Safety Information

Protect your personal information

• Consider using a P.O. Box instead of your home address.
• Use only your first name, or a pen name, until you are confident in the relationship.
• Never share your social security number, bank details, passwords, or full date of birth.
• Do not share details about your daily routine, schedule, or family members.

Never send money based on requests

If a pen pal asks for money — for commissary, legal fees, family emergencies, or any other reason — be skeptical. Scams targeting pen pals are common. Treat any request for money as a serious warning sign.

What facilities allow varies

• Mail rules differ by state and facility. Some prisons return certain colored envelopes, perfumed paper, polaroids, or stickers.
• Look up the facility's mail policy on the state department of corrections website before sending photos, books, or care packages.
• Photos must usually be non-explicit, no Polaroids, and printed on regular photo paper.

Emotional considerations

• Some pen pals are facing long sentences. Be clear about what you can and cannot offer.
• If you receive correspondence that feels manipulative, threatening, or inappropriate, stop responding. You owe no one a reply.
• Decide your boundaries before you begin: how often will you write, what topics are off limits, and whether you will share photos.

Red flags

• Pressure to send money or commissary funds.
• Pressure to share personal financial information.
• Romantic escalation that feels too fast.
• Requests to mail items the facility prohibits.
• Asking you to act as a go-between for other people.

Reporting concerns

If a profile contains content that violates our policies, or if you experience an issue with a listed inmate, contact us with details so we can review.

All users must be 18 or older. Information on this site is user-submitted and not independently verified. Correspond at your own risk.