2) How does
WriteAPrisoner.com work?
It's simple.
The prisoners pay us to post their personal and legal ads. You, the
public can write
them for free. We never charge you anything to use this site.
3) How often do you list new prisoner ads?
New ads are being listed regularly. The average time to post new ads
varies depending on the
current volume we are working with.
4) What is the number you have listed next to every
prisoners' name?
This is the Department of Correction's number. You must include this
next to the
prisoner's
name when writing them directly. Institutions assign numbers to all
inmates.
5) How can I find out more about the prisoner I am
corresponding with?
You can write
the same address as the prisoner's. Just put "Prison Administration" in
place of the prisoner's name. Include a letter that
explains what you are
inquiring about. You can also check by visiting the
State Prison Links and
Federal
Prison
Addresses and Contact Numbers if you wish to write via e-mail.
6)
How can I locate a prisoner?
We are unable
to help you locate prisoners directly. Visit our
Locate Prisoners In The United
States page for information on locating.
7) Can you keep me informed of changes and news worthy
eventson prison issues?
Yes. We have
an e-mail list that you can join to be kept up to date with prisoners in
the news as well as happenings here at
WriteAPrisoner.com. Please Join Our
Mailing List Here.
8) Do you accept donations?
We are always
in need of your support. However, we need your letters more than your
money. If you wish to donate to our site, you can:
Contribute to WriteAPrisoner.com. All donations will go 100% into
advertising targeted at getting inmates more mail.
9) Why do you post the inmates' crime on their ad, and is
this information verified?
We post the crimes so that pen pals have full disclosure about the
person they are writing. This
information is supplied directly by the inmate and
verified by WriteAPrisoner.com when that option of verification is
available to us. Complete information
can always be obtained by contacting the
Department of Corrections directly. The crime we
place is generic and rarely includes all offenses. Its purpose is to
give the viewer an idea of the crime.
However, for full disclosure, viewers are encouraged to login to the DOC
site using the link provided on
each inmate's profile.
10) How long does it take to remove an ad once the inmate
has requested it be removed?
This can take a few weeks. The inmate must submit in writing that
they want their ad removed. Once we receive their written request, a
confirmation letter is mailed back to them. Once we get this back, the
ad is removed.
This is done for their protection. Under no circumstances will we remove
an
ad unless the inmate requests it directly and in writing.
11) I know an inmate that wants to participate in the
WriteAPrisoner.com program, but his institution won't
let him. What can be done?
Prohibiting
inmates from participating in programs such as ours has been found
unconstitutional in court. If you know of an inmate
being denied access to our services, please send him (or her) this letter. We also encourage you to contact the organizations
listed in the letter and express your concern by urging their
involvement in this constitutional rights violation. Inmates still have
the right to free speech. Any institution or state prohibiting inmates'
involvement
with our program is in
violation of the First Amendment.
12) If an inmate's ad has expired, can it be retrieved?
No. Once an ad expires, all ad content is purged from our system.
13) I know an inmate on your website that needs an address
change. How can I get this done?
As mentioned on the website and in the member's welcome packet, all
address changes need to come directly from our members. We cannot
make address changes over the internet or by phone.
14) I found an inmate on
your website who has a different release date than that of the one
provided by the Department of Corrections. Why is this?
The release dates listed on inmate profiles may not exactly match
those on the DOC sites. This is because inmates will often factor in
gain time, pending appeals, etc.
Therefore, government information and inmate
information may conflict. The inmate is not necessarily trying to
mislead you with varying
release dates. In many cases, inmates are simply planning on an earlier
or later
release based on criteria that has not yet or may not be applied to the
government's website.
15) Does WriteAPrisoner.com take any special
precautions to provide
safeguards?
Yes. We take every reasonable precaution available to help safeguard
members of the public, minors, and as the inmates who use this website.
For a list of safeguards, please visit:
http://www.writeaprisoner.com/precautionary-measures-taken.aspx.
16) Can i send your inmates commercial advertisements?
No. This is illegal and doing so may result in action being take against you:
Soliciting Members.
Books Behind Bars Program
1)
I would like to donate books. Can I mail the books to
WriteAPrisoner.com?
No,
please do not send your books to WriteAPrisoner.com. Books
and other materials need sent directly to the institution or
organization listed. You can also drop books off in person
to those organizations that indicate this as an option.
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2) Do I have to sign up for this program before I can donate
materials?
No. Simply choose an organization or institution from the
directory that you would like to help, and send your books
directly to them.
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3)
What is the best way to send the books?
The best way to send books is to mail them using the U.S.
Postal Service's Media Mail or Parcel Post. These are
designed for sending books and very inexpensive compared to
first class rates.
