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THE
ORIGINAL
Tips
On
Writing
A
Prisoner
Many
lonely
men
and
women
are
currently
in
prison.
They
have
nothing
to
look
forward
to,
some
are
on
deathrow
or
locked
in
their
cells
23
hours
of
everyday
and
most
prisoners
never
receive
mail.
They
have
become
the
forgotten
part
of
society
their
existence
spent
locked
away
in
cold
houses
of
concrete
and
steel.
These
prisoners
have
become
“out
of
sight,
out
of
mind”
to
their
family,
friends
and
loved
ones;
that
is
if
they
were
fortunate
to
have
any
of
those.
Like
you
and
I,
these
prisoners
feel
pain,
they
feel
the
ache
of
loneliness,
they
feel
the
guilt
of
their
past
but
they
also
can
feel
the
happiness
of
receiving
a
simple
letter
written
expressly
to
them.
Mail
to
the
prisoners
are
treasured
keepsakes
and
reminders
that
they
are
still
a
part
of
society,
that
they
are
not
alone
and
that
they
are
worth
something.
It
might
surprise
you
that
for
the
price
of
a
stamp
you
can
help
build
back
their
self-esteem,
alleviate
their
bitter
loneliness
and
you
will
make
a
new
friend
as
well
as
start
a
mutually
rewarding
experience
between
you
and
your
pen
pal.
Before you embark on your journey with
your prisoner pen pal here are some helpful
tips for writing to a prisoner. So get
your pens ready and start writing. Enjoy
your journey and thank you for having the
compassion and the goodwill to carry on
the importance of the human spirit by taking
the first step and helping a prisoner remember
that they are human and worth something
in this world. We all wish you good health
and hope you are in good spirits! Happy
writing!
1. First off prisoners do not have access
to computers so therefore they do not have
e-mail nor can they have online chats.
“Snail Mail” is their way of communication.
2. It is a good idea to rent a P.O. Box
from a Post Office or from a store such
as Mailboxes Etc. and not to use your home
address.
3. Until you establish a relationship
with your new pen pal, in your first letter
it is always best to keep it basic and
avoid sharing too much personal information.
Keep it light and upbeat, you can always
respond to something they have written
in their ads and you can write a bit on
current events since most have been cut
off on what is going on in the world today.
What you might think is mundane and boring
will actually fascinate them since the
world they live in is very small and unchanging.
4. You should put the DOC Number and/or
the name of the prisoner on the top right
of each page of your letter, this will
help get your full letter to the prisoner
in case your letter gets loose since all
incoming mail is opened and checked over.
5. Make sure to only put your return address
and the prisoner’s address on the envelope.
Make sure it is legible. You should also
include your return address in the body
of your letter in case something happens
to the envelope.
6. DO NOT use any stationary (paper, cards,
envelopes) that has been embedded with
any foreign matter such as decorations,
leaves, metal, etc., this can cause your
letter to be confiscated and rejected.
Also it is advisable not to decorate your
envelope with stickers or photos until
you know what the prison policy is on this.
7. Be PATIENT. Mail moves extremely slow
behind prison walls because all mail to
inmates must be opened by prison personnel
and inspected before being delivered to
the prisoner. Mail from your prisoner pen
pal to you also will be inspected.
Some facilities do not have any mail services
on weekends so please be PATIENT. As anxious
as the prisoners are to receive your letter,
the prisoners are also just as anxious
for you to receive their response.
8.
Until
you
have
established
with
your
prisoner
pen
pal
a
list
of
what
that
particular
prison
facility
allows
DO
NOT
send
anything
in
your
letters
such
as
gifts,
stamps,
confetti,
glitter,
stickers,
money,
postal
money
orders,
blank
envelopes,
blank
greeting
cards,
blank
stationary.
If you do, you will run the risk of having
your letter confiscated and rejected as
well as having the prisoner get a write
up. So either establish with your prisoner
pen pal or call the prison facility and
find out what their policy is on what the
prisoner can and cannot receive. This varies
from prison to prison.
9. Do not send any Polaroid photos. Prison
facilities do not allow Polaroid photos
to be sent to the prisoners.
10. Regular photos are allowed but check
with your prisoner pen pal and/or the prison
facility on how many photos are allowed
to be mailed in one envelope. For instance
some facilities will only allow one letter
plus (5) other items such as photos to
be mailed in one envelope at a time.
Also do not write on the back of the photo
with felt tip pen, use a ballpoint pen.
11. If sending a prisoner pen pal an article
printed off the internet make sure the
website address on the bottom of the page
is cut off. Some facilities will confiscate
and reject your letter because of this.
12. Do not include any information regarding
other prisoners to your pen pal, this could
create problems for either of the two.
13. It is advisable NOT to write to two
prisoner pen pals that reside in the same
prison facility unless they are both aware
and accepting of it. Doing so can cause
unnecessary problems between the prisoners.
14. Birthday, Friendship, and/or Holiday
cards are always a good way to initiate
first contact with your prisoner pen pal
but make sure they are not under or over
sized.
Tips
courtesy
of
Libbie
-
:)
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