Dying In Prison

Dying in Prison

“THE BIO-MED BOYS.”

That’s what prison staff and inmates call me and my three coworkers around this concrete compound.

We’re the four convicted felons you call when anything medical breaks and needs immediate repair.
Broken beds. Broken monitors. Broken equipment keeping broken men alive.

In a weird way, we’re kind of like the firemen of this federal prison—always getting pulled in every direction, during work hours and sometimes well outside of them.

I genuinely enjoy being one of The Bio-Med Boys…
but I’ve got to be honest with you.

I’m not that great at fixing things.

Just ask my beautiful wife, Noél. 😉

Truthfully, I’m probably the weakest link in our little chain. But every day, I show up ready to work and willing to do whatever needs to be done—whether that’s learning something new or being the guy who cleans the bathroom, vacuums the floor, or takes out the trash.

Humbling?
Absolutely.

But I’ve learned something in here: humility is a gift, not a punishment.

Becoming a Bio-Med Boy has stretched me in ways I didn’t expect. Learning skills that don’t come naturally to me is shaping me into a better man—one I hope becomes a better husband, father, and friend when I’m home. Prison is strange like that… it keeps handing me hidden treasures I never asked for.

Noél… maybe—just maybe—when I get home, I’ll finally be able to hang a shelf for you without asking for help. 😉

As a Bio-Med Boy, I work Monday through Friday inside the prison hospital.

Friendly reminder: I’m currently serving my lengthy prison sentence at a Federal Medical Center. All FMC facilities within the Bureau of Prisons have a fully functioning hospital on the compound.

Most of the men who come through our hospital are terminal.
Many of them will take their final breath right here—in government-issued khakis, under fluorescent lights, far from the people they loved.

As I repair the machines keeping them alive, my mind starts asking questions my heart can’t escape.

Did this man live his life drowning in regret?
Does anyone on the outside still care if he lives or dies?
Has he laid the weight of his past at the feet of Jesus and felt real peace for the first time?
When his soul leaves this earth… what will he be thinking?

Being a Bio-Med Boy has forced me to confront the reality that life is short.
Eternity is real.
And none of us know how much time we have left.

I don’t know how many years I have left on this earth.

But I do know this:

I’m going to live the rest of my life with God-given purpose and deep gratitude.

Whenever the intrusive and suffocating thoughts of spending another decade behind barbwire creep into my mind, I list out all the ways God has blessed me while I’ve been in prison. That simple practice recalibrates my soul and reminds me who is really in control.

God gave me a fierce, one-of-a-kind warrior wife who fights for my freedom every single day. Noél is my queen, my bride, and my greatest blessing.

God gave me four incredible children who cheer me on from afar. I promised them I’d make them proud during this prison journey—and I intend to keep that promise.

God gave me family and a community who sees the "real me" and wants me to succeed throughout my incarceration.

God gave me friends/family who wrap Noél, Cambria, Willow, Lula, and Zion in love and support when I can’t.

God gave me the once-in-a-lifetime gift of training puppies to become service dogs—in prison.

God gave me barbed wire brothers who sit with me at night, sharing peanut butter and stories, reminding me I’m not alone.

Yes, I’m currently a convicted criminal trapped behind a razor-sharp, electrified fence.

BUT…

I’m also an extremely blessed man who has been given a second chance at a life filled with God-given purpose.

I will never take a single moment for granted again.

Prison is a painful pit—but Jesus has used it to purify me into the man I was always meant to be.

A humble man.
A grateful man.
A purpose-filled husband, father, and friend.

Love all of you,
Brett
(A proud member of The Bio-Med Boys)

A Note From Noél

I love my husband.
Deeply. Fiercely. With every part of who I am.

One of Brett’s greatest gifts has always been his ability to find hope where most people only see despair. If you ever find yourself in a season that feels impossible, Brett is the person you’d want to call—the one who can sit with you in the chaos and gently help you see how even this pain might be pointing toward something meaningful on the other side.

He is my forever person.
And I miss doing life with him more than I have words for.

When everything around us is spiraling, Brett is the calm presence in the room—quietly grounded, thoughtfully explaining how what feels like a disaster right now could actually be the doorway to the next breakthrough. He has always carried that steady, unshakable spirit, and being beside him made life feel manageable… even when it was hard.

I absolutely hate that my forever person is in federal prison.
I hate it with my whole heart.

But I also know this—his barbwire brothers need Brett right now. They need his light. They need his steady hope. They need someone who sees past their worst mistakes and reminds them that they are still human, still valuable, still capable of redemption. Brett has a way of making forgotten men feel seen, capable, and even invincible again.

Our family’s prison journey continues to prove something sacred to me:
A person can find purpose while they are in pain.

