Look through checked profiles. Write a first letter. Decide as you go.
"Your letters will matter more to the person you write to than their letters will matter to you. That is just how it is. It is part of why this kind of writing is rare, and why it matters."
Before you start, ask yourself one question: can I keep writing?
Three steps. Most pen-pal friendships that stay active last six months to three years. Some last longer.
Filter by interests, age, state, or release date. Before a profile goes up, we check it against prison and court records. We check again every three months, or every 30 days for county-jail profiles.
Send it straight to the person's facility messaging address or mailing address. Or use our Letter Relay add-on if you would rather not share your own address. Relay sends your letter through the facility's messaging system in your own words, word for word. Facility staff read everything.
You promise nothing beyond the first letter. Keep going based on what comes back. Pause or stop any time.
The three profiles below are samples. They are examples, not real people. Our first checked listings will replace them soon.
Browse all profiles →Reads contemporary fiction. Plays chess by mail. Wants someone who will write about what they're actually thinking about, not what they think I want to hear.
This profile is operated by InsideLines on behalf of the person listed. The person inside does not have internet access and does not maintain this page.
Plays guitar most days. Writing a memoir about the music I grew up with in West Baltimore. Looking for someone who can write a real letter, not a text message on paper.
This profile is operated by InsideLines on behalf of the person listed. The person inside does not have internet access and does not maintain this page.
Cocino los domingos para mi módulo. Escribiendo de la familia que dejé en Sinaloa. Welcome to write in English or Spanish — I'll write back in whichever you send.
This profile is operated by InsideLines on behalf of the person listed. The person inside does not have internet access and does not maintain this page.
People outside browse and write for free.
Pay for a year and save 20% · First group of listings: first quarter free · Letter Relay add-on $15/month · Spanish↔English translation $5/letter · See full pricing →
Before any profile goes up, we check the person's identity, where they are held, and their convictions against prison and court records. Every profile shows the convictions we found, the sentence, and the earliest release date. If a jail case is still open, the profile says "Charges pending — not convicted." We do not turn anyone away because of the kind of crime they were convicted of.
Some profiles are of people convicted of sex offenses, crimes against children, or other serious crimes. We show the convictions. You decide whom to write. The safety page links to public records you can use to look into any profile.
Fill in one short form. We take it from there, and nothing is published until the person inside agrees in writing.
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