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4) Some of the organizations listed in the directory are not
correctional facilities. Why?
There are many organizations trying to help educate inmates.
We offer assistance to all of them.
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5) I have a loved one incarcerated in a prison that is not
listed in the Books Behind Bars directory. How do I get
his/her prison listed?
Simple. Print this form and mail it to his or her
correctional facility:
Books Behind Bars Form
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6) I only have a couple of books to donate. Should I send
them?
Definitely! A few books in prison can go a long way.
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7) I don’t have any books to donate right now, but I want to
help educate our country’s prison population. Is there
another way I can help?
Please help by spreading the word. You can
print a
Books Behind Bars poster to display at your
local church, business, or anywhere else you like.
Also, consider adding our Books Behind Bars link to your
online profiles:
Books Behind Bars
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8) The prison where my loved one is incarcerated does not
allow us to send books to the prisoners. Why do I see
his/her facility listed here asking for book donations?
Books Behind Bars is set up to deal with the educational
department, not the prisoners, so the same mailing
restrictions do not apply.
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9) I have some used textbooks I’d like to donate, but I
can’t find any institutions that want them. What should I
do?
Different organizations need different materials. Please use
the search feature to match your items with an organization
that needs them. If you are still unable to find an
organization that is requesting the materials you wish to
donate, consider emailing some of the programs directly and
explain what you have. You can also place a notice on our
Books Behind Bars Forum.
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10) I have some old books, but I’m worried that they are not
in good enough shape to donate. Should I send them anyway?
Please do not send any books you consider to be unusable.
When in doubt, contact the organization you are sending them
to prior to mailing.
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11) I am a publisher with multiple copies of a single title.
Will one prison accept all of these books?
In many cases multiple copies of a single title can be used
in a prison classroom. We strongly encourage you to email
the organization to which you wish to donate prior to
sending these items.
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12) Can I use the Books Behind Bars program to send books
directly to my incarcerated loved one?
No. This program is not designed to help inmates on a one by
one basis. However, donating books to books to your loved
one’s facility can benefit everyone housed there.
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Placing
Inmate
Ads on WriteAPrisoner.com
2) Can you list minors on your site?
No. Inmates must be
at least 18 years of age to place an ad on our website.
3) I know someone in prison, can I pay for his or her ad?
Yes. When
paying for an ad, you can send the prisoner's photo and ad directly to
us. The cost of a basic ad one year ad is $40.00. If you would like to
pay with a
credit card, visit the
Pay For
An
Inmate's Ad Online page. View additional services at:
Price List.
Or, send payment via postal mail to:
WriteAPrisoner.com
P.O. Box 10
Edgewater, FL 32132 USA
4) Can prisoners pay in installments?
Yes. They can pay
as much as they want at a time. They will receive a receipt listing the
remaining
balance with every payment. The ad will be posted as soon as it is paid
in full.
5) Can you send a brochure to a prisoner I know?
Yes. We have
three types of brochures. Please visit our Brochure Request page to select the
desired brochure.
6) Do you have a membership application I can print and
send to a
prisoner?
Yes. If you'd like
to print an application and send it yourself, please click on the type
of
brochure you need below:
Application For Inmate Personal Ad
Application For Inmate Legal Ad
Application For Inmate International Ad
7) Can you list prisoners on your website from outside the
United States?
Yes. Although
we are unable to offer the e-mail forwarding service to them, all other
benefits apply. When paying from outside the United
States for a prisoner's ad, please use an international money order or
our Pay For
An
Inmate's Ad Online.
8) Can I submit an inmate's ad online or make changes to an
existing ad?
Yes. To learn
more about listing an inmate on our site, please visit:
How To List.
9) Do you post ads for inmates who cannot afford your
membership fee?
Yes. If an
inmate is indigent, we will verify this by asking for a copy of their
inmate account for the past six months. We will then hold
their ad until someone sponsors them. If you would like to sponsor an
inmate, you can do so
here:
Sponsor An Indigent Inmate. You will be provided all the details on
the inmate you sponsor.
10) Why do you have so much information up about mail
fraud? Is this common amongst inmates?
No. In fact, fraud
amongst our members has been almost non-existent. We provide this as a
precaution and to help appease any concerns the
Department of Corrections has about our service.
11) Do you have any suggestions for inmates when writing
their ads?
Yes. We do
have some suggestions for both
personal ads and
legal ads.
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12) Can any inmate join WriteAPrisoner.com?
We currently
do not accept ads from people under
the age of 18, people convicted of sexual crimes against children, and
select inmates of notoriety. WriteAPrisoner.com reserves the right to
refuse any ad. A full refund will be issued in this case.
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