Letters mean a very great deal to those cut off from the world in a prison environment. Brightly colored, or interesting cards can bring joy and do not take too long to write. Letters and cards are evidence to the prisoner that someone has thought of him, someone cares and there is a contact outside to whom he can respond. Furthermore, other prisoners look down on a prisoner with no letter whiles, those with mail and visitors are looked up to. So by writing to a prisoner, who previously had no letters, you can open an unexpectedly wide dimension to their lives. If you are a prison visitor it is good to write to your prisoner sometimes in between visits, to send them cards when you travel abroad and cards for his birthday, Christmas, Chinese New Year, Easter, etc. However, you can also become a pen friend without being a prison visitor.

HOW TO WRITE THE FIRST LETTER

You can introduce yourself and describe a little bit about your family, your work, and your interests. You can ask questions about the type of work that your prisoner does, his interests, hobbies, what books he likes to read, what television programs he likes to watch, what sports he enjoys. You can ask him how he is feeling and when he expects to be released. You can inquire about his family and friends (though be sensitive, as sometimes this is a very painful subject especially if his family has rejected him.) Do be positive and encouraging in your letter.

In your first letter, it is nice to ask the prisoner his/her date of birth. That way you find out his age and when his birthday rolls around, and thus you can surprise him with a card. Many cards have messages that basically say, “HAVE THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE ON YOUR BIRTHDAY!” or something similar, which is not the most sensitive thing to tell a prisoner. So choose messages carefully. Prisoners also appreciate other holiday cards appropriate for their religious and cultural holidays. Remember to write the prisoner’s name & prisoner’s number on envelope, card and top and left-hand side of every pages of your letter!

In your first letter, it is nice to ask the prisoner his/her date of birth. That way you find out his age and when his birthday rolls around, and thus you can surprise him with a card. Many cards have messages that basically say, “HAVE THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE ON YOUR BIRTHDAY!” or something similar, which is not the most sensitive thing to tell a prisoner. So choose messages carefully. Prisoners also appreciate other holiday cards appropriate for their religious and cultural holidays. Remember to write the prisoner’s name & prisoner’s number on envelope, card and top and left-hand side of every pages of your letter!

One thing the prisoners do appreciate is a tiny calendar, a small one the size of a business card, the kind that banks give away free. Some prisons accept these while others do not. Since we are sometimes only given prisoners’ numbers and no other information at all about them, it is a good idea for you to ask them in your first letter, whether he/she would like a pen friend. I have yet to meet a prisoner who did not enjoy receiving mail, but we must keep in mind that prisoner do, understandably, get depressed and you may come across as someone who is simply too withdrawn to feel like communicating at this time. Anyway, it is nice to give these people the opportunity to make a choice in this one aspect of their lives, as they don’t have a chance to make many choices!