Prison Pen Pal Project

Prison Pen Pal Project Women are needed to be pen pals for women serving time in prison. Make a huge difference to a woman who needs to know someone cares.

The Prison Pen Pal Project is a service that links women in prison to women who want to write to them. Become a pen pal to a woman in prison today! So many times inmates will tell you that they were abused or that no one ever loved them. Now that they are in prison they keep their feelings to themselves, because being weak can get you hurt. Being a pen pal you are giving the blessing of being a friend. Sometimes for the first time the inmate will now have someone they can talk to. Please won’t you become a lonely woman in prison's friend? A professor of psychology at Loyola University said, “People need someone to whom they can tell the story of their lives.” All of us have a story, and all of us have a profound longing for friendship — a poignant searching for the kinds of things that only a close and lasting relationship can bring. People desire that kind of connection that makes their lives significant to someone else. There is a long waiting list of women wanting a connection to the "Outside". Won't you become that link from your world to theirs? Some inmates have not received a letter or birthday card in years. Mail call is the highlight of a prisoner's day and some never hear their name called. Prison is a very dark and lonely place when you have no one who cares. Please show someone you care. While some will ask things of you, most do not; they just want a friend. They enrich the lives of the women who write to them, with their stories, poems, handmade cards, and their friendship. Please direct message to be matched with a lonely woman in prison.

06/12/2026

2026 Update: The original Women’s Pen Pal Project in California was discontinued several years ago. A couple of volunteers took it upon themselves to keep it going to the best of their ability, but with no resources or support those efforts were limited. One volunteer took the project in a different direction while the other maintained this page & continued the annual Christmas/holiday card campaign for many years. Due to numerous inmate mail restrictions in Texas, Florida & other states, it became impractical or impossible to mail physical cards. Most correspondence now is electronic & outside pen pals may join a free service to send letters, ecards, photos, etc. for only the cost of 1 stamp per page. Thank you for writing to women in prison, many of whom were forgotten by family & friends, outlived them, or observed from the sidelines as other people raised their children. Please do anything you can to help! Yes, crimes were committed, but the severe punishment of women is considerably more harsh than that of men & often women defending themselves against their abusers result in life sentences. Women influenced by the wrong crowd when they were teenagers are spending decades behind bars. What can we do? Call or write local politicians & governors demanding fair treatment of female offenders, donate books to prison libraries, send emails & ecards to inmates on birthdays, or become a pen pal to 1 woman or however many you have the time to keep in touch with. Even brief messages occasionally can brighten someone’s day, help her improve herself & give her reasons not to lose hope in the face of her dire situation. If you aren’t able to do any of these things, please keep them in your thoughts & prayers.

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Pleasantville, OH

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