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writing to prisoners

probably the only uniformed representative of the state a prisoner wants to see!

abc calgary frequently runs 'letters to prisoners' days, an opportunity for people to meet and write a letter or two to someone behind bars. we also encourage people to write to prisoners independently.

why write to a prisoner?
prison can be an isolating experience and for many inmates their only contact with the outside world may come at mail call. writing to a prisoner is an excellent way to express solidarity, help relieve the boredom of incarceration and remind that person that they are not forgotten.

letter writing is one of the easiest and least expensive ways to support a prisoner. it can also be one of the most rewarding.

do's and dont's
in order for your letter writing to be both effective and safe, you should observe the following do's and don'ts.

do
remember everything is screened: every letter you mail into the prison system is going to be read twice: once by the prisoner and once by some faceless state employee. if you wouldn't say it in public, don't write in a letter to a prisoner! obviously, you shouldn't discuss anything illegal or otherwise questionable, not just for your own safety, but for that of the prisoner as well.
respect prison regulations: every prison has regulations about what inmates can and cannot receive in the mail. make sure to find out what these regulations are and follow them, no matter how ridiculous they may seem. keep in mind that violating mail regulations can result in serious consequences for the prisoner. if a vindictive guard decides, for instance, that the care bear sticker on your letter is an attempt to smuggle drugs into the prison, it's your pen pal who may suffer the consequences. when in doubt, we advise that you follow the lane county jail correspondence rules. they are the strictest we have found thus far.
stay upbeat: one of the most important things writing prisoners does is maintain morale. stay upbeat! many people, when they first start writing to prisoners feel guilty about telling positive stories about life on the 'outside' -- they feel it may 'depress' the prisoner. this, however, is rarely the case. prison is dull, tedious and boring and any interesting news in a letter will probably be welcome.
be patient: it may take a long time to receive a reply from a prisoner. you may not receive one at all. a prisoner may very well have limited funds and opt to spend the few dollars they have on necessary commissary items instead of reply postage. remember: even if you don't get a reply, it doesn't mean your letter wasn't appreciated.

don't
make promises you can't keep: if you can't commit to writing regularly, don't promise to do so. it is always best to be honest about your intentions and abilities.
be judgemental: just because someone is a political prisoner doesn't mean they necessarily share your opinions or world view. a prisoner may find religion in jail or renounce his or her actions and the ideologies that inspired them. while it is okay to politely disagree with prisoner's opinions in correspondence, being judgemental does not help. remember that people in jail face pressures those of us outside the walls can rarely fully comprehend.
give away sensitive information: since your letter is going to be read by prison authorities, it is a bad idea to give away any meaningful information. using a pen name for yourself is a good idea, and it is never wise to give away the names of other people, even in passing. if those folks really want the bureau of prisons to know who they are, they'll tell them themselves. you may also want to consider getting a post office box to protect your home address.
discuss illegal activity: this cannot be stressed enough. if you know anything about any illegal activity, keep it to yourself. every letter sent to a prisoner is read by a government stooge first: don't hand the state free information.
discuss pending charges: many prisoners are in remand awaiting trial. it is never a good idea to discuss pending charges or ask questions about the case. if the prisoner feels comfortable discussing this material with you, they'll bring it up themselves.

rules and guidelines
although the list of what can and cannot be mailed to a prisoner varies from institution to institution, generally speaking the things you cannot include in a letter to a prisoner are:

books or magazines: books and magazines need to mailed from a recognized retailer, usually amazon, or the publisher themselves. don't pack up a paperback and mail it off. prisoner won't get it and may even get in trouble for you sending it.
stickers or tape: why anyone would want to take an acid trip in prison is a little mystifying, but the bureau of prisons thinks it's a rampant problem. as such, any stickers or tape is forbidden.
blank paper or stamps: mailing a prisoner blank paper or stamps cuts into commissary sales, and that's bad for the prison's profit margin.
cheques or money orders: if you want to send a prisoner funds, don't mail them a cheque. rather, the fastest and safest way is to wire the money through western union.
"foreign substances": this is a broad category that is interpreted by each prison differently. generally, it is best to err on the side of caution. even something as innocuous as a staple can cause a letter to be rejected.

finding prisoners
there are lots of political prisoners to write to. some good lists of names and addresses can be found at:

   prison activist resource center
   elpsn support list (earth/animal lib prisoners)
   jonah house (peace activists)
   brighton abc (european prisoners)
   jericho movement

be aware, however, that sometimes these lists get out of date. if you want to get the latest address for a prisoner in the u.s. system, use the bureau of prisons inmate locator.

writing the first letter
writing that first letter can be difficult, and many people new to writing prisoners often find themselves at a loss for what to talk about. a good set of general guidelines for writing that first letter are:

keep it short: don't feel obliged to write a three page epistle. a short letter, even just a postcard, is often the best way to start. you will have more to write about as you develop a writing relationship with the prisoner.
tell them where you found their name: it's a good idea to tell the prisoner where you got his or her name and address.
talk a bit about you: don't be afraid to talk a bit about your life or interests, no matter how trivial you may think it would seem to someone doing 'hard time for the cause.' good topics might include: your school or work, pets, hobbies, interests, books you enjoy etc. it is best to keep the tone and content upbeat.
talk about legal activism: information about aboveground activism is good content, especially if it's positive. remember to avoid using real names, especially when talking about political work.
ask some 'light' questions: asking questions is a good way to show that you are interested in the prisoner and to give him or her some material should they choose to reply. keep the questions light! ask them about things like books or music they enjoy, favourite passtimes or non-controversial current events. do not ask them about their case if it is still awaiting trial, religious or political beliefs, or about other prisoners. if you develop a writing relationship with the prisoner, the time for heavy questions may come, but to start with, keep it light.

advanced ideas
there's a lot more that can be done through the mail than just sending how-my-day-was letters back and forth. some 'advanced' ideas include:

book club
everything that can be done in a 'normal' book club can be done just as well through the mail, albeit at a much slower rate. because of this slower rate of communication, it's usually best to only have two or three prisoners in one book club.

a good overview on how to start a 'normal' book club can be found here. obviously, you will need to modify the process a bit to run your club over the mail system. keep in mind, also, that prisoners have limited access to books. you will probably need to buy a copy of the book for each prisoner in your club yourself.