How it works
Anyone 18 or older can find a pen pal in prison here and write to them directly, free. Family and friends list the people inside, because people in prison can't sign themselves up.
If you want to write
- Find someone. Browse profiles by interests, state or country, or try swipe mode. Every profile lists the conviction, so you know who you're writing to.
- Write to them directly. Each profile has the exact mailing address and any messaging app they use. Your letter goes straight to them; we never read, forward or keep mail. How to write a first letter.
- Let families find you. Make a free writer page. Families can ask you to write to their loved one; we pass their note along, and your email and address stay private.
- Stay safe. Never send money or financial details to someone you only know through letters. Writing safely.
If you're listing someone you love
You pay $50 once for the year, you manage the profile, and pen pals write to your loved one directly.
1. Talk to them first
They have to want this, and they have to be 18 or older. Ask them what they want people to know, and what kind of pen pal they hope to meet.
2. Fill out the profile
Their name and ID number as the prison has them, the facility and the mailing address, the conviction, up to 500 words and up to 3 photos. It takes about ten minutes from a phone.
3. Pay $50
Every profile is screened the moment you pay. Most go live right away. If something needs a person to look at it, it goes up after a quick review, usually within a day, and we tell you exactly what to fix if anything has to change. In the few prison systems with a pen-pal rule, we ask you to confirm by email first (see which ones).
4. Pen pals write to them directly
The profile shows the mailing address and any messaging app they use. We never read, forward or handle mail. Within a day of going live we check the name and ID number against the official inmate locator.
The rules every profile follows
- The conviction is listed. Writers deserve to know who they are writing to.
- Photos are of them only. No other people, no hand gestures, nothing that could look like a gang sign.
- No names of other people, nothing sexual, nothing threatening.
- No asking for money, commissary, gifts or packages. Profiles that do are removed.
- Adults only, on both ends.
- At launch, we can't list anyone convicted of a crime against a child.
What a profile looks like
Illustrated samples, not real people.
Questions
Can my loved one sign up themselves?
Most people inside don't have internet access, so a family member or friend lists them and manages the profile for them. They have to want it: talk to them before you list them.
Do pen pals write through this site?
No. Every profile shows the mailing address and any messaging app the person uses. Writers contact them directly. We never read, forward or handle mail.
What does it cost?
$50 for one year: up to 500 words, up to 3 photos, a free address change any time and one free rewrite. Renewal is $40 a year. There is nothing else to buy.
When does the profile go up?
Most profiles go live right after payment. If something needs a person to look at it, it goes up after a quick review, usually within a day. In a few states we first ask you to confirm by email that you understand the facility's rules.
Why does every profile show the conviction?
Writers deserve to know who they are writing to, and honest profiles lead to better, longer-lasting pen pals.
Where does my loved one show up?
Every new profile starts at the top of the directory, and every live profile takes turns in the homepage spotlight in a new random order on every visit. Nobody can pay to be first.
Can I list someone anywhere?
Yes: any U.S. state prison, federal prison or county jail, and prisons in other countries. A few U.S. prison systems have rules against pen-pal ads. If yours does, we tell you before you pay, ask you to initial that you understand, and confirm once more by email before the profile goes up.
Who can't be listed?
People under 18, anyone who hasn't agreed to be listed, and at launch, anyone convicted of a crime against a child.
What if they move to another facility?
Update the address any time with the private manage link from your confirmation email. It's free.
Is it safe to write?
Never send money, gift cards or financial information to someone you only know through letters, and use a P.O. box if you'd rather not share your home address. Profiles that ask for money are removed.