Writing a Letter to a Prisoner?

Question

I just found out that one of my best friends that I grew up with is in jail. We haven't talked in a while, but I feel obligated to write him somthing. I know his father died recently, which is probably what got him there. The problem is, I don't really know what to say. Any advice?

Answer 1

My husband is in prison for a non-violent conviction. Anyways, he has been sentenced for 2 years (minimum) and may be out on parole for 5 years. Technically he could be in prison for up to 7 years. This is a long time to keep the lines of communications open.

Here are some suggestions for keeping the letters flowing and interesting! (Keep in mind there are limitations and if you send the wrong thing you could be accused of sending a contraband, even if it's a book of stamps)

Find jokes on the Internet
Lyrics to the person's favorite songs
Poems/scriptures/ inspirational thoughts
Greeting Cards or Postcards
Pictures (there are limitations to how many and what you can send)
Send a book from a participating book store
a page from a Crossword (or word-find) puzzle book
Personality quizzes
Trivia
Clippings from newspaper

Answer 2

Assuming you have your life together, you could send him a sympathy card for the death of his father and offer your friendship once he gets out... Maybe he just needs to be around respectable people to stay out of jail... I would just write a small paragraph about your current life and maybe reminisce of the past and in closing, offer your number for when he gets out. Maybe you could get him a job somewhere?

If this person is in jail for a violent crime of any sort - I would just keep my distance and "let it be", as you don't need any drama in your life, especially if you have a family of your own.

Think before you act!