Story Writing to Prisoners

[UnsureGirl]

About three months ago, I came across a website called "Write A Prisoner".

According to the website, it is "an organization to help incarcerated people receive letters from free world pen-pals by providing the inmate a place to invite pen-pal correspondence."

Although I was sceptical at first, I eventually decided to write to three prisoners.

One is serving a life sentence, and the other two are serving forty-year sentences.

They are all women, close in age to me, forming a sense of similarity.

Currently, I write to each of them every week, and it has been life-changing.

They listen to all of my thoughts and concerns and provide me with amazing guidance.

I listen to their stories too, many of which involve drug and alcohol addiction and mental health struggles.

Why am I sharing this?

For the first time, I have found comfort away from my mental anguish and suicidal thoughts!

 

[loneliness0]

Thanks for sharing resource.

Can you tell more about process, do you send them letters and they send you back letters to your actual address or is it virtual conversations where they not know your adress?

Hope to hear back from you.

 

[Spike Spiegel]

This is really cool, I'm glad you found something like this. I think its really interesting what brings us comfort. I think getting to know different people is one of the best reasons to keep living (if you're looking for reasons). We are all so similar yet unique and I think correspondents like this help show it. I love meeting new people and hearing stories about them or things they have done or seen and just being amazed because on the surface you would never think they experienced those things.

 

[UnsureGirl]

Thanks for sharing resource.

Can you tell more about process, do you send them letters and they send you back letters to your actual address or is it virtual conversations where they not know your adress?

Hope to hear back from you.

No worries!

There are typically four communication options:

1. Postal mail option: Post your letter to x.
2. Email forwarding option: "We will print and mail your first message if you do not already know x."
3. Type and print option: "Type as many letters as you like on our website, print, save, and send via postal mail to the address listed."
4. Official prison email option: "Send a message to x on JPay."

Note: Communication option 4 varies based on the email service the prison uses.

I use communication option 4, where they can't see your address.

A PO box is highly recommended for letters.

I hope this helps.

This is really cool, I'm glad you found something like this. I think its really interesting what brings us comfort. I think getting to know different people is one of the best reasons to keep living (if you're looking for reasons). We are all so similar yet unique and I think correspondents like this help show it. I love meeting new people and hearing stories about them or things they have done or seen and just being amazed because on the surface you would never think they experienced those things.

Agreed!

 

[ThatStateOfMind]

This is so cool! I actually looked at the site and came back to reply. This is such an interesting idea for a website and I like it. It gives people someone to talk to, both the inmates and people who use the site. I might actually try it soon

 

[F@#$]

About three months ago, I came across a website called "Write A Prisoner".

According to the website, it is "an organization to help incarcerated people receive letters from free world pen-pals by providing the inmate a place to invite pen-pal correspondence."

Although I was sceptical at first, I eventually decided to write to three prisoners.

One is serving a life sentence, and the other two are serving forty-year sentences.

They are all women, close in age to me, forming a sense of similarity.

Currently, I write to each of them every week, and it has been life-changing.

They listen to all of my thoughts and concerns and provide me with amazing guidance.

I listen to their stories too, many of which involve drug and alcohol addiction and mental health struggles.

Why am I sharing this?

For the first time, I have found comfort away from my mental anguish and suicidal thoughts!

Glad you found something to make you feel better. Please be careful you're not taken advantage of.

 

[UnsureGirl]

This is so cool! I actually looked at the site and came back to reply. This is such an interesting idea for a website and I like it. It gives people someone to talk to, both the inmates and people who use the site. I might actually try it soon

Yeah.

Good luck!

Be cautious, but also keep an open mind.

Glad you found something to make you feel better. Please be careful you're not taken advantage of.

I'll be careful.

 

[ThatStateOfMind]

Be cautious, but also keep an open mind.

Definitely! It allows you to view what they weee charged with and some of them you would never believe. Like a woman who seemed really kind (and probably is really kind, just in a tough spot) but her charge was child neglect causing death to a child or something like that.

 

[bianbianbianbian]

This seems really interesting. Thanks for putting me on