Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the Silk Road darknet marketplace, who is currently serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole, has joined Twitter on July 19, 2018, using handwritten notes shared via a third party. Incarcerated at USP Florence High, a maximum-security federal penitentiary in Colorado, Ulbricht is barred from direct internet access. However, he has found a way to communicate with the Twittersphere by mailing handwritten letters to an associate, who then transcribes and posts them to the official account @RealRossU.
Finding His Voice After Silence
“I’m hoping to find my voice here after all these years of silence. It has been a strange journey, but I’m so grateful for all those who’ve shown love and support and held me up through the hard times. You give me strength,” Ulbricht wrote in his first note, which was photographed and uploaded to the account along with a copy hosted on FreeRoss.org to verify authenticity. Within an hour of the first tweet, the account had already garnered over 500 followers, a number expected to grow significantly in the following days.
Ulbricht’s case has become a cause célèbre, with many advocating for his clemency. While he has exhausted all conventional avenues of appeal, hopes remain that he may eventually taste freedom. Having been imprisoned for nearly five years, the 34-year-old now has a means to convey his thoughts directly to the public, keeping his case in the spotlight.
First Time on Twitter
“This is my first time on Twitter,” Ulbricht wrote, “so I’m not sure yet what I’ll be tweeting about. I guess we’ll figure it out together. It’s coming up on five years that I’ve been in prison though, so I’m hoping this will help me feel more connected to the outside. Thank you for supporting me and for all your support in my struggle for freedom.”
Policies regarding electronic communications for prisoners vary by state and case. In the past, individuals like Chelsea Manning were allowed to join Twitter while imprisoned, dictating communications over the phone to a third party. Ulbricht’s updates, delivered exclusively via mail, may be sporadic, but given his ample free time, he could dispatch multiple letters shared in installments. The San Diego native (originally from Austin, Texas) seems determined to use this platform to maintain a connection with the outside world and rally support for his cause.
The Fight for Freedom
Ulbricht’s case has sparked a Change.org petition and ongoing public campaigns. His Twitter account will serve as a vital tool to keep his story alive and sustain pressure for executive clemency. While the minutiae of social media metrics are the least of his concerns, knowing that an army of followers hangs on his every word will undoubtedly fortify him in his struggle for freedom. As of now, it remains uncertain whether Ulbricht will ever receive clemency, but his entry into the Twitter sphere marks a new chapter in his ongoing battle.