We connect incarcerated people with volunteer pen pals from all over the world for a meaningful experience.
Why would someone want to join a prison pen pal program? Because they could make a difference in many lives. The power of a prison correspondence is often underrated, yet studies show that an incarcerated person with connections to the outside world such as pen pals will be 6 times less likely to reoffend within the first year of their release.
Data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics indicates that at least 95% of American State inmates will eventually be released from prison. Writing to prisoners can make a significant impact in their daily life, legal battle, sense of determination, feeling of hope, and rehabilitation process.
Engaging in a prison correspondence also means fighting against recidivism. You will create a support and solidarity system against a prison-industrial complex built to isolate and dehumanize people. You will take a stand for prison reform.
Ultimately, writing to prisoners can lead to unsuspected positive changes on both sides: in the inmate’s and their pen pal’s lives, but it also plays a part in a larger social change in the US. Read more here.
“The first time I received a letter from my penpal, I couldn’t stop smiling. That’s the power of kindness, no matter how small. I wish more people would sign up to put forth kindness and hope in the lives of men like me.”
Thomas, incarcerated in the US since 2005, joined Wire of Hope’s Prison Pen Pal Program in 2019.
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If you are visiting Wire of Hope’s website to find a prison penpal: thank you! By writing to prisoners, you are going to change many lives! Check out our free inmate penpal listings.
And if you are visiting Wire of Hope to sign up an inmate for our penpal program: welcome! Find out more about our prison pen pal program and check our price list.