephen W. Winter to his parents October 24, 1966

Scope and Contents

This particular letter stands out because Stephen is speaking relatively incoherently. He says that it's not long until he faces the "most nerve racking" experience of his life but does not elaborate on what that might be. He says he's had feelings that something dangerous will happen to the President of the United States. He states he's worried and would "get it over with" if he could. Letter's envelope is stamped October 24,1966.

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Court Testimony from Stephen W. Winter December 11, 1966

Scope and Contents

In a letter to his parents, Stephen adds a copy of his testimony from the court hearing after his arrest. This is the first instance where his arrest is mentioned. In the letter, Stephen tells his parents that he does not know what will happen to him, but expresses that he's getting so annoyed that he does not care. The date listed above, 12-11-1966, is the date on the letter's envelope and may not be the date of his court hearing.

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Letter from Stephen W. Winter to his parents from San Diego County Jail January 28, 1967

Scope and Contents

This letter is the the only letter in the collection that Stephen sent from San Diego County Jail. He expresses that he has over 30 days before being sent to Chino (CA Institution for Men). He believes that Chino will change him, but he does not know if it will be for better or worse.

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Letter from Helen Winter to Stephen W. Winter January 28, 1967

Scope and Contents

In this letter from Helen to her son Stephen, she tells him that she has received all of his previous letters including the ones sent to Betty. She is happy that Stephen is reading the Bible and consoles him for breaking down and crying in a previous letter. She ends the letter expressing her belief in his innocence.

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Letters from Stephen W. Winter to his parents February 1967

Physical Description: 6 items

Scope and Contents

This collection of 6 letters were written by Stephen to his parents throughout February 1967. These letters mark the first record in this collection written from the California Institution for Men in Chino, CA. Throughout these letters, Stephen writes about his budget management in prison, girls from his past, and letters received from his lawyer, Howard A. Muhleman, and an old superior in the Marines, Major Bond.

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Letter from Howard A. Muhleman to Helen Winter March 14, 1967

Scope and Contents

Howard A. Muhleman, Stephen's lawyer from Hoy, Adams, and Muhleman law firm in San Diego, expresses to Helen Winter that he does not yet know Stephen's next court date. He plans to get some things to Stephen if Helen wishes to send any.

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Letters from Stephen W. Winter to his parents March 19-20, 1967

Physical Description: 2 items

Scope and Contents

In 2 letters written on March 19 and 20, Stephen writes to his parents with updates. He is 2 weeks away from his next court hearing and hopes that Judge Abernathy grants him probation. He knows he does not want to stay in the service as that is not what he has been "looking for in life", and instead Stephen intends to get a college degree. It all depends on if the Marines will discharge him, so Stephen asks his parents to contact Major Bond at El Toro Marine Base for discharge information.

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Letter from Chaplain Robert D. Youmans to Stephen W. Winter's parents April 19, 1967

Scope and Contents

Chaplain of the San Diego County Jail, Robert D. Youmans, writes to update and reassure Stephen's parents of the situation. Stephen is in good health but disappointed with the court proceedings and plans to appeal. Youmans claims that the facilities at the jail are all high quality and he believes Stephen will mature and "find meaning and purpose in life". Letter also indicates that Stephen W. Winter's inmate number is #302148.

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Letters from Stephen W. Winter to his parents June- July, 1967

Physical Description: 3 items

Scope and Contents

This set of 3 letters is the first record from Stephen written at the Deuel Vocational Institution near Tracy in San Joaquin County, CA. In these letters, Stephen writes about the various books he has been studying about language and sciences. He lets his parents know that he has officially been assigned to stay at Deuel for the duration of his sentence. Stephen has also been assigned to be the Physical Training Coach of the guidance center.

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Letters from Stephen W. Winter to his parents August 1967

Physical Description: 6 items

Scope and Contents

This set of 6 letters are all from Stephen to his parents. One of Stephen's priorities is getting his parents to contact one of his old friends, Carla Larson from Tustin, CA, who has his belongings from El Toro. Carla is willing to mail them wherever Stephen wants them. In prison, Stephen has become a baker's apprentice and has spent 105 hours over 3 weeks in that practice. On August 25th, Stephen inquires about people from his past: Lee Ann, Charlie, Tommi, and [Jean]. He also seems frustrated in that same letter because he does not want people to know he is in prison, and demands an exact list of people who know where he is.

