Prison pen pals.

Ever wonder why people do it?

Image by Catkin from Pixabay

I don’t know if there are any hot debates about the prison pen pal topic anywhere but I suppose it would depend on what circles you associate yourself with. I’ve never searched out this topic but I know it must be alive and well because there are organizations that exist for the sole purpose of facilitating inmate pen pal relationships.

I can say with certainty that there are plenty of people with varying opinions about corresponding with prison inmates. These opinions are a frenzy of arguments both for and against the idea, depending on what side of the argumentative fence you fall on.

Maybe the “fence” analogy isn’t appropriate in this case.

So, exactly what type of person intentionally seeks out prison inmates to correspond with?

And what types of people purposely start organizations that facilitate these inmate pen pal relationships?

Because you can’t just pick up a pen and paper and mail it blindly into a federal prison, hoping to get a response from a lonely inmate.

I first became aware of prison pen pal programs through an inmate in the Canadian correctional system. I have an incarcerated family member and he heard about the pen pal program from another inmate. He then contacted me and asked me to look into…