How to Become Pen Pals with Someone in Prison

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When you come to this page, you may want to know information about how to become pen pals with someone in prison. If so, you are able to read the text below carefully. Here we are going to share great information for you in becoming pen pals with someone in prison.

Becoming Pen Pals with Someone in Prison

Need to know that prison pen-pals are inmates who exchange letters with non-incarcerated pen-pals. By the way, how to become pen pals with someone in prison? You are able to become pen pals with someone in prison through some certain sites such as WriteAPrisoner.com.

Apparently, the inmates have been turning to WriteAPrisoner.com since its inception in the year 2000 to discover mentors, legal aid, educational chances, employment upon release, counseling, housing options, and much more. WriteAPrisoner posts profiles, images, and contact information of inmates. As a viewer, you are able to choose which prisoners you want to correspond with, both men and women, after viewing their personal (interests and goals) and public (crime and release date) information.

After you have chosen a prison pen-pal to correspond with, then you are going to have the choice of sending your first message free of charge. Then, contact with prison pen-pals is maintained through postal mail or programs like JPay and CorrLinks. The inmates have not the ability to access their profiles online in any capacity. WriteAPrisoner.com is a pen-pal website only. The inmates have to pay for pen-pal profiles. Later, that income is used for operating costs as well as Scholarships, Reintegration Profiles, Welcome Home Kits, and a host of other non-commercial Community Programs which are targeted at reducing recidivism and ultimately assisting inmates help themselves.

Research shared on WriteAPrisoner page and the Federal Bureau of Prisons shows that male and female prison pen-pals who establish and maintain positive contacts outside of prison walls, will pursue educational opportunities, and also seek normalization through friendship, etc. The inmates from county jails, federal prisons, state prisons, on death row, and in rehabilitation centers across the country have already posted profiles. Also, they have prisoners listed from outside of the United States. You are able to conduct an inmate search of inmates not listed on their site by using their Inmate Locator. For note: Inmate lookup options are available for each location.

Also, they encourage you to join their Prison Forum to talk with other members about related topics, such as what to expect when you meet the inmates, the death row, correspondence, visitation, different departments of corrections, and more. Using and accessing WriteAPrisoner.com meaning you agree that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms of Service and are at least 18 years of age.

How to Get in Touch with a Prisoner?

If you have never been imprisoned, then you are only able to imagine how lonely in a cell. Inmates or prisoners are human beings. Just like any human, they really yearn for contact with the outside world. Most of them said that knowing someone cares about them is what keeps them going. We get information that the Federal Bureau of Prisons confirms this with their research, which reveals that the inmates want to be accepted once they get out.

That is why there are many prison pen pals out there. People want to assist the prisoners get back on their feet. You are able to write to a prisoner and show them that they are not alone. Websites like DoNotPay will assist you address a letter to an inmate properly. Of course, writing to inmates is no joke. It comes with some rules and safety precautions. Those rules are different in every state. Before you send a letter to a prisoner in prison, ensure you know everything about the general rules, the permitted content of the letter and the safety precautions.

The General Rules of Writing an Inmate in Prison

Apparently, there are several general rules which you need to follow so that your letter reaches its destination. Remember that the rules about writing prisoners differ from state to state, but several universal ones are:

  • You have to write the full name of the prisoner.
  • Please include the prisoner’s ID number.
  • You have to write your name and the return address on the envelope and in the letter.
  • You have to select the correct envelope size.
  • You do not put perfume on the letter.
  • You do not decorate the letter in any way.
  • If you want to send a book, make sure that you order it from a bookstore which is willing to deliver it
  • Remember that anything you send is going to be inspected by the prison officials.
  • You do not send hardback copies of books because they are able to be used to hurt someone.

The best choice is to look up the information on the site of the prison that your loved one is in. It must have detailed rules about which content is permitted.

Also, the content of the letter will depend on the relationship you have with the inmate. If they are loved one, you will know what to write. The situation is very different with pen pals who are strangers to you. Lots of people shared that they do not feel safe revealing their home address, so they give their work address or the post office address.

How To Write a Letter to a Prisoner and Make Sure They Receive It?

You are able to follow these steps below to write a letter to a prisoner and send it correctly:

  • Firstly, you have to review your letter for inappropriate content.
  • Then, you have to Find the rules and guidelines about what you can send to your inmate on the site of the prison they are in.
  • Please write the prison address, the inmate’s full name, and their prisoner ID. You will be able to find it on the site.
  • Afterwards, you are able to write your full name and the return address. If you do not feel safe, just make it your post office address.
  • Lastly, you are able to go to the post office and mail your letter.

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