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Letter from Stephen W. Winter to his parents August 30, 1967

Scope and Contents

In this letter to his parents, Stephen seems to be reaching his breaking point. He begins by saying that it is not bad in there if you have no family, but quickly turns to expressing his true emotions. He has given up faith and all he does now is worry because he believes that having hope doesn't change your situation. He goes into a description of how prison eventually breaks people down. Presumably, Betty has recently been to visit him.

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Letters from Stephen W. Winter to his parents September 1967

Physical Description: 8 items

Scope and Contents

There are 8 letters from Stephen to his parents dated in the month of September 1967.He reminisces about all the good things he's had going for him in life. Stephen knows he'll have a board meeting soon but does not want to get his hopes up and instead expects to recieve another year before being able to re-apply for parole. Stephen finds out that one of his parents needs a hearing aid and have been tight on money, leading him to feel bad for all the money his parents have sent him while in prison. Just days after finding out, he then asks his parents to send him $20 for a guitar he's been wanting.

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Letters from Stephen W. Winter to his parents October - November 1967

Physical Description: 9 items

Scope and Contents

This set of 9 letters was written between October 12 and November 29 of 1967. Stephen finally recieved word from the Marine Corps as a Captain Golden has informed Stephen that he is getting an "Undesirable Discharge". In late October, Stephen also recieved the guitar he ordered and expresses that playing it has helped improve his "oppressive moods of anxiety" he sometimes has. Stephen knows he has a board meeting in late November and wants to have a career plan ready for the meeting, but is still preparing himself to recieve another year delay before the next meeting. On November 29, Stephen writes to his parents that he is very happy and thankful that the M.R.(Member and Representative) Board meeting went well as they only delayed his next meeting by 3 months. In March he'll revisit the board and expects a date of release from prison.

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General Letter from Prison Warden November 1, 1967

Scope and Contents

The letter was typed on November 1, 1967 but mailed weeks later as the envelope is stamped on November 20. It is a general letter meant for prisoners to send to their mail recipients regarding the upcoming Christmas gift policy. It goes into detail on the types of gifts prisoners are allowed to recieve, and the exact amounts they can recieve. Also provided are details on how to send the gifts.

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Letter from Stephen W. Winter to his parents November 16, 1967

Scope and Contents

This letter from Stephen to his parents has a different tone than the previous letters. It does not seem that he is updating his parents with information as much as it seems that he is speaking to himself and reflecting on the growth he's made as a person. Stephen emphasizes maturity, trust, and the connection between these two things being the reason for him being in prison now. Stephen expresses that being immature made him trust the wrong people, but now with maturity he shouldn't trust anyone. Stephen emphasizes that he does not see this thought process as pessimistic.

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Letters from Stephen W. Winter to his parents December 1967

Physical Description: 4 items

Scope and Contents

This collection has 4 letters dated in December 1967, from Stephen to his parents. Stephen is primarily updating his parents with his expectations for the next board meeting in March. He is introspective about his past experiences and how meeting different people has changed him over time. In the last letter of this set, Stephen thanks his parents for sending the Christmas package earlier in the month and asks them to find out about Charlie, Lee Ann, and most importantly his "darling" [Lanna].

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Letters from Stephen W. Winter to his parents January - February 1968

Physical Description: 8 items

Scope and Contents

This set of 8 letters ranges in dates from early January to late February of 1968. In these letters to his parents, a recurring topic is his board meeting scheduled to be in early February. He transitions from having lots of faith in God and being ready for the meeting, to admitting that it is very hard to keep faith in religion when facing reality. In mid February he gets a concerning letter from a finance manager in Kansas City, MO to which Stephen owes money. The finance manager isn't fully aware of Stephen's situation so Stephen asks his parents to contact the manager and postpone his debt until after prison. Stephen's board meeting did not go as planned and he was given another year delay before his next board meeting, meaning he won't be going home for at least a year.

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Letter from Stephen W. Winter to his parents February 6, 1968

Scope and Contents

Stephen writes that he had lost hope of meeting the board with a clean record, as he spent 24 hours "in the hole". He does not give detail as to what happened, but tells his parents that maybe one day he will tell them. Luckily for Stephen, he was not found guilty of the incident and his record remains clean. Other than the board meeting, Stephen notes that he has gotten into a coffee drinking habit. He drinks so much that any deviation from his daily routine can cause anger or depression.

