ALL IN

-ALL IN-

I want to be honest with you right now.

Prison is a very depressing place to exist.

Each day I wake up and do my very best not to drown in despair.

I can physically feel the darkness of prison trying to consume me behind these barbed-wire fences.

My prison mentor, Michael Santos, says it best:
“Prison obliterates hope.”

All day long, I watch grown men slide into the lies that they are worthless and unworthy of forgiveness. These insidious lies spawn bitterness, anger, and resentment. Eventually, most men believe those lies and lose all hope for the future. Slowly but surely, the light in their eyes fades, and only despair remains.

I have personally witnessed “prison obliterate hope” over and over again. From my observation, this process of obliteration happens to over 90% of the prison population.

The most heartbreaking part is the devastation it brings to innocent family members. Once a prisoner becomes “hollowed out,” he takes his pain and shame out on the people who love him most. His innocent wife, children, parents, siblings, and friends become his punching bags of pain.

Prison is truly the devil’s playground.

Family after family is sucked into the pit of prison and destroyed. It is absolutely gut-wrenching to watch this level of destruction on a daily basis. Millions of families in America have fallen into this abyss.

But I now know — my family is an absolute anomaly.

My amazing wife, Noel, saved our family from the dark, destructive hands of prison. She made the brave choice to speak truth into my life when I needed it most. She showed me that my identity is in Jesus — not in the pain or shame of my past.

Once I reported to prison, Noel never called me a “worthless prisoner.” Instead, she proclaimed that I am a worthy son of God. Every day she encourages me with messages of grace and wisdom. She reminds me that I’m a father and a husband. Noel reminds me what it feels like to be loved.

I am forever thankful for you, Noel. I am beyond blessed to be your husband.

Each day in prison, I draw massive strength from Noel’s unconditional love. She has this incredible ability to bring me back to Jesus on the painful days. No matter what we face, Noel looks at the situation through the eyes of Christ. I deeply admire her consistent and unwavering faith. You are amazing, my love.

Thanks to Noel’s commitment, I am confident that the darkness of incarceration will never break me or my family.

My children — Cambria, Willow, Lula, and Zion — will witness their mother and father unite as one.

Noel and I will crawl out of the pit of prison together, step by brutal step.

My family will be proof that prison can be overcome.

Now Noel and I feel compelled to spread this message of hope to other families being affected by the prison system.

There are millions of American families about to be swallowed whole by this prison monster. Noel and I believe our family’s pain can become another family’s blueprint. These families need to know that hope is possible. We want to inspire them not just to survive this journey, but to thrive through it.

We’re already seeing breakthrough here at FMC Rochester. The darkness of prison only makes the light of Jesus shine brighter — and light always overcomes darkness.

My wonderful wife is now dedicating her priceless time to reaching out to other “Prison Wives” — to show these amazing women that hope and restoration are available for their families. Noel will start a movement among innocent wives who have been cast aside by society. She knows exactly how this shame feels, and she’s going to break the lies the enemy has placed over these families.

You don’t want to mess with Noel — trust me on that. Lives will be transformed.

As for me, I will continue to show my fellow prisoners that there is a path to making their families proud. I will show them that they are not “worthless prisoners.” I will show them their true identity in Christ. More and more men will learn to use their time in prison productively and reconcile with their loved ones. I will teach them how to face their shame and own it.

The weight of their past sins will be lifted by the blood of Jesus.

My brothers behind these walls are yearning for hope — they just need to know it’s possible.

Hope will be restored, and the light of Jesus is about to spread through the dark shadows of our prison system.

Lord, thank You for bringing purpose to my suffering.
Thank You for loving me in my brokenness.
Thank You for constantly picking me up when I feel unworthy of Your love and forgiveness.
Thank You, thank You, thank You, Jesus.

---

The other day, I was lying in my prison cell and pictured myself back in federal court.

In that courtroom, the Judge turned to me and said:

“What did you decide to do with the people I put before you?
I gave you skills and abilities to give them hope and save them.
What did you decide to do with the opportunity I gave you?”

This time, both Noel and I answered that Judge. Our answers were the same:

“We responded to Your calling and did everything in our power to save our brothers and sisters.
We gave them hope where there was only darkness.
We were proof of Your goodness and glory.”

Noel, thank you for giving me the opportunity to make you a proud prison wife.

I promise to continue using my time in prison productively and to make you, Cambria, Willow, Lula, and Zion proud.

I’m so excited to go on this journey with you and help free other families from the pain and shame of prison.

