He Wrote to a Woman Serving 40 Years in Prison...Then Married Her

Eric Beller had a Master's degree in Education, a professional career, and a seemingly good life. But just as things were really starting to fall into place, his brother died of an overdose. Then, on Eric's birthday, his best friend, John, also passed away. These tragic events set Eric on a downward spiral of addiction, homelessness, and ultimately jail.

While incarcerated, Eric was beaten, almost to death, by a guard (who was later convicted and served prison time for the assault). Eric spent months in the hospital, on a ventilator, and developed myriad physical ailments and health problems as a result of the attack. When he was finally released from jail, he was determined to help someone who might be in a similar situation, so he began browsing inmate pen pal profiles on WriteAPrisoner.com. It was there that he learned about a woman, Taira Litsey, who was sentenced to 40 years.

Many letters and phone calls later, Eric and Taira are now married. Together, they've turned their experiences into advocacy. Eric, now sober for over five years, founded Still Standing, an organization focused on second chances, prison and sentencing reform, and successful reentry. It wasn't created from theory or based on some A.I. algorithm; Still Standing was created thanks to Eric and Taira's real-life experiences with incarceration and the criminal "justice" system.

In this sometimes sad, sometimes funny, and often heartwarming episode, Eric shares his genuine love and appreciation for his wife, Taira. He believes she may have even saved his life.

This isn't just a prison love story. It's the story of two people whose lives were shaped by trauma, addiction, violence, loss, and incarceration, but who refused to let those experiences define the rest of their lives. It's about resilience, faith, purpose, and redemption. By the end of the episode, it's hard not to root Eric and Taira

Learn more about Still Standing

Want to be a guest on a future episode of the Prison Pen Pal Podcast? Call 888.273.6725 or email podcast@penpals.buzz