Even though my heart aches for the day Brett comes home, I’m wrapped in a quiet peace knowing God has taken what tried to destroy us and begun weaving it into something healing and redemptive. Our mess is being transformed into a miracle—slowly, painfully, beautifully.

Our God truly is the Great Redeemer.
The Great Weaver.

Please continue to pray supernatural strength, endurance, and patience over our family as we keep climbing out of this pit—one day at a time.

Being a proud prison wife is not easy.
Not even close.

But it is worth it.

God is moving through the cold cement halls of Brett’s federal prison, and somehow, in ways I never imagined, He has invited our family to be part of His greater story.

With so much love,
Noél
(The blessed wife of a Bio-Med Boy)

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IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER
I, Noél Bartlett, am committed to following all applicable Federal Bureau of Prisons policies and procedures while sharing, documenting, and memorializing our family’s prison journey and the letters and manuscripts Brett sends to me.
For complete clarity, I alone am the owner, operator, publisher, and financial beneficiary of Proud Prison Wives and this website. I am also the sole publisher and beneficiary of any books or other works published through Proud Prison Wives, including SPEAK DOG, SHATTER YOUR SHAME, and any future manuscript of Brett’s that I independently choose to edit, develop, and publish.
Brett is currently incarcerated in federal prison. He does not own, operate, manage, or conduct business through Proud Prison Wives, nor does he receive any financial benefit from the publication, sale, or promotion of these books, letters, manuscripts, or website content.
I am incredibly proud to take my husband’s raw letters and manuscripts and transform them into beautiful, meaningful books that allow others to witness his journey and cheer him forward as he chooses to use his time in prison productively.
Brett and I also take the safety, security, and privacy of the institution extremely seriously. In the letters and manuscripts he sends me—and in the material I ultimately choose to publish—identifying details may be intentionally changed, combined, omitted, or rearranged. This may include characters, conversations, events, timelines, locations, and other details in order to protect the privacy of staff, fellow incarcerated individuals, and the institution itself.
The heart and spirit of Brett’s writing are based on his lived experiences, but these writings should not be interpreted as a literal, chronological, or identifying account of daily institutional life. Some details of Brett’s experience will simply have to wait until he has fully completed his obligations to the Department of Justice.
Again, I, Noél Bartlett, am fully committed to respecting and following applicable Bureau of Prisons policies and procedures. I consider it a privilege to preserve our family’s story, document this chapter of Brett’s life, and share the good that can still come from an incredibly difficult season.
Thank you for reading, supporting our family, and respecting the purpose and boundaries behind what we share.
— Noél Bartlett
Owner & Publisher, Proud Prison Wives

Shatter Your Shame- Sneak Peek

Shatter Your Shame, Chapter 1

Shatter Your Shame, Chapter 1

Shatter Your Shame, Chapter 2

Shatter Your Shame, Chapter 2

Shatter Your Shame, Chapter 3

Shatter Your Shame, Chapter 3

Shatter Your Shame is NOW AVAILABLE

Brett and I are so excited (and honestly still a little in awe) to officially announce

Shatter Your Shame is LIVE on the site.

This book was written inside a federal prison—on random pieces of scratch paper, with a dull pencil, behind razor-sharp barbed wire and an electrified fence. What started as handwritten prison letters has turned into a powerful testimony of redemption, responsibility, faith, and purpose.

Shatter Your Shame is for anyone who carries the weight of their past, the burden of regret, or the quiet pain of shame—and is ready to see how God redeems what the world calls broken.

Brett writes with raw honesty about the worst decisions of his life, the consequences that followed, and the miraculous way God met him in the pit of prison and transformed his shame into purpose. These are one-of-a-kind prison stories that will help you heal, rise, and walk forward unchained.

(Perfect for small groups, book clubs, churches, or gifting to someone who needs hope.)

Every order directly supports me and my 4 beautiful children during this season Brett is away.

This journey hasn’t been easy. Prison is heavy. Shame is heavy. But God is proving—once again—that He specializes in turning massive messes into healing miracles.

Thank you for believing in redemption.
Thank you for supporting our family.
Thank you for helping us share this message with the world.

With so much love,
Noél

Shop Now

SPEAK DOG is NOW AVAILABLE

Speak Dog is not your average dog-training book. It is a testimony, a powerful blend of storytelling, breakthrough psychology, and the real-life prison puppy training program that God used to transform countless lives, including Brett’s, and our family’s.

This book carries redemption on every page. It shows what God can do with a broken man, a hurting dog, and a second chance. It’s hope, healing, laughter, purpose, and breakthrough all wrapped into one unforgettable journey.

I am SO beyond excited for everyone to get their hands on this book and experience the same heart-shifting, faith-building transformation that we did.

Shop Now