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Letters from Stephen W. Winter to his parents March 1968

Physical Description: 7 items

Scope and Contents

This set of 7 letters were written in March 1968. Throughout the month, one of Stephen's most pressing priorities, mentioned in 4 of 6 letters, is the fact that he needs his parents to send him money for new guitar strings. Early in the month, Stephen expresses a lot of enthusiasm for college courses in prison and obtaining a college degree when released. That enthusiasm quickly fades away. He reminisces about girls from his past that he misses: Linda, Carrie, and Gaylynn. In a letter from late March, he insults and berates his mother for suggesting that he give away some of his money.

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Letters from Stephen W. Winter to his parents April 1968

Physical Description: 6 items

Scope and Contents

In this set of 6 letters written in April 1968, Stephen consistently talks to his parents about his guitar and a new passion/hobby he has taken on, body building. Several of the letters go into detail about his routine lifting weights, his diet, and his physique. The only letter that does not mention that is from April 17, where he instead mentions a girl named [Hannah]. She seems to be a younger sister as he expresses that he wants to check up on her before he dies but does not want [Hannah] to know she ever had a brother. Stephen also decides he wants a girlfriend and inquires about a girl named Connie and a girl named Sharon Baker.

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Letter from JB to Stephen W. Winter's parents May 6, 1968

Scope and Contents

In this letter, a man named J.B. expresses that he is really good friends with Stephen and knows him from his time in Tracy. He is 21 years old and was originally arrested for DUI. J.B. is sorry to hear that Stephen's board meeting did not go so well but hopes to see him in 1969. J.B. owns a landscaping business and used to work with Stephen in the bakery.

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Letters from Stephen W. Winter to his parents May - August 1968

Physical Description: 6 items

Scope and Contents

From May through August of 1968 there are only 6 letters from Stephen to his parents. Significantly less than previous months. In May, Stephen expresses that he does not believe that "Hellfire" is worse than prison as it has changed him physically, mentally, and spiritually. Also in May, Stephen received his typewriter from his parents and the letters going forward begin to be typed instead of handwritten. There are no letters dated in June 1968, as Stephen explains in a letter written in July, the prison was on a 40 day "deadlock" where everyone and everything was shut down. In letters from August 1968, Stephen primarily speaks about women he is interested in and his career plans after prison. However, there is one exception where he receives updates about old friends.

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Letters from Stephen W. Winter to his parents September - October 1968

Physical Description: 4 items

Scope and Contents

This set of 4 letters ranges from September to October. In these letters to his parents, Stephen mentions his physique, his plans after prison, and also mentions specific details about the area in Los Angeles, CA where he once lived. One letter stand out in October where he mentions the writings he's done while in prison and encourages his parents to listen to a song by Porter Wagner called "Soul of a Convict". Stephen believes that song perfectly summarizes his experience in prison and should answer any questions they might have.

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Letter from Stephen W. Winter to his parents September 12, 1968

Scope and Contents

In this letter to his parents, Stephen begins by saying that he must admit his sins. Stephen consideres himself psychotic and makes several statements regarding the United States justice system and its politicians. He mentions the night of his arrest and still claims his innocence, stating that he is still a functioning member of society. The letter is written sometime in September but has no specific date. The date of 09-12-68 is the date the envelope was stamped by the post office.

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Letter from Stephen W. Winter to his parents February 20, 1969

Scope and Contents

This is the final letter in this collection that Stephen writes from prison. He labels it urgent as his official parole/release is less than 3 weeks away. Stephen asks his parents for money to pay for transportation. He needs a bus to Tracy, CA, then a bus to San Francisco, CA, and lastly a plane from San Francisco, CA to San Antonio, TX. There are no conditions for Stephen's parole in CA, except that he update his parole officer on where he will be. Stephen hopes the same applies in TX.

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Letter from Stephen W. Winter to his parents July 6, 1975

Scope and Contents

This is the last letter from the entire collection and is written over 6 years after Stephen's release from prison. Stephen updates his parents on his current situation. He is working at a restaurant and owes a flying school $85 because he passed his course and is receiving his pilot's license. His pilot's license will arrive at his parent's house but he wants it forwarded to Gladys and Jean's house because he is currently living out of a YMCA but will soon start sleeping in his car. He ends the letter admitting that he is sad living in loneliness and mentions a women's recent absence.