Let’s do this, beautiful lady.

The Bartletts are about to prove that any family can overcome prison.

I’m so excited to see what God is about to do.

Love all of you,
Brett (a.k.a. The Most Blessed Husband in the B.O.P.)

-Note From Noél-

From the minute Brett was indicted, I remember the whirlwind of emotions that hit me like a bag of bricks. I didn’t know which way was up. I kept trying to grasp what was coming and what our future might look like. I have never felt so out of control in my life—with every looming possibility of my world collapsing hanging above my head.

It’s a feeling I wouldn’t wish upon my worst enemy.
The unknown is such a terrifying place to sit in. More than anything, I just wanted someone to take my hand and say, “It’s going to be okay. You are not alone in this. Let me help you.”

But no one around me could fully understand.

I remember when Brett started the Prison Professor course to help him prepare for what was ahead. I asked him, “But what about the wives? How do the wives cope through all of this?”
I felt so lost—trying to be strong for my husband, trying to explain everything to our kids so they wouldn’t feel blindsided. Every part of it was too much. Even walking into courtrooms—never knowing where to sit, what to wear, or how to brace myself for what I might hear—was overwhelming.

That process took years. Years of sitting in purgatory. Years of fearing the day they would come and take my husband away.

Now, almost eight months into Brett being in prison, I can finally look back and see something beautiful taking shape. God has been revealing a calling—one I cannot ignore.

That calling is to help other wives through this journey.

I want to be the one who comes beside them and says,
“It’s going to be okay. You are not alone. Let me help you.”

I want women to hold their heads high and be proud through it all and know: this is something you’re going through, yes—it’s incredibly hard—but it does not have to define you, and it is not the end of your story.

We can own our stories.
The same way our loved ones must own theirs, we can stand in strength and own ours, too.

We are so much more than just “prison wives.”
We are daughters, mothers, friends, cousins, nieces, and sisters. And while finding the right people can be hard, they are out there. Sometimes it starts with having the courage to be vulnerable, to share your story, and then to let God do the rest—bringing the right advocates, the right community, and the right healing into your life.

That’s what you all have been for me and my family. And I could not be more grateful.

Families are constantly being torn apart by this dark world—and what a playground it is for the enemy to use. He steals hope and joy from the men and leaves wives to fend for themselves, often while raising children and facing financial and emotional pain alone. The lack of communication and connection creates barriers that divide families so deeply that they no longer know where to begin in healing or how to feel like a family again.

That reality breaks my heart.
And it’s what God has placed so heavily on mine.

I made a vow to Brett the day I said “I do”—for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, till death do us part.
And I meant it.

I refuse to let the enemy win this battle.
I refuse to let him destroy more families than he already has.

Brett and I will bring light back into this dark world.
We will show families how to fight for each other and give them the tools to stay connected and strong through it all.
We will show them that this is not the end of their story.

Through God, they will win this war.

I am so incredibly humbled by this calling and what God has placed on our hearts to step into. I could not be more proud to stand beside my husband in this new journey—to fight for the hearts of these families and help heal the parts that are broken. It may feel like a big undertaking, but I have no fear, because I know God is massive in this. We have already seen Him moving so clearly in every step.

He wants the opportunity to make these families whole again—to restore what is broken—and all He needed was our “yes.”
So that’s what we are doing, and we are so beyond ready.

This is why I am launching Proud Prison Wives.

Because no woman should ever have to walk this journey alone.
Because the enemy has taken too many families captive—not just behind prison walls, but in their hearts, their homes, and their hope.
Because what once felt like a personal tragedy has now become a divine assignment.

Proud Prison Wives is not just a support group. It is a movement of restoration. A place where shame is replaced with sisterhood, isolation is replaced with strength, and despair is replaced with faith and practical tools to rebuild.

I am stepping forward so that every wife facing incarceration in her family can lift her head and say, “This is not the end of my story.”
So she can find women who truly understand.
So she can have a place to ask questions, receive guidance, and be reminded of her identity in Christ—not as a prisoner of circumstance, but as a daughter of God.

I  am launching Proud Prison Wives so that hope will no longer be the exception in this journey…but the expectation.

This is our “yes” to God’s calling.
This is our declaration of war against the enemy’s plan to destroy families.
And this is just the beginning.

Welcome to Proud Prison Wives — where faith rises, families fight back, and hope wins.

Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for all your love, prayers, and support as we step into this next part of the journey. 

Truly, we love you all.

TOGETHER WE GOT THIS!
 

With love and blessings,
Noél