Prison Pen Pals

• PrisonPenPals.com
• Penpals-n-Prison.com
• WriteaPrisoner.com
• ThePamperedPrisoner.com
• BlackTrump4life.com

You can search the databases based on gender, sexual orientation, location and where the inmates are from.

Why Do People Seek Out This Correspondence?

We all have our struggles in life. Not all of us have emotional support from friends or family and look to other ways to fulfill our needs. Some people reach out to prison pen pals because it's a way to connect with other lonely people.

A poll conducted on PrisonTalk.com's forum yielded the following results:

• 52.46% - Had pen pals because they felt they could make a difference.
• 22.95 - Were writing to family, friends or acquaintances.
• 18.03% - Wrote out of curiosity or general interest in talking to prison inmates.
• 6.5% - Said they were already in or looking to begin a relationship.

What NOT to Say

The institution's mail room will read your letters to look for certain things. Obviously don't even joke about plans to help them escape. Don't say you found them on a prison pen pals site since some states frown upon that these days and make it hard on inmates with these profiles. Also, don't write about trying to smuggle things in to them, help them get in touch with other prisoners or threaten violence. Be selective with the personal information you give out just for safety's sake. Consider getting a P.O. box so you don’t have to give out your home address.

Use Caution

As mentioned above, a P.O. box is a good way to protect yourself. Don't give out too much personal info. Remember, some of the inmates have fellow gang members and friends on the outside. If you offend them, by wishing to discontinue contact, for example, they can send their friends to find you. Beware of scams. Some inmates are scam artists and will devise plans to get you to send them money. If you feel you shouldn't send them money--don't. In lieu of money, some people send magazines, books or other items as gifts. You just need to set limits from the get-go for what you will and won't do.

Where Do These Relationships Go?

Some prison relationships fizzle like old friendships. Others last for years and are viewed as solid friendships. And others end in marriage. Fiction writer Danielle Steel married two prison inmates--Danny Zugelder and William George Toth. One day after divorcing Zugelder, she married Toth. Occasionally, the non-inmate writer will have to deal with their friend or significant other being put to death. Still others will have a bad ending to a friendship or relationship and have to move, report them to the prison warden or live in fear that the inmate to whom they were writing will get out of prison, still harbor anger for them and find them.

Seeking out a prison pen pal you don't already know is a bit like playing Russian Roulette. You may end up with a true friend or lover; you may also end up with a scam-artist and a reason for fear. Be careful, and as with any relationship, try not to move too fast or move forward without setting guidelines.