How to write to someone in jail
How I did it: I know the people to whom I wrote, but you can visit writeaprisoner.com or you can ask the Chaplain at your local jail for the name of an inmate who would like to receive some letters.
I recommend asking for the name of someone who receives little, or nothing. I visit inmates, and I have seen their faces light up when bills and junk mail roll in, just because it's a connection to the outside.
I do not know the people I visit. They are lonely people and it amazes me how different their experiences have been from my own. Yes, I have had some really hard knocks in life, but there have always been a few people in my world that I knew had the right path in front of them. I thought everyone had a role model...someone good to learn from, but amazingly, some people really are surrounded only by cruddy influences. You'd be surprised how something you say can change a person's entire outlook.
If you are uncomfortable with the inmate receiving your home address (and do remember...that envelope can go anywhere inside that facility), you can always use a PO Box.
Lessons & tips: Just write about what you did today, what books you're reading, your thoughts, even your most boring ones. Send any note, scribble, or drawing. Remember that your letters may be read by facility staff.
I also recommend printing crosswords and other brain puzzles if you don't have time to write a full letter.
Do not send anything glued, metal, tape, or any stickers. I do not recommend using language that is explicit in any way.
I also discuss God and the Bible, but not exclusively. I point to how I used the Bible during my day to guide my own decisions and I always ask the people I visit and write to if I can pray for them about anything specific. This opens a lot of doors for conversation.
You can write once to many people, or you can write many times to the same person. I wrote to one person for 5 years. He is out now. I am currently writing to someone who just went in and will be there for about 4 years. I write to him about 3 times a week.
Resources: www.mirroreyes.com (Daily Word Puzzles and Crosswords)
www.prisonfellowship.org
