Who Pays for postage

Never been asked to do, never done.

If the inmate indicates that they want an overseas penpal, then I'd assume they have the means to fund the correspondence.

I sometimes include an addressed stamped envelope or a few stamps, if the facility allows it. Most facilities don't allow stamp in but sometimes will let an addressed envelope with a stamp on it in. Like California I think they can receive up to 40 stamps in a piece of mail. But Texas forget it you can't even send a blank sheet of paper for them to use to reply.

I've never been asked to do this, nor have I done so. Currently I have 1 male and 1 female in California, 1 male in Arizona, none of them have asked me for money for anything.

I write to 6 pen pals and none of my snail mails have asked for postage costs. I do however prepay a stamp on Jpay for one. 

In my experience, most do bear this cost themselves.  I have sent money for postage a few times, although they did not ask me to.  Some people don't like to send money, but I figure that if my pen pals can't pay for letters, I'm really just hurting myself by being cheap.  In one instance, in Tennessee, I was able to send the stamps directly.  Most prisons don't allow this though.

i am new to this whole thing, but i live in austria/europe, most pp afford that? should i be alerted if they ask for stamps? i don´t know how many stamps they need to write me back. 

Some inmates have a prison job where they earn a little money, some receive financial support from family members or friends. If a prisoner checked 'willing to write overseas' in the ad you can be sure they have considered the extra postage and can afford it.

It really does not matter. If they can't afford it, you are not guilty of having to pay for it. If they don't want to pay for stamps, find someone else to write to. It really is that simple. It's just people make it more difficult than what they should have to.

Hubert, unless you are in America its quite difficult to get hold of US stamps. Thats why some people choose to send money instead, by whatever means the prison allows.

I don't send money for postage because in my view, it should be a two way street, it's not fair to expect one person to pay for everything postage wise. It costs me money already to do alot of things I send for them, I print many kinds of other creative type things for them on a regular basis as well as send actual letters,  if I pay for postage too it's like I'm paying for them to write to me, like I'm buying their friendship and I'm not okay with that. But, for me this is moot, I write people who can afford to do so, or have ways of being able to do so. Especially since they do get writing supplies when they're indigent, they're not left with nothing completely. It's not a matter of being cheap, it's a matter of expecting that this friendship is two way, both should have to bear something in costs. 

Also, as a side note, I talked about this with my penpal,  I simply asked him about what his thoughts are on postage and who pays for it, and he says to me and I quote, "For me to expect you to pay for my postage is wrong, you're taking time out of your day and your life to write me, you send me alot of mail and I appreciate it. The last thing I'd do is disrespect you by expecting you to fund my mail costs. If I don't have money for stamps or whatever, there are ways I can get what I need to write you back without bothering you about it."

Which is exactly how I feel. Being a penpal requires that you incur some kind of expense and I don't believe one party should be responsible for everything. That's just my personal take on it. That does not make me cheap or any sort of other similar things, I still do alot for them even without sending money or material things. But again, I've never been asked to do this and my penpals are not the type to expect such contributions, so maybe that plays into it too. 

I agree with ShadayBiz 100%, my pen pals never asked me to pay for their postage either. And I wouldn't do it, because I already send photos, cards, printouts, books... aside from letters, and they only have to buy a couple overseas stamps a month.

It depends on the state of incarceration of the inmate I'm writing.  If stamps are allowed to be sent to the inmate, then I send stamps.  States like Texas do not pay the inmates to work, but will give indigent inmates a certain amount of stamps per month (I forget how many).  I still send money to their Texas Inmate Trust Fund accounts for writing supplies and stamps.  I also like to cover the costs of toothpaste and deodorant, since Texas only gives inmates baking soda for those two needs.  By the way, Texas issues lye soap to inmates for bathing.  Commerial type soaps, like Dial, can only be purchased from commissary.  

I don't send those kind of stamps. I used to have a jpay penpal and I paid for there stamps for emails, but I won't buy stamps for inmates. Stamps are currency in there and you're just setting yourself up to get used.

I don't send those kind of stamps. I used to have a jpay penpal and I paid for there stamps for emails, but I won't buy stamps for inmates. Stamps are currency in there and you're just setting yourself up to get used.